Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They compete in the National Hockey LeagueNHLThe National Hockey League (NHL) is a men’s professional ice hockey league with clubs in the United States and Canada. Founded in Montreal in 1917, it comprises 32 teams and awards the Stanley Cup to its playoff champion.Open the full entry (NHL) and play at PPG Paints Arena.
Contents15 sections
Key facts
1967NHL debut
The Penguins began play in 1967, earning their first victory against St. Louis on October 13.[1]
1984Mario Lemieux drafted
Pittsburgh selected Mario Lemieux first overall in the 1984 draft.[1]
1991–1992Back-to-back championships
Lemieux helped the Penguins win consecutive Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.[2]
1999Lemieux becomes an owner
Lemieux organized an ownership group in 1999, helping restructure the club and avert a possible move from Pittsburgh.[2]
His partnership with Ron Burkle continued through the 2021 acquisition agreement.[3]
2000Lemieux returns to play
After three years in retirement, Lemieux announced his return in December 2000 and helped the club reach the Eastern Conference Final. He retired permanently in January 2006.[2]
2005Sidney Crosby drafted
The Penguins won the 2005 draft lottery and selected Sidney Crosby first overall.[1]
2009Third Stanley Cup
Pittsburgh defeated Detroit in seven games to win its third Stanley Cup in 2009.[1]
2010New home arena
2016–2017Another pair of championships
Championships against San Jose in 2016 and Nashville in 2017 brought Pittsburgh’s total to five. Crosby won playoff MVP honors in both years.[1]
2021Fenway Sports Group agreement
On November 29, 2021, Fenway Sports Group announced an agreement to acquire control, with Lemieux and Burkle retaining stakes. The announcement remained subject to NHL approval.[3]
2026First-round elimination
Philadelphia eliminated Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2026 playoffs.[4]
2026Hoffmann family takes ownership
The Hoffmann family acquired the team from FSG in June 2026.[5]
Home arena
PPG Paints Arena is the team’s multipurpose home in Pittsburgh.[3]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Pittsburgh Penguins: Official website: https://www.nhl.com/penguins (opens in a new window)[6]
Pittsburgh Penguins: X: https://twitter.com/penguins (opens in a new window)[6]
Pittsburgh Penguins: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/penguins (opens in a new window)[6]
Sources
- 2023–24 Pittsburgh Penguins Team Guide (opens in a new window)
- Mario’s Story (opens in a new window)
- Fenway Sports Group Reaches Agreement to Acquire Control Interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins (opens in a new window)
- Penguins lose East 1st Round to Flyers, slow starts among factors (opens in a new window)
- The Hoffmann Commitment (opens in a new window)
- Pittsburgh Penguins — official website (opens in a new window)