Stanley Cup Champions!

The Pittsburgh Penguins have won the 2009 Stanley Cup!

Some quick thoughts: Sidney Crosby will like this year end photo a lot more.


What anguish he must have felt to have to watch the second half of game 7 on the bench with the knee injury. Great job by the grinders, Jordan Staal, Maxime Talbot, Craig Adams, Matt Cooke, Pascal Dupuis and Miroslav Satan with strong games to fill in when the captain went down.

My thoughts go out to Kris Letang, and therefore out to Luc Bourdon. Letang played brilliantly in game 3, dedicating this game to his fallen best friend.

Congrats also goes out to Matt Cooke, one of the classiest guys in the league. I have a love/hate relationship with him going all the way back to his rookie season in Vancouver. He's a class act and deserves this night.

Evgeni Malkin was just amazing at times in the playoffs. He is the obvious choice as Conn Smythe Trophy winner in my mind.

Marc-Andre Fleury - what a sensational save off of Nicklas Lidstrom in the dying seconds. It will be a short summer Marc-Andre. Team Canada's Olympic orientation camp is in August and they will be calling.

You always think of the veterans on this night. Bill Guerin was instrumental in turning this team around. Sergei Gonchar, too, as witnessed when he returned late in the season from injury. As good as the young stars are, Gonchar is the straw that stirs the drink.

Congratulations must go out to the Detroit Red Wings for another amazing spring. They are every bit as deserving of this Cup as any other.

Congratulations to the entire NHL. What a fantastic season we have just witnessed! The product on the ice is strong and entertaining. We as hockey fans are lucky to have seen a season like this.

A special thank you goes out to the readers of my websites. I will be very busy this summer providing new content as well as preparing for next season. I will have more on that later this weekend.

1992: Mario And Penguins Celebrate Second Cup

The year is 1992. It appears much like 1991. The Pittsburgh Penguins repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Mario Lemieux repeats as Conn Smythe trophy winner.

Great teams don't win the Stanley Cup once. Great teams win it several times in succession, or at least several times in several years. Teams like the New York Islanders, the Edmonton Oilers, and more than one generation of the Montreal Canadiens.

Great players don't win the Stanley Cup once. Great players lead their teams memorable championships. Players like Rocket Richard, Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky and Patrick Roy.

In 1992, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Mario Lemieux entered the loftiest of stratospheres reserved for only the greatest of the greats.

After narrowly escaping Washington in a 7 game battle in round one, the Penguins had little trouble in defending their title. Lemieux led the way with 16 goals and 34 points. They were downright convincing in their 4 game Stanley Cup finals sweep against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks were great that spring, and even held a 4-1 lead in game one against the Penguins. Somehow, the Penguins scratched their way back into the game, ending with another of Lemieux's magical moments:



With the comeback complete, the deflated Hawks never had a chance, though they did keep all the remaining losses closes.

1991: Super Mario Brings Cup To Pittsburgh

The year is 1990. It took Mario Lemieux 7 years to make the playoffs, but here in just his second post season, he would lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to the first of two consecutive Stanley Cups.

Lemieux was undeniably the MVP of the playoffs, registering 44 points, just 3 shy of Wayne Gretzky's single playoff record. "Le Magnifique" scored 16 goals and 28 assists, despite playing with a bad back that caused him to miss game 3 of the finals against the Minnesota North Stars. Lemieux's back was so bad that not only did he miss 54 games in the regular season but he relied on a trainer to tie his skate laces for him.

Despite the severe back pains, Mario was still able to score one of the most famous goals in NHL history:



Two words: Super Mario.

Lemieux had help, most notably from new comers Ron Francis and Ulf Sameulsson. The superstar center and stud defensive defenseman came over from Hartford at the trade deadline in one of the rare trade deadline blockbusters that actually resulted in a Stanley Cup parade. Both were integral parts to both Penguins championships.

And let's not forget Joe Mullen, Larry Murphy, Kevin Stevens, Mark Recchi, Paul Coffey, Tom Barrasso, a veteran Bryan Trottier and a young Jaromir Jagr.

Not a bad collection of superstars surrounding the most talented hockey player of all time. But this was Lemieux's shining moment. As Minnesota player Dave Gagner said: "When somebody that big and that good wants to win that badly, there isn't much you can do."

7-0 Penguins Have History On Their Side

Wow. The Pittsburgh Penguins have won 7 straight games to open the playoffs. 10 times in NHL history a team has opened 7-0. Eight of those teams went on to win the Stanley Cup.

That's a great omen for Pittsburgh. I must admit, I didn't think they'd be this good. I figured they'd eventually face some adversity (I thought that adversity would come in the form of the New York Rangers) and they would have to suffer the same disappointment that most NHL champions have to go through.

But the Penguins keep on marching. Marc-Andre Fleury has been better than I expected. The blue liners have been better than everyone expected. Players on every line are chipping in in ways they're not normally associated with - bangers scoring goals, scorers banging bodies. It is pretty much the perfect mix, and we haven't even mentioned the names of superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin yet.

At this stage it is tough to see anyone stopping them, especially in the East.

Introducing Pittsburgh Penguins Legends and Minnesota North Stars Legends

The Legends of Hockey Network would like to officially welcome the legends of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Minnesota North Stars to their new home.

There has been a lot of talk over the years about the Penguins extinction, and it is starting to sound more and more as though Kansas City will be the new home for Sidney Crosby and all. Regardless if that happens or not, I wanted to honor the great players and characters of the Pittsburgh Penguins over the past 40 years

Syl Apps Jr. - Hockey has many great families. The Apps family has to be near the top of the list, with three generations of dominant hockey players.

	Les Binkley - A long time minor league goalie finally got his chance thanks to 1967 expansion. He was one of the early fan favorites.
	Tom Barrasso - Right out of high school, Tom Barrasso turned in one of the most amazing rookie seasons in NHL history. He would continue on to have a stellar career complete with 2 Stanley Cups.

	Michel Briere - The Pittsburgh Penguins have always looked to the Quebec leagues for star players. Before Lemieux and Crosby there was Michel Briere. Unfortunately tragedy struck.
	Mario Lemieux - Magnificent is the perfect word to describe Mario Lemieux. Number 66 is the most gift player to ever play the game of hockey.
	Gilles Meloche - In the 1970s and 1980s he played for the Seals, Barons, North Stars and Penguins. No wonder why his 351 career losses is only 1 loss off of the all time record.

Joey Mullen - One of the greatest American born players in hockey history, Mullen helped the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins win Stanley Cups..

	Ron Schock - One of the forgotten Penguins of the 1970s, Schock has some interesting insight into life before and after expansion in 1967.
	Bryan Trottier - The best two way player of his generation, Hall of Famer Trottier was slightly overshadowed by line mate Bossy but forever appreciated.

Flying just a bit under most people's radar, the Dallas Stars are having a fine NHL campaign. It'll soon be 14 years since the Minnesota North Stars went south to the Lone Star State. The big money era may have brought the Stanley Cup to Texas, but Minnesota will always be the State of Hockey.

Here's a look back at a few Legends of the Minnesota North Stars:

	Cesare Maniago - Post-1967 expansion fans in Minnesota and Vancouver loved to Hail Cesare!
	Dennis Maruk - Dennis Maruk was a feisty but talented little player who played good hockey for some of hockey's baddest teams.
	Brad Maxwell - An aggressive, skilled defender who had his career cut short by injuries, Brad Maxwell is a candidate for best North Stars defenseman ever.
	Gilles Meloche - In the 1970s and 1980s he played for the Seals, Barons, North Stars and Penguins. No wonder why his 351 career losses is only 1 loss off of the all time record.
	Bobby Smith - The former junior hockey and Minnesota North Stars legend helped the Habs win a surprise Stanley Cup in 1986..
	Tim Young - A tremendous passer with an above-average understanding of the game, Tim Young is now as forgotten as the Minnesota North Stars.