Pittsburgh Hockey.NET

Bob Johnson picks up family tradition

2009-10-07T12:31:00.002-04:00

Brent Johnson is expected to get the start in goal tonight for the Pittsburgh Pens against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Johnson, signed over the summer as a free agent, will become part of the fourth set of father and son tandems to skate for the Penguins.

Johnson's father Bob played in 12 games with Pittsburgh in 1974-75.

Click here to see the other there families and don't forget the siblings that suited up for Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Ranked Number One Sports City

2009-10-07T10:54:00.002-04:00

Sport News says Pittsburgh is the tops

When Stanley met Pauline

2009-09-06T22:49:00.001-04:00

Penguins President David Morehouse takes the cup back home.

Regional Sports Illustrated Cover

2009-06-16T23:37:00.002-04:00

A good date to play from behind

2009-04-25T20:19:00.001-04:00

Strange but true ...

Today was the third time the Pens overcame a three goal lead in the playoffs and the second time on this date.

Last year on April 25 the Penguins rallied to erase a 3-0 lead against the New York Rangers and won on Evgeni Malkin's powerplay goal with 1:41 remaining to win the opening game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, 5-4.

ACHA 2nd Annual Division I All-Star Game notes

2009-04-04T13:05:00.003-04:00

In Wooster, Ohio on April 4th. 40 players throughout the nation were selected from a pool of 1,600. Five Pittsburghers (4 players, 1 coach) were selected to represent their colleges/universities at the event. Each of these players will be on the same team roster at this weekend's ACHA All-Star Event. These 5 leaders have been integral to their programs and to Pittsburgh hockey over the years in achieving a lot throughout their careers.

The Pittsburgh area players and coach were defeated by the White Team, 6-3.

Dave Fryer - Head Coach - Duquesne University - Hails from Oakdale, PA. 2nd ACHA All-Star appearance. Named as Head Coach of the Blue Team at the All-Star Game. Recently coached Duquesne to the ACHA National Tournament after winning the 2008-2009 College Hockey Mid-America Regular Season and Playoff Tournament titles. Dave played high school hockey for West Allegheny High School and collegiate hockey for the University of Pittsburgh.

Ben Herring – Forward - University of Rhode Island – A Senior from Sewickley, PA. 1st ACHA All-Star appearance. A very skilled forward, who is a leader for the Rams, Herring scored 12 goals and added 15 assists in 28 games. Played for Quaker Valley High School and the Pittsburgh Hornets prior to attending Rhode Island. Completed his collegiate career at URI with 107 total points. Helped Rhode Island win an ACHA Division I National Championship in 2006. Herring had one goal in the all-star game.

Tim O’Brien – Forward - Penn State University – A Sophomore from Bethel Park, PA. 1st ACHA All-Star appearance. Played high school hockey at Bethel Park High School and for the Youngstown Phantoms AAA prior to attending Penn State. Tim knows how to win. A talented lefty who has led Penn State to the ACHA National Tournament the past two years. Has led Penn State in scoring for both seasons he has been there. Accumulated a 46 point season with the Icers, scoring 29 goals. Helped lead Penn State to back to back ESCHL League Championships, earning MVP of the 2009 ESCHL Tournament.

Mario Panucci – Forward - Washington & Jefferson College – A Senior from McKees Rocks, PA. 2nd ACHA All-Star appearance for the Presidents. Played high school hockey for two years for Team Montour prior to attending W&J. An extremely fast skater with great vision and an ability to distribute the puck. His 70 point, 2008-2009 season is a W&J single season scoring record. Helped lead Washington & Jefferson to a College Hockey Mid-America League Championship in 2008 with a win over West Virginia. Mario completed his collegiate hockey career with 173 total points. Panucci had one assist in the all-star game.

Justin Thomas – Forward - University of Pittsburgh – A Sophomore from Pittsburgh, PA. 2nd ACHA All-Star appearance. Played high school hockey at Shadyside Academy. A very talented player who has led Pitt in scoring in his first two collegiate seasons. Justin is a pure goal scorer with a wicked shot. He has scored 72 goals in just two seasons at Pitt. He had a 51 point season in 2008-2009, as a sophomore, in helping lead Pittsburgh to the College Hockey Mid-America title game vs. Duquesne. Thomas had one minor penalty in the all-star game.

A Dozen Good Men

2009-04-03T21:28:00.003-04:00

Less than a week ago Western Pennsylvania native Christian Hanson was saddened when his college team was eliminated in the NCAA Midwest Regional. Tonight he was playing in the NHL, becoming the 12th player from here to make the big leagues.

Hanson, who wasn't drafted in the NHL, finished his college career at Notre Dame when Bemidji State beat the Fighting Irish on and signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs three days later on March 31, 2009.

Here's a list of the other 11 'Burg Boys that made the NHL...

Old jerseys for New Jersey

2009-03-28T19:39:00.002-04:00

The Pens have scrapped the retro blue for the rest of the season.

The Penguins were schedule to wear the alternate jerseys at least one more game on April 1 against New Jersey, but a team spokesperson has said that the team will use the traditional black and (vegas) gold for the rest of the year.

The team will also scrap the special third jersey logo puck that was used in the ten games that the blue uniforms were used.

Editor's note: Story has been confirmed by Dave Molinari.

For 29, 3/25 = 0

2009-03-25T23:33:00.003-04:00

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 31 shots from the Calgary Flames to earn his 15th career shutout.

For the last three years, Fleury has earned a shutout on this date.

In 2008, Fleury made 31 saves against the New Jersey Devils to earn his 11th career shutout.

On this date in 2007 Fleury stopped all 29 shots to pick up his seventh shutout of the season in a 5-0 win over Boston.

Shaler Wins Class AAA Peguins Cup

2009-03-24T23:40:00.000-04:00

Seneca Valley's run of two consecutive overtime wins came to an end when Shaler sophomore Shane Shiring scored in the second overtime to push the Shaler Titans over Seneca Valley, 3-2.

Shaler advances to play LaSalle in the Class AAA Final at 4 p.m. on Saturday in West Chester.

Planets Align: Mars Wins "A" Penguins Cup

2009-03-24T20:58:00.007-04:00

The Mars Planets defeated the Bishop McCort Crushers, 3-2, in the Class A Penguins Cup Finals.

Mars had goals from Mike Mazzotta, Brady Sipe and Andrew Santa.

Bishop McCort's goals were scored by Matthew Holtz and Dane Domonkos.

Mars advances to play Bayard Rustin in the Class A Final at 11 a.m. on Saturday in West Chester.

Wildcats Strike: Greater Latrobe Wins "AA" Penguins Cup

2009-03-23T20:42:00.006-04:00

Latrobe continued a perfect season and won their second consecutive AA Penguins Cup by defeating the Montour Spartans, 3-0.

Latrobe had goals from Ryan LaDuke, Tyler Berger and Jayson Angus while goalie Nick Loyacona stopped 39 shots for the shutout.

The Wildcats, Section 4 champions, have only allowed 35 goals all season en route to a 22-0-0 season.

Latrobe faces Flyers Cup champion Council Rock South (18-5-1) on Saturday in West Chester to decide the state championship.

The music's over: Vince Lascheid

2009-03-20T10:10:00.004-04:00

Vince Lascheid, longtime organist for the Penguins and Pittsburgh Pirates has died at the age of 85.

Lascheid entertained the fans at the Civic Arena from 1970 through 2003.

He was inducted into the Penguins Hall of Fame in 2003.

It would be a nice tribute to Vince if the Mellon Arena played all organ music tonight against the Kings, or no music at all.

Pittsburgh Amateur Penguins Girls win Championship

2009-03-09T08:12:00.002-04:00

Pittsburgh Amateur Penguins Girls win first ever tier II District Championship with a 16-1 win over Columbus..

Pittsburgh Amateur Penguins Stats from the championship Game Sunday
Everyone Skater had a goal and the goalie collect a point.

F Morgan Becer "C" 3 goals 3 assist
F Traic Judge "A" 5 goals 2 assist
F Kelsey Hickey 1 goal 8 assist
F Lauren Lehman 1 goal 5 assist
F Linn Hansen 3 goals 2 assist
D Ashley Lindey 1 goal 1 assist
D Emily Levesque "A" 1 goal
D Michelle Daley 1 goal
G Samantha Zukowski 1 assist

The Century Marc

2009-03-01T19:34:00.001-05:00

Mark-Andre Fleury now has 100 wins , moving him up the all-time Penguins goalie list behind Tom Barrasso and Ken Wregget. Here's a complete list of all the Pens goalie stuff ...

Meet the new boss....

2009-02-15T20:51:00.001-05:00

The Penguins have fired Michel Therrien and replaced him with WBS bench boss Dan Bylsma (LEFT).

Bylsma has been named interim coach after compiling a record of 35-16-1-2 for the Baby Penguins.

Therrien was five games short of setting the record for all time consecutive games coached, held by Ed Johnston (276).

Bylsma will be the 20th man to coach the team; the tenth time in team history a coach has been replaced in mid-season.

The record for the first 19 coaches in their first game: 6-9-3-1.

Craig Patrick and Herb Brooks were the only two coaches out of ten to win their first game in mid-season takeovers.

The Penguins were baptized today...

2009-02-10T00:25:00.004-05:00

In 1967, Emily Roberts of Belle Vernon won a contest to name Pittsburgh's new NHL team: The Penguins. Here's the story of the team name and logo history.

Pittsburgh caught a glimpse of the hockey future when the United Fund's Miss Torch, Karen Antkiewicz (photo above) modeled the Penguins sweater for the first time.

Conklin stones the Pens

2009-02-08T18:36:00.005-05:00

Ty Conklin stopped 25 shots from Pittsburgh and became the third former goaltender to record a shutout for Pittsburgh, and returned to shut out the Pens.

The other two? Tom Barrasso had a team record 22 shutouts for the Pens and returned to to defeat the Pens 7-0 as a Carolina Hurricanes on December 16, 2001.

Patrick Lalime had three shutouts with Pittsburgh and two with Ottawa against the Pens.

Jocelyn Thibault shut out the Pens twice before signing here and had one after he was with the Pittsburgh.

Caputi's NHL record?

2009-02-04T10:13:00.002-05:00

First shift. First goal. An NHL record.

Luca Caputi scored 14 seconds into his NHL career. It's an NHL record for fastest goal at the start of a career, but the league won't honor it.

If the league kept such a stat, Caputi would have beaten Toronto's Gus Bodnar, who scored :15 seconds into his first game against the New York Rangers on October 30, 1943.

The league honors the game clock, not individual ice time. Bodnar started in his milestone game; Caputi just jumped over the boards for his debut 2:16 into the first period.

Officially, Caputi's tally was recorded at 2:30.

Bodner also has a Pittsburgh connection. He played with the Pittsburgh Hornets for 21 games 1946-47 & 1947-48.

We are aware that Lemieux scored on in his first shift on October 11, 1985 - although it took him 1:18 of ice time!

"Home" ice advantage ...

2009-01-16T20:27:00.004-05:00

Tonight's game features the Anaheim Ducks' Georges Parros (left) and the Penguins' Bill Thomas - the second set of Pittsburgh-area natives to play professional hockey in the Mellon Arena. Do you know the other Boys of the 'Burgh?

Remembering Michel Briere...

2009-01-05T00:05:00.001-05:00

Back in 2001 on this date, the Penguins officially retired #21 in memory of Michel Briere.

It was a long-overdue gesture. Many of the newer fans have never heard of him or knew the story of why the number is retired. Here is his chapter of Penguins history...
See rare footage of Briere's first NHL goal.

Home for the holidays

2008-12-23T12:22:00.002-05:00

Ryan Malone said he didn't know what to expect for tonight's homecoming. Malone, who spent the first four years with the Penguins, returns with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Malone is from Pittsburgh, but he's not the first native Steel City resident to play in the NHL...

Schock and awe ...

2008-12-18T23:53:00.002-05:00

Today is Ron Schock's 65th birthday. Many of the new Pens fans have never heard of him, but he's the all-time Penguins Iron Man. Here's a list of players to play in every game.

Schock came to the Penguins in 1969 and is sixth on the team's all-time games played at 648. Schock was the captain of the Pens from 1973 to 1977. During that span he strung together a streak of 328 consecutive games played to establish a team record.

Who's the current Pens' Iron Man? Evgeni Malkin. He's played in 216 games in a row (as of December 18).

Malkin missed the first four games of his career after John LeClair wiped him out in a preseason game but hasn't missed a game since.

Second on the list behind Malkin is Jordan Staal at 204 games. He only missed one game when he was benched against the Florida Panthers on December 5th, 2005.

An arena that nobody heard of ...

2008-12-17T00:02:00.003-05:00

Pittsburgh has a new arena under construction, but few people are aware that Pittsburgh's first arena – The Casino – was the first place in North America that had artificial ice and was the first place competitive ice hockey was played in Pittsburgh.

It was a beauty. State-of-the-art. But it only lasted 19 months. In fact, it burned down exactly 112 years ago today. Check out the details of The Casino.

New Arena Baptized

2008-12-15T13:18:00.003-05:00

The Penguins' new arena has a new name: Consol Energy Center.

Consol has agreed to purchase the naming rights to the new facility for a term of 21 years.

The arena is scheduled to open during the 2010-11 season.