Pens Legends Return to Pittsburgh

Sergei Gonchar

When Sergei Gonchar's professional tryout contract with the Penguins didn't work out back in 2015, he decided to retire following a stellar 20-year career and join Pittsbugh's coaching staff in a part-time capacity. He served as defenseman development coach his first season and defensemen coach his second, helping the team win the Stanley Cup both years. Heading into his third, Gonchar has been named an assistant coach and will transition into a full-time role - which he couldn't have done without the blessing of his wife, Ksenia. That's because general manager Jim Rutherford had offered Gonchar the job after his first year, but he declined so that he could be at home in Dallas with his family as much as possible. But after his second year, she told him that he needed to go to Pittsburgh full-time and she would be able to handle their two kids by herself. Gonchar gives both her and the organization so much credit helping him get to this point.

"I had been playing all my life and when I started working as a coach I didn't know what to expect or how it was going to be," he said. "But the organization, including the players, made it easier for me."

As defensemen coach, Gonchar worked closely with Pittsburgh's blue line, utilizing extensive use of video to coach and teach the players. When he attended games, he would watch from the media level with former goaltending coach Mike Bales and go to the locker room during intermissions. Head coach Mike Sullivan called Gonchar "invaluable" during this most recent postseason, especially in working with the team's young defensemen. He played an important role in helping them get through an influx of injuries late in the season and throughout the playoffs. It's been an enjoyable experience for Gonchar watching both the individuals and the team have such success.

"You see how the young players respond and develop, and it's made the job rewarding to see how guys become better, how they're more comfortable on the ice, how they're doing things and becoming better players," he said. "I think it's what makes me feel great every morning and it's rewarding for me."

That's particularly true when it comes to Justin Schultz, someone Gonchar worked with closely to develop his defensive skills to get on the same level as his offensive skills. As a result, Schultz has emerged into one of the top offensive defensemen in the league, finishing the regular season ranked among the NHL's top-10 defensemen in assists (39), points (51) and plus-minus (+27).

"The biggest thing is he was willing to put in the work, especially at the beginning when he got here," Gonchar said. "He sacrificed his offense a little bit to focus on defense and it wasn't happening overnight, so it took him some time to develop that part of the game, but when he developed that part of the game, he was a guy who felt comfortable on both ends of the ice.

"Obviously offensively it's not a problem for him. He's got all the talent in the world. So what I should point out is the defensive part he worked on and how he was patient. Sometimes maybe in the beginning he was not getting as many points, but he was still patient and then he put 1 plus 1 together with his defensive game and his offensive game. He became a great player who has played well for us."

As assistant coach, Gonchar will continue to be an eye in the sky during games. He will work closely with head coach Mike Sullivan and new assistant coach Mark Recchi on the power play, and Gonchar will assist Jacques Martin with the defensemen. Like Recchi, Gonchar expects to make a seamless transition into his new role.

"I just expect it's going to be the same thing, just a little bit more time," Gonchar said. "Obviously spend more time together. I'm going to be there every day. But otherwise it will be the same."

Gonchar was known for being a power-play specialist during his playing days, and had already been helping out in that area the last two seasons. He's excited about contributing more input this year.

"I played with some of those guys, I know their tendencies and know what they like," he said. "I try to give them my input and my feelings and I'm going to do it again and again. Mark obviously being on board, he's going to have his opinion and his experience playing that role for many years. I'm actually looking forward to the power play. I think it's going to be something we can improve more next year."

Both Recchi and Gonchar have the unique perspective of having skated alongside a few of the current Penguins like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, which will be particularly helpful when it comes to the power play.

"You know what the tendencies are, what the guy likes to do on the ice, what he's feeling comfortable with position-wise," Gonchar explained. "Playing with a guy, you have a feeling, what he wants, what he's comfortable with. It helps when you're thinking about the power play and trying to do something with the unit and when you're putting a breakout together or setting up plays."

Gonchar is looking forward to being around a lot more, and excited to keep instilling his philosophy of working with individuals 1-on-1 to help the team.

"Some of the guys you spend a little bit more time with, and some of the guys less time," Gonchar said. "Some of the guys like to have video, some of them don't. It's finding an individual approach for everyone. I think everyone is different, everybody has their tendencies, everybody has their opinions about the game, so that's why I try to build a relationship with every one of them and it's not necessarily the same with every one of them. That's the way I look at it. That's the way I try to work."

The Penguins have named Sergei Gonchar assistant coach, it was announced by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford and head coach Mike Sullivan. Gonchar is the third newcomer to join Sullivan's coaching staff, joining Mark Recchi, who was added yesterday, and goaltending coach Mike Buckley. The trio joins holdovers Jacques Martin and video coach Andy Saucier. Between Gonchar and Recchi, the Penguins have added more than 3,000 combined NHL regular-season and playoff games, 2,500 points and eight Stanley Cups to the coaching staff in the past two days. 

"Like Mark, Sergei brings a wealth of hockey knowledge to our team," Sullivan said. "His career is a body of work that speaks for itself. He will naturally transition into a full-time coaching role, building on the experiences and relationships he has already made with our group. He was invaluable during the playoffs, especially in working with our young defensemen." 

Gonchar, 43, had spent the past two seasons working as the Penguins' defenseman development coach.  As Sullivan mentioned, Gonchar played a crucial role in helping the young blueliners on Pittsburgh's roster survive a rash of injuries late in the season and throughout the playoffs to win a second-straight Stanley Cup. In his new role, Gonchar will be an eye in the sky during games. He will work closely with Sullivan and Recchi on the power play, and Gonchar will assist Martin with the defensemen. One of the young defenders that Gonchar has taken under his wing is Justin Schultz. Since joining the Penguins and being tutored by Gonchar and Martin, Schultz has emerged into one of the top offensive defensemen in the league, finishing the regular season ranked among the NHL's top-10 defensemen in assists (39), points (51) and plus-minus (+27). During Pittsburgh's back-to-back championship runs, Gonchar has aided the development of several other young blueliners who were crucial to both titles, including Olli Maatta, Brian Dumoulin, Chad Ruhwedel and Derrick Pouliot. 

As a player, the 6-foot-2, 210 pound native of Chelyabinsk, Russia was one of the highest-scoring blueliners in the game, especially so during his five-year run in Pittsburgh from 2005-10, when Gonchar produced the fifth-most points among NHL defensemen with 259 (54G-205A). Only Nicklas Lidstrom, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger and Brian Rafalski had more points during that span. When Pittsburgh won its third Stanley Cup in 2009, Gonchar was both an alternate captain and the team's highest-scoring defender with 14 points (3G-11A) in 22 games. One year prior in '08, Gonchar was a key catalyst for an emerging Penguins club that lost in the Stanley Cup Final to Detroit.

Gonchar enjoyed a stellar 20-year NHL career that saw him record 811 regular-season points (220G-591A), the most among Russian-born blueliners in NHL history. Between 1999-2010, the prime of his career, Gonchar reached 50 points nine times in a 10-season span. Only Lidstrom (8 such seasons) had more than five 50-point seasons in that time frame among defensemen. Gonchar skated in 1,301 career NHL games with Washington, Boston, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Dallas and Montreal. His point total sits in 17th place in NHL history among defensemen, and his games played total ranks 18th. He had 90 points (22G-68A) in 141 playoff games.

What made Gonchar so valuable to his teams was that not only did he produce points, but the frequent leader by example became an all-around defender capable of logging heavy minutes. Throughout the duration of his career, Gonchar skated in 83 percent of his teams' total games, and according to hockeyreference.com, he logged at least 23 minutes per game 11 times in 14 seasons between his age-24 season in 1998-99 as a Capital and his age-38 season in 2013-14 with Ottawa. 

During back-to-back seasons with the Capitals in 2001-02 and '02-03, Gonchar led all NHL defensemen in goals with 26 and 18, respectively. His 59 points in '01-02 also paced all D-men. He earned NHL Second-Team All-Star status both years. He represented his country on numerous occasions internationally, including four Olympic Games. He won a silver medal in the '98 Games and a bronze in '02. 

Gonchar won a silver medal at the 2010 World Championship and a bronze medal in the '07 World Championship. He also suited up in the 1996 and 2004 World Cups of Hockey. Gonchar was originally drafted by the Washington Capitals in the first round (14th overall) in the 1992 NHL Draft. Since the 1967 NHL Expansion, only 13 defensemen who have been selected in the NHL Draft have accumulated more points than Gonchar's 811. Of those 13 above him, 11 have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

 

Mark Recchi

The Penguins named Mark Recchi as an assistant coach to replace Rick Tocchet, who was named head coach of the Coyotes. And when discussing what the transition behind the bench would be like for Recchi, both he and Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan used the word "seamless."

"Obviously 'Tocc' is a real good coach and a great person, and is a tough guy to replace as a coach, but I can't think of a better guy than 'Rex' to do that," Sullivan said of Recchi, who will assume the duties handled by Tocchet - which include running the team's forwards and working closely with Sullivan on the power play. 

There's a number of reasons.

* First and foremost, his playing career. Recchi was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on June 26 as one of seven members of the Class of 2017 following a career where he finished as the NHL's 12^th all-time leading scorer with 1,533 points in 1,652 games. He won the Stanley Cup three times (Pittsburgh, 1991; Carolina, 2006; Boston, 2011), becoming one of just 10 players from the modern era to win a championship with three different teams. Recchi's longevity and pedigree are impressive. Players have remarked about Tocchet's ability to relate to them as players having produced such a successful career, and Sullivan knows Recchi will do the same.

"(Recchi) is a very similar type personality (to Tocchet) in the sense that he's such an accomplished player," Sullivan said. "He'll get instant credibility with the career he's had as a player and that speaks for itself. Not only how elite he was as a player, but just the longevity. I think it speaks to his character - his ability to play that many years and help different teams win Stanley Cups - and play different roles. I know our players have so much respect for him already, and that's one of the reasons we're so excited to have Rex join our staff."

* Secondly, Recchi wasn't just any player - he was a teammate of several current Penguins during his career. When Sidney Crosby entered the league in 2005, Recchi was his first linemate and factored into both his first point (an assist on a Recchi goal) and his first goal (Recchi got the assist). He also spent time playing alongside Evgeni Malkin. Few, if any, coaches in the league can say they've played with the two-headed monster, so it will offer Recchi a unique perspective.

"I think it definitely helps," Recchi said. "They were young men when they started with me and just being around them and seeing the drive they had and playing with both of them, on lines extensively at times, it's definitely going to help."

It also helps having been around them in a front-office role the last three seasons and watching how they interacted with Sullivan and Tocchet.

"They are very competitive people and there's a reason why they've got three championships," Recchi said. "They thrive on competition, they thrive on the challenge and I'm excited to get in there and help them go through this. There's always going to be times when you're going to have challenges throughout the year. You're going to have to sit down and talk to them and they're going to want to talk to me, and I think I have that relationship that's already there that will just help the transition very easily."

That goes for Phil Kessel as well, somebody who was close with Tocchet but also has a rapport with Recchi.

"He already has a great relationship with Phil," Sullivan said. "We've used Rex over the last couple of seasons with Phil to try to help him grow his game and develop his game in different areas that we were trying to help Phil."

Sullivan went on to praise Recchi's "instant credibility" with the Penguins not just as a fellow player, but also as a coach.

"He's a natural when it comes to his ability to teach the game," Sullivan said. "I've watched him both on the ice and in the locker room, in meetings with players, and he's a natural. So I really believe that he's going to continue to foster those relationships that are so important to helping us grow as a team and more specifically, some of our individual players like Phil. I think Rex is going to do a great job in helping that process along."

* Thirdly, it's not just Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Kris Letang and Pittsburgh's other star players that Recchi is familiar with. In his role as player development coach, he was responsible for working with young prospects throughout the organization and assisting with the development of players in the minor leagues as well as junior and college hockey. He also helped recruit coveted NCAA free agents, as forward Zach Aston-Reese cited Recchi as a big reason he decided to sign with Pittsburgh. In fact, Recchi had just earned a promotion to director of player development for his tremendous work before accepting this new role.

"I think his relationship that he's built with the young players, working with them in Wilkes-Barre and through the development process, gives him so much familiarity with these guys and an already established relationship where we think he's just going to hit the ground running," Sullivan said.

* Finally, Recchi has been quietly working towards this for a while and has spent a lot of time behind the scenes involved in different parts of the process. Sullivan said that they talk hockey all the time in their offices and that Recchi has been a part of their coaches' meetings.

"Whether it be on the power play or penalty kill or 5-on-5, he's always added his insights to help us along the way solve some of the challenges that we've had in my tenure as the coach," Sullivan said. "I feel fortunate that we've got a guy like Rex that I've had the privilege to build a relationship with as well here in my time with Pittsburgh and it started when I was in Wilkes Barre."

Actually, the relationship began even earlier than that - back in 2008-09, to be exact. That season, Recchi was a player for Tampa Bay while both Sullivan and Tocchet were on the Lightning coaching staff.

"I'm just looking forward to this opportunity of working with Sully," Recchi said. "I have been around him for a long time. I was in Tampa when Sully and Tocc were coaches and we were together there. I've been around the dressing room and around them the last three years. I know I've built that trust with Sully and he knows I have his back, and we're going to work to do this thing together with Sergei (Gonchar) and Jacques (Martin)."

Overall, it's been one heck of a summer for Recchi so far. It started when he won his fifth Stanley Cup - second as an executive - in June. It continued when he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and has cumulated with this latest announcement. Not to mention dealing with the promotion to director of player development, the NHL Draft, development camp and free agency in between all of that.

"It's been exciting," Recchi said with a laugh. "I just caught up to my other texts from everything from the last couple weeks, so I'm going to have to catch up again now. It's been so exciting. When you win the Cup, seeing what these guys put into it and being part of that was huge. Then obviously getting into the Hockey Hall of Fame is the icing on the cake on a career that I was very proud of, put a lot of work into and really excited about that.

"Then I got moved up to director of player development and when the situation with Tocc arose and Sully and Jim (Rutherford) called me, it didn't really take me long to make the decision. The more I thought about it, the more excited I got and I'm just looking forward to this opportunity of working with Sully."

"I would like to thank Rick Tocchet for his invaluable contributions to our team over the last three years," Rutherford said. "Rick has done a terrific job for us, and we wish him the best as a head coach. Mark Recchi will be a tremendous addition to our coaching staff. His recent history with the organization, especially with our players and coaches, and his incredible knowledge of the game, will help to ensure a seamless transition. It's only fitting that he starts his NHL coaching career the same year he is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame."

Recchi, 49, will assume the duties handled by Tocchet, which include running the team's forwards and working closely with Sullivan on the power play. Recchi joins assistant coach Jacques Martin, recently-appointed goaltending coach Mike Buckley, and video coach Andy Saucier, on Sullivan's staff.

A Kamloops, British Columbia native, Recchi had spent the past three seasons as the Penguins' player development coach, and had recently been promoted to director of player development. On June 26, Recchi was elected to the Hall of Fame as one of seven members of the Class of 2017 that will be enshrined on Nov. 13, 2017, a day off for the Penguins. The NHL's 12th all-time leading scorer with 1,533 points in 1,652 games, Recchi is a five-time Stanley Cup champion. He won three times as a player, first with Pittsburgh in 1991, then with Carolina (2006) and Boston (2011). Recchi has added his name to the Cup two more times as an executive with the Penguins the last two seasons. Recchi is one of just 10 players from the modern era to win the Stanley Cup with three different teams. As a Bruin in 2011, Recchi became the oldest player to ever score in the Stanley Cup Final, as his Cup Final point total led Boston that year.

Nicknamed 'The Wrecking Ball,' Recchi solidified a spot on the Penguins' All-Time Team by producing 385 points (154G-231A) in 389 career appearances with Pittsburgh. He was the leading scorer on the '91 Stanley Cup championship team with 113 points in the regular season. A seven-time NHL All-Star, including the '91 season with Pittsburgh, Recchi joined the 500-goal club as a Penguin, scoring the milestone marker against the Dallas Stars on Jan. 26, 2007. In addition to playing for Pittsburgh, Recchi suited up for Philadelphia, Montreal, Carolina, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Boston. Pittsburgh originally chose Recchi in the fourth round (67th overall) of the 1988 NHL Draft.

 

 

Kevin Stevens Returns to Pittsburgh

For former NHLer Kevin Stevens, Boston will always be home. But Pittsburgh is a close second. 

"There's just something about here," Stevens said. "I love coming back here. I love Boston, but when I come back here I feel very relaxed, very at home. It's just one of those feelings.

"There are great people here. I've always loved the people here. It's a great place to call my second home."

Stevens, who played 10 seasons for Pittsburgh - as well as several more seasons working in the organization's hockey operations department - returned to his adopted city for Pittsburgh's 2017 Development Camp, which was held at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

Stevens, 52, is a longtime friend of former Pens teammate/roommate and current director of player development for Pittsburgh Mark Recchi. It was Recchi whom invited Stevens to join the team for the on- and off-ice sessions.

"I talk to 'Rex' a lot. He's running the thing. He asked me if I wanted to come down and be a part of it," Stevens said. "I love the Penguins organization and everything about (Pittsburgh). Whenever I get a chance to come back here and be a part of the Penguins and the organization and see the guys, it's great.

"When he asked me I was more than willing."

Stevens played 15 years in the NHL with Pittsburgh, Boston, Los Angeles, New York Rangers and Philadelphia. He appeared in 874 career games while scoring 726 points (329G-397A). Stevens also won two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 1991-92 and compiled 106 playoff points (46G-60A) in 103 career contests.

So the Brockton, Massachusetts native has a wealth of experience and wisdom to share with the group of 41 prospects in attendance for the camp on how to be a professional in the sport.

"It's just about those guys getting here and adapting to a pro-type of practice and the pro style," Stevens said. "It's a good learning experience to come here. They're not getting killed out there. They're out there at a fast pace, learning the pro game and it gives them all an opportunity to see what this organization is all about, the people that work here, the coaches. It's a great opportunity."

Stevens, who is affectionately referred to by his nickname "Artie," had his best NHL seasons while wearing a Pens uniform. In four seasons from 1990-94 he recorded two 50-goal seasons, four 40-goal seasons and two 110-plus point seasons. He notched 54 goals and 123 points in 1991-92 while helping the Pens win their second of back-to-back Stanley Cups.

"The '91-92 team was a pretty special team," Stevens said. "It was just a great bunch of guys. When you win championships you always remember those guys, remember those teams, remember how you did it, remember all the close calls and that you almost didn't win it.

"I miss those guys. They're all a part of my life. It's been a long time. And it feels like yesterday. I can remember everything that happened in every game. It's always nice to think about that stuff when you come back here."

Stevens has had a few off-ice issues during his career, including a stint with the NHL's Substance Abuse Program. But after some soul searching he has found himself in a good place.

"I feel good now. I'm pretty happy with where I'm at in my life," he said. "It took a little while. I've had some ups and downs, but I'm here. I'm happy to be here. Whatever I can do to help. I'm just taking it a day at a time, which is good for me."

And now that Stevens is once again dipping his toe into working in hockey, he's considering getting more involved in the future.

"I love hockey. It's been a big part of my life," Steven said. "I'm just going to take it a day at a time and see what happens. I'd love to work in hockey. I'm not sure where.

Stevens added with a laugh: "But it's the only thing I really know. So if I'm going to work I better get back in hockey, or else I'm not going to work." 

Brian Dumoulin Resigns

Brian Dumoulin was in Toronto, prepared to attend his arbitration hearing scheduled for Monday morning. Fortunately, he didn't have to go. That's because he and the Penguins agreed to terms on a six-year contract extension that has an average annual value of $4.1 million.

"I'm excited," Dumoulin said over the phone on Monday afternoon. "It's been in the works for a long time, and for it to be done now and not have to worry about it and focus on just playing the game and playing hockey, it's exciting. It's something that I wanted, which was a long-term deal with Pittsburgh. I couldn't be happier and more excited."

Dumoulin said that while the process was a lengthy one and it did go down to the wire, he pointed out they had a shorter summer than most to get the deal worked out. At the end of the day, there's nowhere else he'd rather be than Pittsburgh.

"It's been awesome," he said. "Whether it be how the organization treats us or the people that they bring into the organization, everything is top notch. And the fans in the community, it's amazing. I don't have to tell them or tell you how passionate they are about their sports. It seems like every time you drive around someone's either wearing a Penguins jersey, a Steelers jersey or a Pirates jersey. Everywhere you see is black and gold and it's cool to be a part of this city."

It can be easy to forget that Dumoulin didn't actually start his pro career here. The Boston College product was originally taken by Carolina in the second round (51^st overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft, and got traded to Pittsburgh in 2012 by then-Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford as part of the Jordan Staal-Brandon Sutter deal. It's certainly worked out, as five years later, both Dumoulin and current Penguins GM Rutherford are two-time Stanley Cup champions here in Pittsburgh.

"It's funny just because Jim Rutherford was with me in Carolina and now we're both in Pittsburgh," Dumoulin said with a laugh. "It worked out, obviously, having us both here and being able to win two championships with this group. It's been special and I'm very thankful for that."

Dumoulin has been a huge part of both playoff runs, playing all 49 postseason games during that span and recording 14 points (3G-11A). In 2016, Dumoulin partnered up with Kris Letang on the top pairing for most of that spring. And in 2017, Dumoulin stepped up with Letang out after undergoing surgery for a herniated disc in his neck. Dumoulin averaged 21:59 minutes, the most of any Penguins skater, and they weren't easy minutes - especially against some of Pittsburgh's physical opponents like Columbus and Washington.

The big, mobile, puck-moving defenseman quietly provided stability and consistency to a blue line that was not only missing Letang, but also dealt with injuries to Justin Schultz and Trevor Daley as well along with its fair share of adversity. Not to mention Dumoulin was playing with one of his own, a broken hand that has since healed. That being said, another thing that can be easy to forget is just how young Dumoulin is. While he's grown so much as a player over these last couple of runs - especially this most recent one - at just 25 years old he knows he's got room to keep getting better.

"I think both years I've definitely improved," he said. "I still know that I can keep improving throughout these years and I still feel like there's a lot of good hockey in front of me. I'm excited to have that long-term deal and be able to get better and work with Pittsburgh to continue to try and improve my game."

Penguins - July News Round Up

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Josh Archibald and defenseman Derrick Pouliot, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford. Both players signed one-way contracts. Archibald's contract is a two-year deal that contains an average annual value of $675,000. Pouliot inked a one-year deal with an average annual value of $800,000. Both players have contributed to Pittsburgh's back-to-back Stanley Cup championship runs. Archibald skated in four playoff games in 2017. One of Archibald's appearances this spring was in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against Nashville, which means his name will be engraved on the Cup. Pouliot appeared in two clutch wins in the Washington series during the 2016 Cup run, and earned a day with the Stanley Cup that year. Archibald and Pouliot were also members of the "Black Aces" practice squad. Pouliot, 23, has 67 NHL games under his belt with 14 points (2G-12A). He broke into the NHL in December 2014 and scored on the first shot of his NHL career. He finished the 2014-15 season with 34 games played, and seven points (2G-5A), earning him the Pens' Rookie of the Year award. He has seven assists in 33 games with Pittsburgh over the previous two seasons.

A 6-foot-0, 208-pound Estevan, Saskatchewan native, Pouliot has played three seasons for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, accumulating 70 points (20G-50A) in 114 games. His combined 47 points (13G-34A) and plus-17 in 2014-15 and '15-16 earned him back-to-back AHL All-Star Game selections.  The eighth pick overall pick by Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft, Pouliot, played four seasons with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The Winterhawks won the WHL championship in 2013 behind Pouliot's 20 points (4G-16A) in 21 playoff games. In 2013-14, he was named the CHL Defenseman of the Year, and recorded the most assists (27) and second-most points (32) in the WHL playoffs while serving as the alternate captain.

Archibald, a 24-year-old native of Regina, Saskatchewan, played 10 games at the NHL level this past season, registering three goals and a plus-4, after playing in one game in the 2015-16 season. The 5-foot-10, 176-pound forward had a memorable outing in his first NHL game this season on February 11, 2017 against the Arizona Coyotes, scoring two goals, including his first NHL goal to open the scoring. He also added a shorthanded tally in the third period. Archibald, a sixth-round pick (174th overall) of the Penguins in 2011, spent most of the 2016-17 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League, and put up a career-high 29 points (16G-13A) in 61 games played. He has improved his point total every year he has played in WBS. Archibald came to WBS following a three-year college career at Nebraska-Omaha, where he put up 94 points (58G-36A) over 112 games in three seasons. Following his final season at Omaha (2013-14), Archibald was named NCHC Player of the Year and Forward of the Year, an NCAA First-Team All-American and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey. He also represented the United States at the 2012 World Junior Championship, appearing in six games and registering two assists.  

Niemi - The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed goaltender Antti Niemi to a one-year contract, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford. The deal has an average annual value of $700,000. Niemi, 33, adds a veteran presence for the Penguins to pair in goal with Matt Murray. Like Murray, Niemi has been the starting netminder for a Stanley Cup champion, having won all 16 playoff games for the Chicago Blackhawks during their 2010 championship run.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Finnish product is a veteran of eight-plus NHL seasons, having spent the past two years with the Dallas Stars following successful runs between the pipes for Chicago and the San Jose Sharks before his stint in the Lonestar State. A native of Vantaa, Finland, the left-handed-catching Niemi has played in 423 career regular-season games, compiling an overall record of 227-125-51 to accompany his 2.49 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and 35 shutouts. Niemi has four 30-win seasons on his resume.

Since jumping to the NHL on a full-time basis with the Blackhawks in the 2009-10 campaign, Niemi has won 226 regular-season games, the fifth-highest total in the entire league during that span. His 420 games played and 404 starts during that same period rank seventh and eighth, respectively. Niemi, who joined the Blackhawks organization as an undrafted free agent following a lengthy career in the Finnish League, has gone 36-29 in 67 career NHL playoff contests. One year after leading the Blackhawks to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, he backstopped the San Jose Sharks to a Western Conference Final appearance in his first year with that team. 

During his two years in Dallas, Niemi split goaltending duties with Kari Lehtonen. Two seasons ago, Niemi saw the majority of the action, winning 25 games in 43 starts as the Stars finished with the second-best record in the NHL, and the top record in the Western Conference. Niemi was teammates with Olli Maatta on the 2014 Finnish Olympic Team that won a bronze medal at the Sochi Games.

 

Schultz - The Penguins have re-signed defenseman Justin Schultz to a three-year contract, it was announced by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford. The deal runs through the 2019-20 campaign, and it carries an average annual value of $5.5 million. 

"Justin plays a very important role for our team," Rutherford said. "It's very good to know that he will be returning to us for the next three years." 

Schultz, 26, was a key catalyst in Pittsburgh's second-straight Stanley Cup win, providing a huge boost to an injury-ravaged defensive group by producing a career year. He ended the regular season tied for seventh among all NHL defensemen with a personal-best 51 points (12G-39A) and a plus-27 in 78 games. His plus-minus total was sixth-best among NHL blueliners, while his offensive numbers represented career highs across the board. Schultz emerged as an offensive force during the month of December, when he led all NHL defensemen with six goals and 18 points, becoming the first Pittsburgh D-man since Sergei Zubov in March of 1996 to collect at least 17 points in a calendar month. Only teammates Evgeni Malkin (21 points) and Sidney Crosby (20 points) had more points among all NHL players in December. The 6-foot-2, 193-pound Schultz continued his stellar play right into the postseason, when his 13 points (4G-9A) in 21 contests led the team and placed third (tied) among all league blueliners. His two game-winning goals and seven power-play points led all defenders in the postseason. Schultz opened the scoring in the Pens' pivotal 6-0 victory in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. Three nights later, Patric Hornqvist scored the Cup-clinching goal by banking a Schultz shot that had missed the cage into the net for the winning marker in the decisive Game 6. Pittsburgh acquired the Kelowna, British Columbia native from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 2016 third-round draft pick in February of 2016. Since migrating east to Pittsburgh, Schultz has totalled 59 points (13G-46A) in 96 regular-season games, and has added 17 points (4G-13A) in 36 postseason games. Schultz has skated in 344 career NHL games with Pittsburgh and Edmonton, scoring 41 goals, 119 assists and 160 points. He made the NHL's All-Rookie Team with the Oilers in 2012-13. Schultz was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the second-round (43rd overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft. He elected to not sign with the Ducks, and instead joined the Oilers as a free agent after a four-year collegiate career at Wisconsin. 

Penguins - The Flower Leave His Mark

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Marc-Andre Fleury has left his mark on Pittsburgh, the city he and his family love so much and have called home for so many years, in a way that is so true to his personality.
On Tuesday, Fleury, his wife Veronique and their two daughters Estelle and Scarlett celebrated the grand opening of a state-of-the-art children's playground at the Sto-Ken-Rox Boys & Girls Club in the McKees Rocks area of Pittsburgh.
"It feels good," Fleury said. "It's been something we've been thinking about for a little while and we were just thinking about something to give back. The people of Pittsburgh have been so good to me, so to build something fun, something for the kids, I'm glad it all came out and the kids seem to like it."

When people think of Fleury, they think of his big, contagious smile and how he's always laughing and joking around. Always playing pranks, being mischievous and goofing around. He's such a big kid at heart, so this is the perfect legacy for him to leave in Pittsburgh.
"When you look at Marc-Andre, it's his smile," said Penguins Foundation President Dave Soltesz. "We're all captivated with Marc-Andre's signature smile, so how appropriate that he picked a project that will bring smiles to so many kids."
Fleury financed construction of the new playground, which features a huge outdoor structure - done, fittingly enough, in black and Pittsburgh gold - over rubberized flooring for year-round activities and a water feature for the neighborhood's children to enjoy during the heat of the summer months.
In addition to the outdoor structures, Fleury purchased a multitude of supplies for the Boys & Girls Club, including sports equipment, games, educational materials and electronics. He also donated hockey nets, a score clock and equipment for the Club's indoor dek hockey rink, now named Rink 29.
For the grand opening, all of those supplies were lined up on the bleachers surrounding Rink 29, where Fleury and his daughters took to the dek and played some ball hockey when they needed a break from outside.
This is something that had been in the works for a while now, and to see it come together like it did was heartwarming for the Fleury family.
"We're just so grateful, you know?" Veronique said. "We just wanted to make sure we could leave something behind. And we're excited. We're just very proud and happy today."
The Fleury girls absolutely loved it, and Estelle couldn't get enough of the slides. She was constantly going down them and running back up for another turn, telling us that was her favorite part of the playground.
"They've been playing in it for a few hours now, so that's a good sign," Veronique laughed. "That should mean the kids are going to be having a lot of fun in this for a while, so it's great."
The process began several years ago, when Marc-Andre and Veronique approached the Penguins about doing a legacy project. They settled on building a neighborhood playground, and planning got serious about 3-4 months ago.
"We've been in Pittsburgh for about 14 years, and now having kids, we just know kids are our future," Veronique explained. "So we wanted to give something back to the community and we thought (giving back to the) kids would be a great idea. And a playground, all the kids love it. Then we've heard of this Boys and Girls Club and thought it would be a perfect fit for us, which I think it is."
Mike Hepler, who is the President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, is somebody that the Fleurys know and trust. They felt comfortable leaving this legacy project in his capable hands.
"I just think the owner of this place, Mike, does such a good job and sees so many kids every day in the summer and the school year also," Marc-Andre said. "I just thought that this could reach a lot of kids and I'll always love sports, I still do. Games too, so I thought that was fitting.
"Mike said he would take good care of it. Obviously, that's nice. He's the one doing all the hard work for the kids. He's given so much back to the community. To be able to help and see all the smiles out there, it's fun."
When we spoke to Hepler, he still couldn't believe that the Fleury family had done this for his community, calling it a 'blessing' and 'divine intervention.'
"It just kind of fell from the sky," Hepler said. "This is amazing. We had the opportunity to sit down with Marc, they liked the site and the timing could not have been any better."
That's because at this particular Club location, they partnered with a local school district, which brought their attendance up from 75-80 local youth to over 190 children every day. It's been what Hepler called 'controlled chaos' at the Club in terms of trying to find more and more activities for the kids to do.
"Whenever this project came to pass, we put it on the fast track to get it done to accommodate these children," Hepler said. "And I think what you're seeing here is that this has nothing to do with egos or anything. Marc wanted to do something wonderful for the children, him and his wife. So they took the time to plan the project and did all the heavy lifting."
It wasn't something that Marc-Andre put his name on and then walked away from. It was incredibly important to him and Veronique that they be involved in every aspect of the planning and make sure it turned out exactly right.
"I think what comes to mind is that Marc is doing this for all the right reasons," Hepler said. "And even today, he just wanted to focus on the kids. Not really him. And that's what he did. He's doing it for all the right reasons, right here. And that's important to all of us, especially in the Boys & Girls Club."
It worked out perfectly because Hepler said they had an issue with their swimming pool recently and ended up converting it into the indoor dek hockey rink, which is now named after Marc-Andre. They were then able to use the existing setup to make the water feature, which was important to the Fleurys. They wanted to make sure the kids could get a break from the heat.
"At the onset of the project, Marc and his wife asked for a wishlist from us," Hepler said. "We provided them with the wishlist, but we did not expect to get everything that was on that wishlist, plus some. The kids have an early Christmas, for sure, thanks to Marc. We are honored to name that rink after Marc, something that's going to be here for a long, long time."
Fleury has spent a long, long time in this city, and it's hard for him to put into words what this community means to him. He tends to choke up thinking about the support, gratitude and love he's gotten from the people of Pittsburgh during his 12-plus seasons with the franchise. This is his way of trying to reciprocate that as much as he can.
"It's bittersweet a bit, because this feels like home for me and my family," he said. "It'll be tough to leave this place and start somewhere else. But we've got great memories, lots of great times. I think I just wanted to give a little something to thank the people of Pittsburgh for what they've done for us."
And in return, they couldn't be more grateful.
When the kids came streaming out to start playing, a group of them held a colorful banner with "MERCI FLEURY!" written across it in huge letters. They giddily presented it to Fleury before the ribbon-cutting and jersey presentation, and he stopped to high-five them all and pose for a photo. Afterward, they couldn't believe they had actually gotten a chance to meet him, and couldn't believe he had left them this amazing gift.
"I feel so happy about this because it represents the goalie of the Penguins," said 11-year-old Amanee.
"I'm really excited about this park and I want to thank him for making all of this happen," said 9-year-old Ella.
When I asked how much they liked the new playground, they had the best responses.
"it's 100 percent cool!" said 9-year-old Maribella.
"Actually, it's 101 percent cool," interjected Amanee.
"It's more than cool, it's extraordinary!" exclaimed 12-year-old Najee.
Just like Marc-Andre himself.

Penguins Take The Cup On Tour

PNC Park

A while back, Sidney Crosby hit a home run during a batting practice at PNC Park. On Tuesday night, he took the mound instead. Crosby and the rest of the Penguins brought the Stanley Cup to the ballpark for the Pirates' game against the Colorado Rockies.

The team got a tour of the clubhouse before taking the field, where Crosby threw the first pitch. He was grateful for the chance to bring the chalice this year, as the Pirates had been on a long road trip this time last year.
"This is an unbelievable stadium and to be able to bring the Stanley Cup here and do all this is a great experience," Crosby told PensTV. "Pretty cool to be able to throw out the first pitch and share it with all the guys."
When the team arrived, they took the Stanley Cup straight to the clubhouse, where the players marveled at the setup of the room. They put the trophy on a table next to the Pirates logo (people are allowed to step on it here) and then mingled with their fellow athletes. It was a really cool scene that included Marc-Andre Fleury chatting with his fellow No. 29, catcher Francisco Cervelli - who gave him a jersey that the goalie immediately put on - and Phil Kessel sitting on the back of a couch deep in conversation with Andrew McCutchen.
While that was going on, Ron Hainsey donned full catcher's gear - with help from Matt Cullen's three boys - and went to the bullpen with Crosby to take a few warmup throws. They spent a lot of time in the bullpen - where Josh Bell was taking practice swings next to them - with their teammates assembled in the media room waiting to take the field. The Cullen kids, along with Chris Kunitz's son Zachary, provided the entertainment, as they had a blast playing with the mic that was set up on the table on the stage for press conferences. "Sing us a song up there, guys!" Cullen called out. "Give us something! How about Bruno Mars?" Instead, the boys giggled through a few one-liners before horsing around with Ian Cole and Carl Hagelin.
Once Crosby and Hainsey were ready, they and the rest of the team then went into the dugout, where they stood as a congratulatory video played before the national anthem. Once all of that finished, it was time. Crosby headed out to the mound, with all of the boys following him - except for Hainsey, who split off to go behind home plate - and Fleury bringing up the rear with the Cup.
They then gathered behind Crosby as he wound up and delivered the pitch, and certainly didn't quiet down as he threw - hooting and hollering and taking more videos with their phones.
"I was a little nervous because there were a lot of guys heckling me behind there," Crosby laughed. "But it's fun."
When I asked Crosby if he and Hainsey had worked out a signal, he laughed and said, "He asked me, 'Do you want me to throw a 1 or a 2?' I was like, 'a fastball that's not fast, No. 1. So let's see what I can do.'"
Crosby went out and threw a pitch that was in the strike zone, but going a little slow at 45 mph.
"(Hainsey) might have bailed me out there, I might have hit the dirt if he didn't get it," Crosby smiled. "Pretty cool that he could catch. I don't know if that's typically how they do it, but it was cool to see him suit up there and wear the catcher's gear."
While Crosby may have gotten chirps from his teammates, he certainly got plenty of cheers from the fans in the crowd.
"Pittsburgh's just a great sports town," he said. "I think we all understand that and I think we all pull for the other teams who are a part of the city. It's no different with the Pirates. So to be able to come to their stadium, for them to have us here and to do this, it's really cool to see some of the guys and see the reaction of seeing the Stanley Cup. It doesn't get old."

Fort Point Parade

"As I said in 2009, this is hockey heaven."

Penguins emcee Paul Steigerwald addressed these words to a crowd of fans huddled together at Point State Park to celebrate Pittsburgh's back-to-back Stanley Cup championships on Wednesday afternoon.
And it's hard to disagree with him.
A crowd estimated at 650,000 flooded the streets of downtown Pittsburgh, swarmed nearby parking garages, gazed from office windows and inched their way onto rooftops - all to catch a glimpse of the 2017 Stanley Cup champions. Black and gold confetti fell onto Sidney Crosby as he lifted the Cup into the air and over half a million people cheered.
"It's amazing to see so many people here supporting us," Pens winger Patric Hornqvist said. "This is a great sports town, but this is something special. I remember this last year and this was the best part of winning the Cup. It's the same this year."
Looking up and down the streets, it was easy to see just how big of a sports town Pittsburgh truly is, but, also, how much hockey means to this city.
The players were divided up into trucks to ride through the parade, but it didn't take long for them to begin leaping out to greet fans.
Rookie Jake Guentzel, known for being quiet, was the complete opposite for the event. He ran past crowds of fans to give out high-fives and signed autographs - a smile never leaving his face.
"No, no, no," Guentzel laughed when asked if the experience helped break him out of his shell. "This just happens when you win. You're all happy."
All the players were smiling ear-to-ear the entire route. Phil Kessel, who is now a two-time Stanley Cup champion, was barely in his truck, spending the majority of the time signing autographs and taking selfies with fans. Veteran Matt Cullen laughed as the crowd chanted "One more year!" as he made his way through the streets. Prankster Marc-Andre Fleury was quick to pop a bottle of champagne, soaking the crowd before passing the bottle to Cullen in the truck ahead.
After a stressful year of injuries and overcoming adversity, all of this celebrating was well deserved.
"It's been crazy," Trevor Daley said. "What we just accomplished, what we have achieved just says a lot about our group. It is a special group. We are a resilient group that we knew we could do this again. Here we are. We did it."
The fans were just as excited for the celebration after a long season.
Zach Smith and Joshua Watson brought a replica Stanley Cup to the parade. By the end, it was covered in signatures.
"It was a crazy season," Smith said. "We went through so many injuries toward the end of the season and the start of the playoffs, I didn't even know we could make it this far, but I had faith."
"It was a great season," Watson added. "We are diehard fans. It was a magical season, and it was all for this."
Though the parade ended, the celebration won't stop. The 'Ol' 29er' Phil Bourque made that clear when he christened the crowd with his famous line, saying, "Let's take this down to the river and party all summer!"

Parade Experience

A day after their championship parade through downtown Pittsburgh, the Pens players were still marveling at the turnout from the city. An estimated 650,000 people - which is more than double the population of the city - took to the streets to cheer on the Pens as they traveled along the parade route to Point State Park. It was an atmosphere that most players called 'unbelievable,' and rookie forward Jake Guentzel said it will always be his most cherished memory.

"Yesterday was insane," he said. "650,000, I heard? That's incredible. We have the best fans here."
While the players loved the crowd support, the fans loved seeing three of the quietest guys on the team show a different side of their personalities, as no one had more fun than Guentzel, Olli Maatta and Justin Schultz. Guentzel, 22, shared a truck with Conor Sheary and kept jumping out to run up and down the streets high-fiving fans, signing autographs and taking selfies - chugging beers the entire time. At one point, Sheary joined him to take a picture with a hilarious 'Sid and the Kids' sign.
"There were a couple funny signs. The Sid and the Kids one with the babies was pretty funny," Guentzel laughed. "That's probably the best one."
Meanwhile, Maatta, 22, and Schultz, 26, shared a truck and also downed a bunch of beers that they received from fans. Their teammates were torn about which one of the pair deserved the Conn Smythe Trophy as parade MVP.
"No. 3," Matt Murray laughed. "I bet you every guy would probably say that. He was MVP of the parade for sure. 'Schultzy,' actually. Schultzy was good out there too."
"Probably Schultzy," Sidney Crosby grinned. "Guys had fun. Everyone made it so great and the turnout was incredible. To kind of finish it off at the stage there, it was a great setting."
Maatta and Schultz were a hit on social media, with a picture of Schultz chugging a beer on the road making the rounds. He said he didn't know of its existence until later that night.
"My buddies were texting me and I was seeing all the pictures I was Photoshopped in chugging the beer," Schultz laughed. "It's pretty funny. I don't know, I was having a good time and I'd do it again."
His fellow defenseman Brian Dumoulin couldn't be happier that Schultz was enjoying himself.
"I just love the guy to death," Dumoulin said. "He's one of my best friends on the team. He's a great guy. I'll look at all the pictures of him."
Meanwhile, a photo of Maatta napping on his balcony got the meme treatment. He let everyone know today that he didn't get sunburned and he didn't get caught in the rain - "I heard the thunder and had to get up," he said.
Those photos were the only ones Crosby has seen, and he said the rest of the team received them as well.
"I saw two pictures, actually. I saw one of Schultzy, it was a pretty good one, and then I saw Olli taking a nap. That was the only two I've seen. They were on a group text. I haven't seen a ton."
What's so special about the parade is the ability to share their win with everybody. On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday they celebrated with just their family and friends. On Wednesday, they got to celebrate with the whole city.
"Just seeing how many people and the support group we have, the fans, it's unbelievable," Maatta said. "I think when you see how many of them show up, and just how excited they are about it, you see how big of a thing it is. It kind of makes you humble."
While those guys had the time of their lives, franchise goalie Marc-Andre Fleury experienced the perfect sendoff to what is likely the end of his time in Pittsburgh. There were so many No. 29 jerseys and signs in the crowd with sentiments like "We Love You Fleury! Thank You!" and "Merci, Marc-Andre!"
"That was pretty crazy," Fleury said. "So many signs, so many people. It was crazy. I think people chanted my name the whole way, so that was really emotional, but it was a good time."
He said he tried not to reflect a lot on his 12-plus years in this city as the truck he shared with his wife Veronique and oldest daughter Estelle traveled the route.
"I tried not to too much, because as you can see, I'm struggling with this," a choked-up Fleury admitted. "But I just tried to enjoy the moment, tried to remember the good times and this last parade."