Hockey from across the Pond

Monday, 27 June 2016

KHL - Kunlun Red Star To Join KHL

Today in Beijing, as part of an official visit by President of Russia Vladimir Putin to the People's Republic of China, the heads of the Kontinental Hockey League and the Beijing hockey club, Kunlun Red Star, gathered to signed the agreement which paves the way for the Chinese club to participate in the 2016-17 season of the KHL Championship.

The signing took place at an official ceremony attended by the Russian President and his Chinese counterpart, Mr Xi Jinping. Signing the document on behalf of the League was Gennady Timchenko, the Chairman of the KHL Board of Directors, and Ngok Jen Jü, who is Chairman of the Board at Kunlun Red Star.

The presence of both nations' heads of government at the signing ceremony illustrated the high level of official support for the inclusion of the club in the Championship. The project to expand the League to the People's Republic had already received the approval of the Russian and Chinese Ministries of Sport and also the heads of the two nation's Hockey Federations.

Both the Russian and Chinese Hockey Federations today reaffirmed their commitment to providing the required support to the club regarding its further development, the staging of games, and the creation of a Kunlun Red Star hockey school.

The entry of a Chinese club into the KHL, the strongest hockey league on the vast land mass of Eurasia, marks a significant and positive stepin nurturing cooperation and cultural exchange between China and Russia, and indeed with other nations, as the 2022 Winter Olympic are to be held in Beijing.

Today's agreement means China becomes the eighth country to have a club competing in the Kontinental Hockey League.

The coaching staff of HC Beijing Kunlun Red Star will be led by Vladimir Yurzinov Jr, a man who has earned a formidable reputation throughout the world of hockey, having amassed a wealth of experience with teams in the KHL as well as in various leagues in several other countries.

The KHL's newest club will now embark on its first mission - to assemble the roster - and in addition to Chinese players, Red Star is already planning to attract highly experienced professionals from Russia, Finland and the Czech Republic.

The Kontinental Hockey League Board of Directors has accepted an application from the Beijing hockey club, Kunlun Red Star, to participate in the 2016-17 season of the KHL Championship. On Saturday, the 25th of June, top management figures from the club and the League are to meet in the Chinese capital to sign the relevant agreement paving the way for new members of the KHL.

The legal formalities regarding Red Star's participation were still being finalized last week, but work is also in progress to assemble the roster of players and arrange the team's preseason training schedule.

The final, official list of participating clubs for the forthcoming season will be confirmed on Thursday, the 30th of June.

OHL - Schedule Published

The Ontario Hockey League announced the regular season schedule of games for 2016-17 last week.

The 680-game OHL regular season opens on Wednesday September 21 with two games on the schedule including the defending MasterCard Memorial Cup champion London Knights visiting the Sarnia Sting, and the second installment of the Michigan state rivalry beginning in Flint as the Firebirds host the Saginaw Spirit. In total, OHL Opening Week includes 19 games through Sunday September 25 and features 15 home openers.
The 2016-17 schedule includes seven weekday morning games including Wednesday November 2 when the Erie Otters host the Guelph Storm at 11:00 am. Four morning games will be played two weeks later on Wednesday November 16 including Niagara at Hamilton, Peterborough at Ottawa, Oshawa at Mississauga, and Sault Ste. Marie at Saginaw. Then on Wednesday February 8 Owen Sound visits Hamilton at 10:30 am, and on Wednesday February 15 Kingston visits Mississauga for an 11:00 am puck-drop. CogecoTV Hockey Day in the OHL returns for a fourth straight year taking place on Sunday January 29 with a broadcast tripleheader that features Saginaw at Sarnia at 1:00 pm, Peterborough at North Bay at 4:00 pm, then Hamilton at Windsor at 7:00 pm.
The regular season wraps up on Sunday March 19 with six games scheduled before the league’s top 16 teams will compete for the Robertson Cup in the 2017 OHL Playoffs.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE 2016-17 OHL REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE.
CHL Special Events this season include the Canada Russia Series in OHL markets on Thursday November 10 in North Bay, and Monday November 14 in Hamilton. The 2017 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is scheduled for Thursday January 26 in Quebec City, while the 2017 MasterCard Memorial Cup is set for May 18-28 in Windsor and features the host Spitfires and the champions from all three leagues competing in the 99th edition of the CHL’s prestigious national championship.
The 2016-17 campaign features milestones for several clubs including the 10th season for the IceDogs, the 15th season for the Spirit, the 45th season for both the Greyhounds and Wolves, the 50th season for the 67’s, and the Generals who are celebrating 80 years.
Divisional alignment remains the same for 2016-17 with all teams playing interdivisional rivals a minimum of six times including three games at home and three on the road, while teams will continue to play a minimum of one home and one road matchup against all 19 other clubs.
The Ontario Hockey League continues the tradition of being primarily a weekend league in order to accommodate the student athlete with over 86% (588) games scheduled between Thursday and Sunday. Friday continues to be the busiest night during the season with 198 games scheduled, followed by 165 on Saturdays, and 133 on Sundays.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2016 Champions - Championship Parade

Each of the Pittsburgh Penguins had his moment, but Wednesday belonged to general manager Jim Rutherford and coach Mike Sullivan. Three days after winning the Stanley Cup, chants and cheers greeted the Penguins when they rode through the largest sports parade in Pittsburgh's history. Two chants seemed to stand out.
"Thank you, Jim!" the crowd bellowed when Rutherford cruised through the crowd at the intersection of Grant Street and the Boulevard of the Allies.

"Thank you, coach!" welcomed Sullivan.
Fans clamored for centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who each hoisted the Stanley Cup from the back of his truck. Neither was met with the level of appreciation granted Rutherford and Sullivan.

It's been a busy two years for Rutherford, who replaced Ray Shero as general manager on June 6, 2014. He overhauled Pittsburgh's lineup by acquiring forwards Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist, Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino, Eric Fehr and Matt Cullen, and defensemen Trevor Daley and Justin Schultz, either through trades or free agency. His most important move might have come Dec. 12, when he hired Sullivan to replace Mike Johnston as coach. Six months later, Rutherford and Sullivan stole the show during the Penguins' victory parade. The players didn't speak much and instead deferred to Rutherford, who ROOT Sports television analyst Paul Steigerwald referred to as "The Sultan of Swap."

"We were slow when we started, but boy, were we fast when we finished," Rutherford said atop a stage at the intersection of the Boulevard of the Allies and Stanwix Street. "This team is really like Pittsburgh, you know? It's a really talented team. It has a lot of character and it's a hardworking team. And it's really what you people are all about."
Pittsburgh's "HBK" line of Bonino centering Hagelin and Kessel showed off a WWE world heavyweight championship belt sent by Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE's executive vice president of talent, live events and creative. The crowd cheered the line acquired by Rutherford within the past year and kept intact by Sullivan through the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"I just want to say how much of a pleasure it was to play with the legend Phil Kessel," Bonino said.
"No one's better than Phil. Phil the Thrill," Hagelin added.
Kessel didn't say a word. He simply hoisted the Cup as Steigerwald exclaimed, "Phil Kessel's a Stanley Cup champion."

The visual was indicative to the impact Rutherford and Sullivan each has had throughout his tenure in Pittsburgh. It led Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto to thank each of them.

"You've now earned the respect you've gotten and we're so very proud of you," Peduto said, referring to Rutherford. "Coach, you brought a blue-collar work ethic to a blue-collar town that knows how to work. You made it so that the sum of all these parts was greater by bringing them together. You made us all so proud to cheer on this team."
Sullivan couldn't help but coach Wednesday. When Crosby was asked a question regarding the physicality of the Stanley Cup Final, Sullivan approached him and whispered in his ear, with Crosby replying, "Thanks."
On Wednesday, Sullivan gave his players the credit.
"The one thing I've learned is this is one crazy sports town," Sullivan said. "Maybe even more crazy, this is one crazy hockey town. … This is a group that's been through a lot this year. The challenges that they've overcome to become the best hockey team in the world, we couldn't be more proud of them."
Rutherford's trades and Sullivan's execution have molded the Penguins. Before the parade ended, Rutherford suggested one final deal.
"I'll try to make one deal with you," Rutherford said. "Let's try to meet here at this time next year."

The largest sports parade in Pittsburgh's history greeted its Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. With fans 20 rows deep, some packing a large parking garage and others leaning from office building windows in downtown Pittsburgh, the Penguins brought the Stanley Cup down Grant Street and the Boulevard of the Allies. Allegheny County executive Rich Fitzgerald said he was told the crowd was the largest celebrating a sports championship in the city's history, which indicates it outdrew the 375,000 who attended the Penguins' parade in 2009. The players reveled in the raucous environment, particularly rookie forwards Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary. Rust and Sheary each hopped from his truck and excitedly stumbled over his words while speaking with local media. Sheary cut his interview short by apologizing, saying "I have to go catch my ride" and running away while pumping his arms.

"This is a little bit more [than he expected]," Sheary said. "These fans are crazy. It's awesome."

The Stanley Cup was the star of the show, of course. It first appeared in Evgeni Malkin's truck. Malkin's father, Vladimir, who is extremely popular with Penguins fans, hoisted the Cup before his son. It made its way to captain Sidney Crosby's ride, where he sat in a truck bed with his Conn Smythe Trophy, which he won for being voted most valuable player of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Crosby's truck frequently stopped while passing the packed garage along the route. He hoisted the Cup each time, streamers popping and raining down on the two-time champion, creating a visual similar to one seen seven years ago, when Crosby, then 21, won his first NHL title.

"This is exactly how I remembered it," Crosby said atop the stage at the intersection of the Boulevard of the Allies and Stanwix Street. "This is a special town. Obviously, this group of guys, we wanted it bad."
Penguins forward Phil Kessel got his moment. After grinning and nodding to the crowd along the entire route, Kessel lifted the Cup on the stage, generating possibly the loudest reaction of the day.

The fans braved light showers early Wednesday that cleared in time for the parade's 11:30 a.m. start. The humid weather following the rain didn't affect the city's energy during the nearly two-hour event. Some fans claimed their spots as early as 3 a.m. Wednesday, including Nick Dailey from Cincinnati. Dailey drove five hours to see his favorite player, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto called the Penguins' MVP.

"It's been a treacherous wait, that's for sure," Dailey said. "Ever since 2003, I'm a goalie, so he was my idol growing up. He was the one who got us into the playoffs, especially early in the season. He was our best player all regular season."
Joe Olinzock flew from Vermont to Pittsburgh on Tuesday to arrive near the Stanwix Street stage at 3:30 a.m.
"Nothing makes me happier than watching hockey, playing hockey and Pittsburgh's where it's at," Olinzock said. "I've been a Penguins fan forever. I worked a double [shift] overnight just to be able to come here. Two hours of sleep in two days, and I don't plan on sleeping until I go home on Thursday."
Their wait seemed worth it when the players emerged just before noon.

Defenseman Ian Cole rode on one of the first trucks while practicing his "Miss America wave." So, how was that working for him?

"Pretty poorly," Cole admitted. "I'm not quite as good-looking as Miss America."
Three days removed from winning the Stanley Cup, Cole said it hasn't fully hit him.
"I don't know if it ever will sink in," Cole said. "It's one of those things where it's hard to put into words. You see this many people come out, it's something really special."
The parade ended in familiar fashion. Penguins radio analyst Phil Bourque, who won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992, recited a popular line and asked the fans to join.
"You guys remember the line? … I start it and you guys finish it, all right?" Bourque asked while greeted with cheers. "What do you say we take this down to the river and party all summer?"

The Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup led by the "HBK Line" of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel, and no title involving an HBK would be complete without a championship belt. WWE took notice of Pittsburgh's win as wrestler Triple H gifted a special championship belt to the Penguins to commemorate the fourth championship in their history. The Penguins confirmed receipt of the belt Wednesday ahead of their championship parade, then posted a picture of Bonino sporting it at Consol Energy Center. Bonino showcased the belt while riding through Pittsburgh during the parade.

"It's pretty fun to celebrate with [the belt]," Bonino told WPXI. "We all grew up watching the WWE."
Triple H's former wrestling partner Shawn Michaels was known as "The Heartbreak Kid," or "HBK," and he became a Penguins fan after he was told of the line's name during the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Michaels attended Game 5 against the Lightning at Consol Energy Center on May 22 as a guest of the Penguins. Michaels kept tabs on the Penguins after and posted his congratulations following their Stanley Cup win against the San Jose Sharks in Game 6 of the Cup Final on Sunday.

The "HBK Line" wreaked havoc on opponents after Hagelin, Bonino and Kessel were put together in late March, combining for 20 goals and 56 points in Pittsburgh's 24-game run to the Stanley Cup.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2016 Champions - Sidney Crosby Part 2

Sidney Crosby was still leading through the chaos long after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman handed him the Conn Smythe Trophy and then the Stanley Cup.

Crosby was calling for teammates, telling them to grab their family members and pointing them in the direction of the Stanley Cup, which he placed on the ice, a short distance away from the Zamboni entrance. Here was Crosby, fresh off of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 3-1 championship-clinching win against the San Jose Sharks in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at SAP Center on Sunday, orchestrating photo ops for his teammates and their moms and dads, wives or girlfriends, sisters and brothers, uncles and aunts. This was moments after Crosby got the nod as the best player in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in a vote by select members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after finishing the postseason with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 24 games.

"There's so many guys who contributed," Crosby said. "I look at this as a total team effort. I just tried to work hard every night, do my job just like everyone else. I don't know if I did anything different or specific; I think everyone just competed, everyone tried to do what's expected of them, tried to play their role. If you do that every night you have a pretty good chance of winning."

Crosby didn't lead the Penguins in scoring this postseason; that was right wing Phil Kessel with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists). But ask anybody around the Penguins and they will tell you Crosby led in every other category, regardless if you could put a number on it or not.
"He's our leader," Penguins left wing Conor Sheary said. "If he's not scoring goals or putting up points, he's our guy in the locker room. I know the Conn Smythe means the best player, and he's been our best player and he has been all year." Crosby, though, did have some strong numbers.

Nineteen points in 24 games is nothing to scoff at. He had three points (all assists) in the Cup Final, but that's the same number of points Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews had in the Cup Final when he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2010.

"He was our leader all the way through and he was great," right wing Patric Hornqvist said. "Maybe he didn't have the points he wanted to have, but he was our leader on and off the ice, and that's all that matters in the end. He's a winner and he made sure we won."
Crosby's last assist came on Hornqvist's empty-net goal at 18:58 of the third period Sunday. Crosby blocked Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic's shot, got the puck back, delivered it to Hornqvist, who did the rest to seal the championship.
"I'm going to remember that for a long time," Hornqvist said.
Crosby scored three game-winning goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final, including one in overtime. He had eight points in the Penguins' five-game first-round series win against the New York Rangers.
He won 52.4 percent of his faceoffs and averaged 20:26 of ice time in the playoffs.
"His numbers don't indicate the impact he had on helping this team win, or the impact he had on a game-to-game basis," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "He was a great leader for our team. It started by example with his performance and how he played. He's a complete player. He plays at both ends of the rink. He's a great faceoff guy. He kills penalties when we need him to. He plays in all the key situations. I could tell as we went through this postseason that he knew that our team had something special. He was going to will this thing."
It wasn't long ago when Crosby was wondering if he'd get another chance to will the Penguins to a Stanley Cup championship. Problems with concussions robbed him of 101 games between 2011 and 2012. There was significant turnover within the organization after the 2013-14 season, when the Penguins blew a 3-1 series lead to the Rangers and lost in seven games.

Jim Rutherford replaced Ray Shero as the general manager. Mike Johnston replaced Dan Bylsma as coach. The Penguins were a first-round bust last season. One year later, the Penguins had a new coach and 10 players playing in the playoffs that were not on the team last season, including four rookies, goalie Matt Murray, Rust, Sheary and Tom Kuhnhackl.

"It's not easy to throw a bunch of guys together and develop that chemistry, that trust," Crosby said. "It doesn't happen overnight. When you look at the group, how many new players we brought in, it was pretty special what we were able to do."
Crosby had to adapt to make it happen. In 2009, when the Penguins had previously won the Stanley Cup, Crosby finished with 31 points, five fewer than Evgeni Malkin, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy that year. At that point, Crosby, then 21, had to be a major scorer because the Penguins didn't have the same type of depth they had this season. He had plenty of help this time around. The "HBK Line" featuring Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Kessel took some of the pressure off of Crosby and finished with 56 points. Malkin had 18 points. Hornqvist had 13, including nine goals. Kris Letang had 14. Chris Kunitz had 12. Bryan Rust scored six goals, including two in Game 7 against Tampa Bay.

In the Cup Final, the Penguins got goals from defensemen Ben Lovejoy, Ian Cole and Brian Dumoulin. Cole hadn't scored in 104 straight games before he scored in Game 4. Nobody, though, could play Crosby's role. To his teammates, he's the heart and soul of the Penguins.

"He's a great leader," said retired Penguins forward Pascal Dupuis, who was on the ice in uniform for the Cup celebration. "Just the way he acts, the way he treats people, the way he wants to win every night, the way he handles himself around media, around anybody in the hockey world, I think you raise your hat to him."
Dupuis actually did raise his hat when he said that. Crosby couldn't see him do it; he was still orchestrating the photo ops, yet another sign of his leadership.
"He wears the 'C' for a reason," Sheary said.

Make it a double-double for Sidney Crosby, who owns the tiebreaker in any argument against his greatness.
"I think it places him up there with the greats of the game of all-time," Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.
Crosby became a two-time Stanley Cup champion when the Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-1 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at SAP Center on Sunday, seven years to the day when he won the Cup for the first time. He is the ninth player in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup twice and two Olympic gold medals. Crosby joins Igor Larionov, Viacheslav Fetisov, Peter Forsberg, Martin Brodeur, Scott Niedermayer, Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews and Drew Doughty as the players who make up that prestigious fraternity.

In addition, Crosby won the Conn Smythe Trophy for the first time after finishing the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists). It was the one trophy that was missing from his mantle.

"I could tell as we went through this postseason that he knew that our team had something special," Sullivan said. "He was going to will this thing. I thought he was just terrific throughout the course of this postseason."
Adding his second Stanley Cup to gold medals won in 2010 and 2014 garnered the respect of the hockey community too.
"When you're able to combine both the Stanley Cup and the gold medal, I think it says a lot about the leadership you have, the player, the performance," said Brodeur, a three-time Cup champion. "Doing both one time is one thing, but when you start adding 'em up, I think it justifies a little more who you are. When you win the second one, it just validates that the first one wasn't a fluke."
Let's get one thing straight: Crosby didn't need to win the Stanley Cup again or the Conn Smythe Trophy to validate his career. Look at what he had already accomplished before taking the ice for Game 6 on Sunday:
One Stanley Cup championship, two Olympic golds, gold at the 2015 IIHF World Championship, gold at the 2005 World Junior Championship, the Hart Trophy in 2007 and again in 2014. Crosby was a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame before NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman handed him the Stanley Cup on Sunday. But when you're constantly compared to the greatest to ever play the game, when you're considered by many to be the greatest now, validation in the form of multiple championships matters. Gordie Howe would still be "Mr. Hockey" if he won the Cup one time, but he won it four times and lived one of the greatest lives in hockey history. Wayne Gretzky would still be a legend had he won the Cup once, but winning it four times cemented him as "The Great One." Mario Lemieux is "Le Magnifique" in part because he won the Stanley Cup twice.
"I'm sure it will give him a much different perspective on it all and I'm sure he will appreciate it more," Niedermayer said of Crosby. "The rest of us will be able to say, 'Well, he is a winner.' He stuck with it and he was able to win again. It's one more notch, one more accomplishment. It's a big deal."

Crosby's window to win again never closed in the seven years it took him to get back to the top of the mountain, but it looked broken, like he nearly was five years ago. He lost 101 games of his career because of concussion problems from January 2011 through March 2012. Nobody worried about Crosby winning again at that point; there was only concern for his well-being and questions if he would be the same player, or, worse, ever play again. He did. He came back. He resumed being dominant. The Penguins didn't, at least until now. They lost in the first round in 2012, a brutal and embarrassing series against the Philadelphia Flyers. They made it to the Eastern Conference Final in 2013, but scored two goals in four consecutive losses to the Boston Bruins. They blew a 3-1 series lead to the New York Rangers in the second round in 2014 and lost in seven games. They were blown out by the Rangers in a five-game series last season.

"That is another part of his journey that, to me, is impressive," said Niedermayer, a four-time Cup champion. "I'm sure he's had times when there has been a lot of frustration and questioning, whether it be his own game, his teammates, the organization or whatever. You wonder when things aren't going well. The expectations were that they would have been back in more Finals than they've been and maybe won a couple more along the way. To have the determination to stick with it is something that he should be proud of and it should be regarded highly from other people."
Crosby stuck with it this season too. He had a very un-Crosby-like start with no points in the first six games and 22 in 32 games by Christmas. Worse, the Penguins were a mess, 16-14-3, out of a playoff position, trying to learn a new style under new coach Mike Sullivan, who took over for Mike Johnston on Dec. 12. Considering how last season ended, the questions regarding Crosby's greatness and his stature as the best player in the world was real. Dare we ask, was he still the best in the world? Many dared. Crosby had to answer, for himself and for the Penguins. That's his responsibility as the face of the franchise, the face of the NHL. Nobody else has that responsibility.

He never skirted it. He never has. He responded with 63 points in his last 48 games. He is a Hart Trophy finalist.

"That's the character he's had," Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz said. "The guy has been in the media since Day One, and the guy has never changed. He had to grow up through all of this and always take it on his shoulders. That's the role he has in the media. He does it every single day.
"The expectation is always above and beyond everybody else."
Crosby didn't ask for all of this; his talent demands it. He knows that. He knows that nobody else in the NHL faces greater pressure to be great on a game-to-game basis more than he does.
Alex Ovechkin might come close, but he did not come into the League with the same fanfare as Crosby. The Washington Capitals captain didn't have the torch passed to him the way Crosby had it passed to him from Gretzky, who got it from Howe. Ovechkin also hasn't won the Stanley Cup or an Olympic gold medal.
"That's the pressure that these guys have, the Wayne Gretzkys, Mario Lemieuxs and Sidney Crosbys of the world," Brodeur said. "It's all about winning the Stanley Cup, being winners. It validates him. The window closes and you have to take advantage. He did."
Twice, in the Olympics and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And he's not done.
Crosby will keep trying to win the Cup. He's only 28, very much in his prime. Who knows, maybe he'll get a chance to win another Olympic gold medal. That's still to be determined. We already know he'll have a chance to win with Team Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. If he does, it'll just further cement his legacy, one that can never be questioned again. The argument is over. Sidney Crosby wins.
"He's the best player in the world," Penguins left wing Patric Hornqvist said.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2016 Champions - Champions Again

The Pittsburgh Penguins are the Stanley Cup champions. Once upon a time, that would not have been a surprising statement. It might have been taken for granted. After all, they had Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, two of the best players in the world. They were expected to win, right?
If only winning were so simple. For six seasons the Penguins tried to win the Stanley Cup for the second time in the Crosby era, and they never made the Final, advancing as far as the Eastern Conference final once. Then this season, when they fired their coach, when they started 15-14-3, when they revamped their roster, when they weren't expected to do it, they did it.

The Penguins eliminated the San Jose Sharks with a 3-1 win in Game 6 of the Final at SAP Center on Sunday, hoisting the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in franchise history and the first time since 2009.

"When you look back, it seems like a while ago," Crosby said the other day. "In '09, it was something that you felt like maybe might be an annual thing, and it's not that easy. … It's difficult to win once, let alone twice. So I think it says a lot."
It was hard enough when Penguins icon Mario Lemieux won the Cup in 1991 and 1992. It is harder now in this era of the salary cap and parity, but it's possible with a strong core, savvy management, smart coaching and cohesive performance. The Penguins have become one of three teams to win the Cup multiple times since the cap was introduced in 2005-06, joining the Chicago Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015) and Los Angeles Kings (2012, 2014).
Pittsburgh's core of Crosby, Malkin, Chris Kunitz, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury stayed constant. But the Penguins replaced general manager Ray Shero with Jim Rutherford in June 2014; Rutherford replaced coach Dan Bylsma with Mike Johnston that same month and Johnston with Mike Sullivan in December 2015. Rutherford turned over the supporting cast with prospects he inherited and players he acquired via trade and free agency. Perhaps his biggest move: trading for forward Phil Kessel July 1, 2015.
"All those moves are important," Crosby said. "They all add up. But that's certainly a big one."
A coaching change sparked the Penguins in 2008-09, when Bylsma replaced Michel Therrien midseason, and a coaching change sparked them again this season, at least after an adjustment period. The Penguins went 0-4-0 and were outscored 15-4 in their first four games under Sullivan. They were 15-14-3 after a 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 19.
"The first part of the season was awfully tough," Penguins forward Matt Cullen said. "We just never really found our stride and never found our game."
But Sullivan played to the Penguins' strengths of speed and skill while Rutherford kept reshaping the roster. Rutherford traded for defenseman Trevor Daley on Dec. 14, forward Carl Hagelin on Jan. 16 and defenseman Justin Schultz on Feb. 27. He called up Tom Kuhnhackl, Matt Murray, Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary along the way. They had played for Sullivan with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, so they knew what he expected and he knew what they could do.

Not only did the Penguins make the playoffs, they came in having won 15 of their last 17 games and discovered the "HBK Line" of Hagelin, center Nick Bonino and Kessel that would make them a matchup nightmare for opponents.

Still, their chances seemed slim in the Eastern Conference First Round against the New York Rangers. Malkin and defenseman Olli Maatta had missed the end of the regular season with injuries. Fleury, the starting goaltender, was out with a concussion. Murray, the backup, was out with a concussion. But Maatta returned, and Malkin returned, and Murray returned and took over the net, and the Penguins defeated the Rangers, the team that had eliminated them last season, in five games. They went on to defeat the Washington Capitals, the winners of the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular-season team, in six. They went on to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Stanley Cup runner-up last season, in seven after facing a 3-2 series deficit, even though they lost Daley to injury during the series. Who scored both goals in their 2-1 victory in Game 7? Not Crosby. Not Malkin. Not Kessel. It was Rust, a rookie.
"I think that Tampa series was where we found ourselves," Cullen said. "The series flipped on its head. We were up 2-1 and everything was looking pretty good, and all of a sudden you find yourselves down 3-2. It was a big test for our team, and I was really proud of our team and the way that we played when we were down. I thought those two games were right up with the very best games we had all playoffs. I was really happy with the way our team responded to the adversity, and that's been our hallmark all year."
Even so, few picked the Penguins to beat the Sharks in the Stanley Cup Final. The Sharks were supposed to be bigger, tougher, harder, the stereotypical superior team from the Western Conference. They were supposed to pin the Penguins in their zone, grind them and wear them down. But the Penguins set the tone by flying past them in the first period of Game 1, and they proved to be the superior team throughout the series, offensively and defensively. Frankly, the Sharks were lucky the series went six games, winning Game 3 in overtime and Game 5 thanks to stellar goaltending by Martin Jones. Crosby now has won the Stanley Cup as many times as Lemieux did, and he was brilliant at times in the playoffs, from scoring an overtime winner to setting up an overtime winner with a faceoff play. But this championship belongs to every Penguin: the GM, the coach, the captain, the core, the new guys. It is a testament to how difficult it can be to win the Cup in today's NHL, how difficult it can be predict the winner, how quickly things can change, how it takes talent and management and coaching and, above all else, a team.

When the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-1 in Game 6 at SAP Center on Sunday to win the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in franchise history, they also became the sixth NHL team to win the Cup following a coaching change that season. Pittsburgh hired Mike Sullivan in December and never looked back, finishing the regular season as the hottest team in the League before its two-month run to the Cup.
Here's a look at the list:

2016: Pittsburgh Penguins (Mike Sullivan)
Prior to this season, Sullivan became coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Penguins' American Hockey League affiliate. Sullivan, who won a championship ring with the Chicago Blackhawks last season as their player development coach, had Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at 18-5-0-0. When Pittsburgh fired Mike Johnston on Dec. 12 with the Penguins underachieving (15-10-3), Sullivan was named coach. The Penguins lost his first four games but ended the regular season on a 33-16-5 run, including 14 wins in their final 16 games. The Penguins defeated the New York Rangers in five games, the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in six games and the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games before defeating the Sharks for their fourth Stanley Cup title.
2012: Los Angeles Kings (Darryl Sutter)

The Kings fired Terry Murray, who was in his fourth season with Los Angeles, on Dec. 12, 2011. Murray had a 13-12-4 record and was replaced by John Stevens, who went 2-2-0 before Sutter was named coach on Dec. 20. In 49 games under Sutter, the Kings went 25-13-11 to make the playoffs as a No. 8 seed and defeated the top three teams in the conference -- the Vancouver Canucks, St, Louis Blues and Phoenix Coyotes -- before eliminating the New Jersey Devils in six games to win the Stanley Cup for the first time. Sutter and the Kings became the first team to hold a 3-0 series lead in each round, and went 16-4 in the playoffs to become the first No. 8 seed to win the Cup.
2009: Pittsburgh Penguins (Dan Bylsma)
Pittsburgh fired Michel Therrien on Feb. 15 after a 27-25-5 record and the Penguins five points out of a playoff position. Bylsma, the coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton who had no NHL head coaching experience, took over. He went 18-3-4 during the regular season and 16-8 during the playoffs. Bylsma became the 14th coach to win the Cup in his first season and the second midseason replacement to win it in his first season (Al MacNeil did it with the 1971 Montreal Canadiens).
2000: New Jersey Devils (Larry Robinson)

With eight games left in the regular season, Robbie Ftorek was fired by the Devils on March 23, despite a 41-20-8-5 record. General manager Lou Lamoriello wasn't happy with the way the team was playing heading into the playoffs. Robinson went 4-4-0-0 in eight games to finish out the season. The Devils, the No. 4 seed, swept the Florida Panthers in the first round - New Jersey had been the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference the previous three seasons, losing twice in the first round and once in the second round -- before defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games and coming back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Philadelphia Flyers in the conference final. The Devils then defeated the Dallas Stars on a double-overtime goal by Jason Arnott in Game 6. New Jersey went 16-7 in the playoffs under Robinson to win its second Stanley Cup.
1971: Montreal Canadiens (Al MacNeil)
With the Canadiens (11-8-4) struggling and having missed the playoffs the previous season, Claude Ruel resigned 23 games into the season and was replaced by MacNeil. He led the Canadiens to third place in the East Division with a 31-15-9 record in 55 regular-season games, before riding rookie goalie Ken Dryden to playoff series wins against the Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars, and Chicago Blackhawks in the Cup Final.
1932: Toronto Maple Leafs (Dick Irvin)
After starting the season 0-3-2, the Maple Leafs fired coach Art Duncan and replaced him with Irvin, who went 23-15-5 the rest of the regular season. Irvin had led the Chicago Black Hawks to the Stanley Cup Final the season before but was fired after they were defeated by the Canadiens. The Maple Leafs, under Irvin, finished second in the Canadian Division, four points behind the Canadiens, defeating the Black Hawks in the first round and the Montreal Maroons in the second round before defeating the New York Rangers in the Cup Final.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2016 Champions - Fans Reaction

Penguins' fans celebrate their 2016 Stanley Cup Champions at Consol Energy Center at First Niagra's Indoor Watch Party!

With 6:22 remaining in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at SAP Center on Sunday, the NBC broadcast showed the Stanley Cup being lifted from its case.

At that time, the Pittsburgh Penguins held a one-goal lead against the San Jose Sharks. On the other side of the United States, over 16,000 fans attending a watch party inside Consol Energy Center were driven into frenzy. That's the moment those fans knew it was real. The Penguins, who were in 12th place in the Eastern Conference in December, were agonizingly close to winning their first championship since 2009.

"It basically brought back memories of when they won in 2009, seeing it come out then and seeing it again," said Corey Negley, who was in high school when Pittsburgh previously won the Stanley Cup. "You're just sitting there on pins and needles because it's only 2-1 and they can come back."
Patric Hornqvist calmed any nerves with 1:22 remaining, when he extended the lead to 3-1 on an empty-net goal. It would be the final score.

The Penguins won the Stanley Cup three days after failing to clinch it at home for the first time. That 4-2 loss in Game 5 didn't matter to these fans, who created an atmosphere comparable to any game played here since the arena opened in 2010.
"This was great. It was 16,000 friends to celebrate with," Penguins fan Chris Misechak said. "I don't think I could breathe for the last minute."
Admission to the watch party cost $10, with proceeds benefitting the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation. The low price attracted a younger group that fan Mason Mitchell, who attended Game 5, thought outdid the crowd from Thursday.
"I feel like it's fairly similar. Actually, I think it's a little louder," Mitchell said. "I think there's maybe some more youth here today. It's loud in here. This is fun."

When the Stanley Cup was brought onto the ice in San Jose, the fans back in Pittsburgh began a "Yes!" chant, made famous by retired professional wrestler Daniel Bryan. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby then lifted the Cup and hats cascaded over the glass here. The Cup was passed from Crosby to defenseman Trevor Daley before being handed to forward Pascal Dupuis, who ended his playing career on Dec. 8 because of a medical condition related to blood clots. Several fans admitted they became emotional at that point. It's been a journey for the Penguins and these fans. When center Evgeni Malkin sustained an upper-body injury on March 11 while Pittsburgh was battling for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, some doubted if the Penguins would even qualify. Three months later, the Penguins are champions.

The fans back at their home arena flooded its concourse. Some cried. A few jumped into another's arms. One fan stood in the middle of a swarm, fielding high-fives and bear-hugging strangers. A shirtless man wearing a penguin-head bellowed out "We did it!" with tears streaming down his face. The scene was jubilant. Penguins fans Abby Stark and Brandon Hickle rather calmly walked around the arena following the Cup presentation. Looking back at the past seven years, they thought adversity helped the Penguins and their fans appreciate this moment.
"I think they've definitely learned that it's not easy to do," Hickle said. "We've learned it along with them."

The Pittsburgh Penguins are the Stanley Cup champions after a 4-2 win against the San Jose Sharks in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday, and some of Pittsburgh's most famous supporters took to social media to celebrate the Penguins' first championship since 2009.
Actor Joe Manganiello already had his championship hat and T-shirt, and posted a picture of him, his brother Nicholas and niece Gia celebrating.

Retired professional wrestler Shawn Michaels, who became a Penguins fan during their Eastern Conference Final series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, was excited about Pittsburgh's win.

Michaels' WWE peer Triple H added his own congratulatory tweet for the Penguins too.

The NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers posted video of their players congratulating the Penguins on the Cup win.

The Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball posted a picture to congratulate the Penguins. Members of the Pirates, including second baseman Josh Harrison and shortstop Jordy Mercer, also tweeted their support.

Amanda Kessel, a hockey player for the United States women's national team and the sister of Penguins forward Phil Kessel, admitted she was emotional about her brother winning the Cup.

Many NHL players shared congratulatory messages to the Penguins and some of their former teammates. Below are well-wishes from Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson, Boston Bruins forward Matt Beleskey and former Penguins Stanley Cup Playoff hero Maxime Talbot.

Finally, there was a selfie of Carl Hagelin, Evgeni Malkin and Kessel, taken and posted by Malkin, wins everything.