According to player data from NHL.com, only eight players born in Pennsylvania have dressed for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Interestingly, out of the eight, it’s an even split between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, so where do the other players come from?
Ryan Malone (Pittsburgh, PA)
Initially drafted by his hometown Penguins in the fourth round (115th overall) of the 1999 Draft, Ryan Malone would debut in 2003-04 and earn All-Rooke honors at 24. He was a member of the team that lost in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final, scoring 16 points in 20 games.
Eventually, Pittsburgh traded him to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he would finish his NHL career with the New York Rangers in 2014-15. During Malone’s stint with the Penguins, he scored 87 goals and 169 points in 299 games.
Sam Lafferty (Hollidaysburg, PA)
Sam Lafferty recently played with the Vancouver Canucks and is now a member of the Buffalo Sabres, but was originally a Penguins draft pick in the fourth round (113th overall) in 2014. Like Malone, he made his NHL debut at 24 and collected 13 points in 50 games.
His tenure with Pittsburgh was short-lived. He played just 94 games before he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Alexander Nylander. Since then, Lafferty has been traded three more times and has also played with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Overall, he has 83 points in 289 games.
Jay Caufield (Philadelphia, PA)
Jay Caufield was an undrafted right winger from Philadelphia who played for the 1992 Penguins, who won the Stanley Cup. Initially signed by the New York Rangers in 1985, he played 13 games with the club before moving to the Minnesota North Stars in a trade in 1987.
In 1988, Pittsburgh claimed Caufield in the waiver draft. Over the next five seasons, he play 194 games with the Penguins, scoring 10 points. During his time in the NHL, he also skated in the AHL and IHL.
Eric Tangradi (Philadelphia, PA)
Eric Tangradi played 150 games in the NHL after the Anaheim Ducks drafted him in the third round (42nd overall) in 2007. Interestingly, he never dressed for the organization, getting traded with Chris Kunitz for Ryan Whitney in 2009.
Over three and half seasons, Tangradi played 45 games and scored five points with the Penguins before another trade sent him to the Winnipeg Jets. His most productive seasons came with the Jets, but he also skated in Montreal, Detroit, and New Jersey.
Bill Thomas (Pittsburgh, PA)
Bill Thomas had a brief NHL career, signing with the Phoenix Coyotes as a free agent in 2006. He…