The Pittsburgh Penguins joined the NHL during expansion in 1967. For 57 years, fans have packed Mellon Arena and PPG Paints Arena to watch some of the all-time greats wear black and gold.
Whether it’s five-goal games, 100-point seasons, or jersey retirement ceremonies, the Penguins have employed numerous hockey legends in their half-century.
Who are the most famous ones? This list of seven is just the tip of the iceberg regarding the best ones.
7. Kris Letang (2006-Present)
Initially drafted by the Penguins in the third round of the 2005 Draft, Kris Letang is one of three skaters to play over 1,000 games with the franchise.
As the highest-scoring defenseman with 742 points in 18 seasons, he is a three-time Stanley Cup champion who won the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2023 for overcoming a stroke and his father’s passing in the same season.
6. Marc-Andre Fleury (2003-2017)
Marc-Andre Fleury is the third goaltender selected first overall in NHL Draft history. He played the first 13 seasons of his career in Pittsburgh, helping the team to the Stanley Cup Final on four occasions, winning three times in 2009, 2016, and 2017.
Thanks to his longevity, Fleury rocketed up the Penguins milestone charts, playing in the most games (691), collecting the most wins (341), and compiling the most shutouts (44).
5. Ron Francis (1991-1998)
© Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1992
Ron Francis was already a 101-point player with the Hartford Whalers but blossomed into one of the game’s elite playmakers during his eight seasons in Pittsburgh.
In addition to winning the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992, he led the NHL twice in assists, in 1995 (48) and 1996 (92), scoring a career-high 119 points in 1996.
Francis finished as the fifth-highest all-time scorer, thanks partly to a 1.15 points-per-game average with the Penguins from 1991 to 1998.
4. Jaromir Jagr (1990-2001)
Jaromir Jagr is one of the greatest players in hockey history and is still playing professionally at 52 in his native Czechia. Pittsburgh fans were privileged to watch a teenager turn into a man in the 1990s, winning two Stanley Cup rings and five scoring titles.
In 11 seasons, Jagr scored 439 goals and 640 assists for 1,079 points in 806 games, the second-best totals of any player in Pittsburgh history upon his departure in 2001.
Even though his numbers have been surpassed, Jagr…