The Pittsburgh Penguins announced the signing of Sergei Gonchar to a professional tryout contract in early August, giving the veteran blueliner a chance to earn a spot on the final roster. While Gonchar enjoyed five productive seasons in Pittsburgh, scoring 259 points in 322 games and winning a Stanley Cup in 2009, at 41 years old, the team needs to break the habit of recycling veteran players and instead, finally allow a younger defensive corps to develop. With the innate ability to ... Read More
AM Joe: Deebo or Batman?
Good morning, Pittsburgh. Here's your day in sports for Thursday, September 10, 2015. What's on tap for today: The Pirates (83-55) are back at PNC Park after a 4-5 road trip to Milwaukee, St. Louis and Cincinnati. A.J. Burnett (above) will make his return to the starting rotation after missing six weeks with a forearm injury. The Bucs are hosting the Brewers for four games this weekend. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. ROOT Sports Pittsburgh The Steelers will kick off the 2015 National ... Read More
Can the Penguins afford Cody Franson?
The Pittsburgh Penguins are still looking to bolster their blue line for the upcoming season and are rumored to be one of the teams attempting to woo free agent defenseman Cody Franson. Franson was drafted by the Nashville Predators and spent the first four years of his career as a minor leaguer or a third-pairing defender in their organization. They traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2011 and, over the past four seasons, he improved into a solid top four defenseman before getting ... Read More
AM Joe: Steelers kick off big day in Pittsburgh sports
Good morning, Pittsburgh. Here's your day in sports for Saturday, August 29, 2015. What's on tap for today: The Steelers (1-2) will make the four hour journey north to Buffalo, New York to take on the Bills (1-1) at 4:00 p.m. in their fourth of five preseason contests. Defensive end Stephon Tuitt (ankle) is out, while quarterback Michael Vick may make his Steelers debut. KDKA-TV The Pirates (78-49) will host the Colorado Rockies (51-74) at 7:05 p.m. for the second game of their ... Read More
Pens ink top prospect Daniel Sprong
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed their top pick from the 2015 NHL draft, second-round selection Daniel Sprong, to a three-year, entry-level contract. Sprong, 18, fell to the Penguins with the 46th overall selection, despite being rated as a first-round talent by many prognosticators. The 6-foot tall, 180 pound right-winger recently participated in the Penguins prospect development camp at Consol Energy Center in July and was named to roster for the team’s rookie tournament squad that will ... Read More
Penguins sign Tom Sestito to a camp tryout
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed veteran enforcer Tom Sestito to a professional try-out contract, according to a release by general manager Jim Rutheford. Sestito, 27, split last season between the Vancouver Canucks and their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. He had a hard time finding the lineup in Vancouver, as he was a frequently healthy scratch and also missed several weeks with a leg injury. Sestito led the NHL in penalty minutes in 2013-14, racking up 213, the most in his ... Read More
Penguins announce rookie tournament roster
The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced their roster for the 2015 rookie tournament to be held in London, Ontario on September 11-13. The Penguins prospects and tryouts will compete against those representing the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators at Budweiser Gardens, home of the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights. The Penguins will bring 16 forwards, 8 defensemen and two goaltenders to Ontario. 14 of the 26 players are already under NHL contract, three are on ... Read More
Ehrhoff moves on after injury-plagued season
Christian Ehrhoff’s tenure in Pittsburgh has ended as the veteran defenseman signed one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday. Ehrhoff came to the Penguins on a one-year contract a year ago after being bought out by the Buffalo Sabres. He was effective in spells for the Pens, but for the most part, his season was washed out by multiple injuries. He missed several games in December with a lower-body injury and several concussions later in the seasons conspired to ... Read More
Former Pens defenseman Darryl Sydor arrested for DUI
Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Darryl Sydor has been arrested and charged with two counts of drunken driving in his home state of Minnesota, according to a report by the Associated Press. Sydor, 43, was driving his 12-year old son to a hockey tournament when the vehicle he was driving was pulled over in Fridley, Minnesota, a Minneapolis suburb. According to the criminal complaint, Sydor’s eyes were bloodshot and watery and his speech was slow and slurred. His blood-alcohol level ... Read More
Part 2: 2015 Penguins Top-10 prospects
This is part two of Pittsburgh Sporting News' 2015 Penguins top-10 prospects. The methodology and part one can be found here. High risk, high reward These players have the potential to make a splash in the NHL some day, but as of now their future is less certain. #6 Jake Guentzel will be a junior at the University of Nebraska-Omaha this year. He has found himself near the top of various national rankings in each of his first two seasons of college hockey and looks like he may be capable ... Read More