Two down, one to go. The Pittsburgh Penguins entered this month with three restricted free agents to deal with: Simon Despres, Nick Spaling and Brandon Sutter. General manager Jim Rutherford agreed to contract terms with Despres two weeks ago, paying the defenseman $1.8 million over two years. That left Spaling and Sutter, with the former choosing to file for salary arbitration while the latter declined. Perhaps the threat of the arbitration process pushed things along regarding Spaling, ... Read More
Former Penguins Defenseman Jim Paek Takes Over South Korean Hockey Program
The first South Korean to get his name on the Stanley Cup will now seek a different kind of history, as former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jim Paek will be taking over his home country's national hockey program. As first reported by Pete Wallner of the Grand Rapids Press, Paek will not only be the new director of the Korea Ice Hockey Association, he will also coach the men's national team as it attempts to qualify for the 2018 Olympics, which will be held in Pyeongchang, South ... Read More
Pirates second half, Penguins developmental camp podcast
And the gang is back! Join our live broadcast, as we discuss the Pirates in the second half, the Penguins developmental camp and who to keep an eye on as Steelers training camp nears. ... Read More
Penguins Prospects Compete In Spirited Scrimmage To Close Development Camp
The Pittsburgh Penguins faced an interesting paradox this week, as they welcomed their top prospects to Consol Energy Center for their annual development camp. On one hand, they are in the midst of a transition of power in hockey operations, with the Jim Rutherford/Mike Johnston axis looking to put its own stamp on the organization. On the other hand, assistant general managers Tom Fitzgerald and Bill Guerin sought to maintain some continuity for the youngsters they've been working with ... Read More
Hildebrand could be next Pa. goalie to take league by storm
Whitehall, Pa. native goaltender John Gibson took the NHL by storm last season. His pro debut was sensational and was capped off with an incredible .955 save percentage and 1.45 goals-against average in six playoff games with the Anaheim Ducks. Jake Hildebrand is looking to be the next Western Pa. goaltender to take that step. Hildebrand, a Butler native, played for the Pittsburgh Hornets midget team and now minds the net for Michigan State. He was the Team MVP for the Spartans in both his ... Read More
Coming back home: Pittsburgh players prove grass isn’t always greener
With the recent news of LeBron James returning to Cleveland, it proves that the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. Just as James found his way back home, many one-time Pittsburgh sports figures who have wandered away from the Steel City have found themselves returning to the place they once called home. In terms of Pittsburgh sports teams which have seen many of its members step away only to return, the Steelers rank at the top with players like Plaxico Burress, ... Read More
Pittsburgh Penguins sign 1st-rd pick Kaspari Kapanen
One thing we have noticed about Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford during his short stint on the job is the fact that he is really high on first-round pick Kaspari Kapanen. Rutherford inked the 17-year old forward to a three-year entry-level contract on Friday. There has been some speculation that Kapanen could make the Penguins team out of camp as Rutherford is in love with the speed that he brings. Kapanen is the son for former NHL star Sami Kapanen, who Rutherford ... Read More
Face Off Friday: Crosby/Malkin or Toews/Kane
Jon Pennline — If we're comparing teams, I'll take the Chicago Blackhawks over the Pittsburgh Penguins in a seven-game series. But we're not. We're talking about comparing two dynamic duos and, in that sense, I'll take Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin every time and twice on Sunday. With Crosby and Malkin, you're getting two players that have won two Art Ross Trophies each; the award for highest scoring player in the league. While Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane haven't been too far behind ... Read More
Pittsburgh Penguins ink Megna, Samuelsson to one-year deals
With their shopping apparently done when it comes to unrestricted free agents, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford took care of a couple of the teams restricted free agents on Thursday, inking both forward Jayson Megna and defenseman Philip Samuelsson to one-year deals. Megna’s deal is a two-way contract and has an average annual value of $874,125 at the NHL level. The 24-year old saw action at the NHL level for the first time in 2013-14 where he scored five goals, had four ... Read More
Can Pittsburgh Penguins power play be better in 2015?
Now that the dust has settled and the Pittsburgh Penguins are pretty much done free agent shopping, it is a good time to look at the roles of some of the new additions, especially in terms of newly signed defenseman Christian Ehrhoff. More specifically I wonder if the Penguins’ power play will be even better with the addition of the 32-year old veteran. There’s a good chance that it will. Those are lofty expectations considering that the Pens led the NHL in power play percentage last ... Read More