The Mon Valley Thunder was an ice hockey team which played in the inaugural season of the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League in 2007. The team played its home games in the Rostraver Ice Garden in Rostraver Township, Pennsylvania . Brian Cersosimo was the team's first and only head coach. Following the 2007-08 season the Mon Valley Thunder folded before the MAHL folded in September 2008. In their lone season as a professional hockey club, the Thunder went 11-17 with three shootout losses and a goal differential of -53.
171-689: Cersosimo, the Pittsburgh native, had experience coaching at several levels in the Pittsburgh area. Before taking over the Thunder, he coached a local high school team, a junior hockey team associated with the Pittsburgh Penguins , and another short-lived Class A minor league hockey team from Pittsburgh. The Mon Valley Thunder got their name from the Mon Valley Thunder Youth Hockey Association of
342-575: A divisional playoff game 27–10 against Baltimore, who was the defending Super Bowl champion . During their NFL championship season in 2000 , the Ravens defeated the Steelers in Pittsburgh , 16–0, in the season opener with the Steelers later exacting revenge, 9–6, in Baltimore (the Ravens' final loss of the season). During the Steelers 2008 Championship run, they beat the Ravens three times, including
513-683: A " Playoff Bowl " in 1962 as the second-best team in their conference, but this was not considered an official playoff. In 1970 , the year they moved into Three Rivers Stadium and the year of the AFL–NFL merger , the Pittsburgh Steelers were one of three old-guard NFL teams to switch to the newly formed American Football Conference (the others being the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Colts ), in order to equalize
684-867: A 11–5 record. They lost 30–17 to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round. The Steelers finished with a 10–6 record and made the playoffs in the 2015 season. They defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Round and lost to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round. In the 2016 season, the Steelers won the AFC North with a 11–5 record. They defeated the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card Round and
855-554: A 15–10–3 record. The organization fired head coach Mike Johnston, and replaced him with Mike Sullivan , who had previously served as the head coach in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. This move was followed by a series of trades by Jim Rutherford. The Penguins qualified for the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season. They earned second place in the Metropolitan Division with 104 points. In the playoffs ,
1026-664: A 9–31 record in the first 40 games of the series between the two cities, the Steelers have gone 66–27–1 (including 42–6 in games played in Pittsburgh) since 1970 and currently lead the series 75–58–1; The Steelers have particularly dominated the Browns since their return to the NFL in 1999 and won twelve straight meetings between 2003 and 2009. Additionally, the Browns posted losing streaks of 16 (1970–85) and 15 (2004–present) games in Pittsburgh. Former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher coached
1197-675: A bitter 34–31 playoff showdown in 2002 ); the Titans won seven in a row in the 1997–2001 period, the longest win streak by either team in the series. The Steelers have won 47 of 79 career meetings following their 27–24 win at Nissan Stadium in 2020. The Denver Broncos in 2011 broke a tie with the Oakland Raiders for the most playoff meetings versus the Steelers and added yet another meeting in 2015 (the Broncos have met Pittsburgh eight times to Oakland's six). The Steelers' rivalry with
1368-494: A championship. Cowher's career record with Pittsburgh was 149–90–1 in the regular season and 161–99–1 overall, including playoff games. On January 7, 2007, Cowher resigned from coaching the Steelers, citing a need to spend more time with his family. He did not use the term "retire", leaving open a possible return to the NFL as coach of another team. A three-man committee consisting of Art Rooney II, Dan Rooney, and Kevin Colbert
1539-557: A controlling stake in the Penguins. On December 31, 2021, they officially took over as majority owners of the Penguins. In the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs , the Penguins lost in seven games to the New York Rangers despite having a 3–1 series lead. The game 7 loss marked the first time the Penguins lost a game 7 on the road in franchise history after going 6–0 the previous six instances. The 2022–23 season
1710-627: A decisive game 7 in the 1992, 1995, 2009 and 2017 playoffs. The NHL's fourth Winter Classic , played on January 1, 2011, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh showcased this rivalry. The Capitals won the game 3–1. The rivalry can also be seen in the American Hockey League (AHL). Pittsburgh's top farm team is the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and their in-state and biggest rivals are the Capitals' top farm team,
1881-582: A formidable team throughout the 1990s. The stars of the Stanley Cup years were followed by the likes of forwards: Alexei Kovalev , Martin Straka , Aleksey Morozov , Robert Lang and Petr Nedved , and defensemen Sergei Zubov , Darius Kasparaitis and Kevin Hatcher . Despite the departure of many of the franchise's Stanley Cup-winning roster, the Penguins fielded enough talent to reach the first round of
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#17328020615482052-418: A knee injury to Malkin marred the season. The team left early in the playoffs, blowing a 3–1 series lead to Tampa Bay Lightning , with Fleury's goaltending called into question. With Crosby still sidelined with post-concussion syndrome , at the start of the 2011–12 season , Malkin led the Penguins' top line and dominated league scoring. He finished with 50 goals and 109 points as the Penguins earned 51 wins on
2223-515: A major part in this. Arguably no move was bigger during this time than when the Penguins drafted Jaromir Jagr with the fifth overall pick in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft . The first Czechoslovak player to be drafted into the NHL without first needing to defect to the West, Jagr became the Penguins' second franchise player, and quickly developed into a superstar offensive talent. The roster overhaul culminated in
2394-453: A passing play. The Bengals players called this a dirty play; the NFL ruled that it was accidental and did not fine von Oelhoffen for the hit. The incident led to an intensifying of the rivalry. The Bengals beat the Steelers in Week 13 of the 2005 season 38–31, and wide receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh used a Terrible Towel to polish his cleats while walking up the tunnel after the game, fueling
2565-608: A playing rights dispute with the Russian Superleague . The addition of Crosby paid instant dividends, with attendance rising by approximately 4,000 per game on average in the 2005–06 season. However, Crosby's presence did not immediately translate into wins, as the team began the season with a long winless skid that resulted in a head coaching change from Olczyk to Michel Therrien . Then, on January 24, 2006, Lemieux announced his second retirement, after developing an irregular heartbeat , this time permanently. He finished as
2736-400: A playoff position midway in the season, the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since Crosby's rookie season in 2005–06, ending a 16-season playoff streak and resulting in dismissals of Burke and Hextall. On June 1, 2023, Kyle Dubas was named the team's new president of hockey operations. On August 6, the Penguins traded for Norris Trophy -winning defenseman Erik Karlsson in
2907-673: A professional American football team based in Pittsburgh . The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in 1933 , the Steelers are the seventh-oldest franchise in the NFL, and the oldest franchise in the AFC. In contrast with their status as perennial also-rans in the pre- merger NFL, where they were
3078-477: A regular-season streak of 49 consecutive wins ( 1971 – 1979 ) against teams that would finish with a losing record that year. The Steelers suffered a rash of injuries in the 1980 season and missed the playoffs with a 9–7 record. The 1981 season was no better, with an 8–8 showing. The team was then hit with the retirements of all their key players from the Super Bowl years. "Mean" Joe Greene retired after
3249-688: A seven-game series. In the Conference Finals, the Penguins eliminated the Ottawa Senators in seven games to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals , where they faced the Nashville Predators . The Penguins won the first two games of the finals and then lost the next two matchups before dominating the fifth and the sixth games of the series to win the Stanley Cup for the second straight year. By defending their title,
3420-507: A sharp drop in form by Binkley, into sixth place and with the league's worst record. Several changes were made to improve the team, resulting in Boivin and several others being traded, and new players—including longtime future Pens star Jean Pronovost —making their debuts. No captain was named to replace McDonald; the team went with four alternate captains. In the 1969 draft the Penguins selected Michel Briere who, although being chosen 26th,
3591-653: A small but loyal fanbase, the Penguins struggled with fan support early on in its history, at times averaging only 6,000 fans per game when Civic Arena had a seating capacity of over 16,000. Fan support was so low by the team's first bankruptcy that the NHL had no problem with the team being moved, something that would change decades later when the team faced another relocation threat. While the drafting of Mario Lemieux piqued interest in hockey locally, fans remained skeptical. John Steigerwald , brother of former Penguins broadcaster Paul Steigerwald , noted in his autobiography that upon his arrival at KDKA-TV from WTAE-TV in 1985,
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#17328020615483762-421: A third option during home games only. In 2012, the Steelers introduced a new third uniform, consisting of a yellow jersey with black horizontal lines (making a bumble bee like pattern) with black lettering and black numbers placed inside a white box, to represent the jerseys worn by the Steelers in their 1934 season . The rest of the uniform consists of beige pants, yellow with black horizontal stripped socks, and
3933-541: A three-team deal also involving the Montreal Canadiens . On February 18, 2024, the Penguins retired the no. 68 of franchise legend Jaromir Jagr in a pregame celebration, with Jagr becoming just the third Penguin to receive the honor. Prior to the NHL trade deadline, the Penguins parted ways with longtime and fan favorite forward Jake Guentzel , trading him to the Carolina Hurricanes . Despite
4104-430: A tie for third-to-last in their conference. The following season they finished second-last. In the 2003 NHL Entry Draft , the Penguins selected goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury with the first overall pick. The 2003–04 season was an ordeal with Lemieux missing all but 24 regular season games with a hip injury, and attendance dipping to an average of 11,877 (the lowest average of any NHL team), with just one sellout. As
4275-541: A win in the AFC Championship game. The two teams complement each other by consistently fielding strong defenses. The Steelers lead the all-time series (including playoffs), 32–24. The teams have met four times in the postseason, with the Steelers owning a 3–1 record. The Steelers' rivalry with the Cincinnati Bengals dates from the 1970 season, when the AFL–NFL merger was completed. In 1976 ,
4446-679: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a sports team in Pennsylvania is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh . The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of
4617-458: The 1976–77 season . Through the intervention of a group that included former Minnesota North Stars head coach Wren Blair , the team was prevented from folding and remained in Pittsburgh, eventually being bought by shopping mall magnate Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. Beginning in the mid-1970s, Pittsburgh iced some powerful offensive clubs, led by the likes of the "Century Line" of Syl Apps, Lowell MacDonald and Jean Pronovost. They nearly reached
4788-407: The 1981 season , Lynn Swann and Jack Ham after 1982 's playoff berth, Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount after 1983 's divisional championship, and Jack Lambert after 1984 's AFC Championship Game appearance. After those retirements, the franchise skidded to its first losing seasons since 1971. Though still competitive, the Steelers would not finish above .500 in 1985 , 1986 , and 1988 . In 1987 ,
4959-787: The 1995 season an appearance in Super Bowl XXX on the strength of the "Blitzburgh" defense. However, the Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX, two weeks after a thrilling AFC Championship victory over the Indianapolis Colts . Cowher produced the franchise's record-tying fifth Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XL over the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks ten years later. With that victory,
5130-626: The 2006–07 season in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 47–24–11, totaling 105 points, only two points behind the Atlantic Division winners, the New Jersey Devils. It was the franchise's first 100-point season in 11 years and represented an enormous 47-point leap from the previous season. In the first round of the 2007 playoffs the eventual Stanley Cup runners-up, the Ottawa Senators, defeated
5301-486: The 2015 season. A central figure is Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict , often inflicting brutal hits, resulting in serious injuries to several Steelers on multiple occasions. In the 2015 Wild Card playoff game in Cincinnati, Burfict was the culprit of a late penalty directly responsible for an extremely unlikely 18–16 Steelers comeback victory. The Steelers lead the all-time series, 63–35. The teams have met twice in
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5472-537: The 2020 playoffs , but were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens in the Qualifying Round. On February 9, 2021, the Penguins named Ron Hextall as their new general manager, after Jim Rutherford resigned from his post on January 27, because of personal reasons. Brian Burke was hired as president of hockey operations. On February 21, Crosby became the first player to reach 1,000 NHL games for
5643-472: The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). In fact, it was Cleveland -based Republic Steel that suggested the Steelers adopt the industry logo. It consists of the word "Steelers" surrounded by three astroids ( hypocycloids of four cusps ). The original meanings behind the astroids were, "Steel lightens your work, brightens your leisure, and widens your world." Later, the colors came to represent
5814-552: The Baltimore Ravens has had several memorable match-ups and has escalated into a fierce divisional rivalry. Both teams handed the other their first losses at their current home stadiums. The Steelers won the inaugural game played at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium in 1998 , 20–13, and three years later the Ravens handed the Steelers their first-ever loss at Heinz Field , 13–10. Later that season ( 2001 ) Pittsburgh won
5985-487: The California Golden Seals for the division cellar in 1974 , when Riley was fired as general manager and replaced by Jack Button . Button obtained Steve Durbano , Ab DeMarco , Bob "Battleship" Kelly and Bob Paradise through trades. The personnel moves proved successful, and the team improved to a 28–41–9 record, although they remained nine points away from a playoff berth. However, in early 1975,
6156-749: The Eastern Conference , and have played their home games at PPG Paints Arena , originally known as Consol Energy Center, since 2010. The team previously played at the Civic Arena , which was also known as Mellon Arena from 1999 to 2010, and by its nickname "the Igloo". The Penguins are affiliated with two minor league teams – the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) and
6327-565: The Hershey Bears . When the Penguins made their NHL debut in 1967, the team wore the colors dark blue, light blue and white. The uniforms had the word "Pittsburgh" written diagonally down the front of the sweater with three dark blue stripes around the sleeves and bottom. The logo featured a hockey-playing penguin in a scarf over an inverted triangle, symbolizing the Golden Triangle of downtown Pittsburgh. A refined version of
6498-668: The Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans franchise. The Oilers were aligned into the AFC Central with the Steelers in 1970 and were division rivals for 32 seasons. The Steelers dominated the rivalry during the Houston era and defeated the Oilers in all three of their playoff matchups. However, since the franchise moved to Tennessee in 1997, the rivalry shifted, with the Titans winning 13 of 22 meetings (including
6669-676: The Los Angeles Chargers (2–1), the Jacksonville Jaguars (2–0), and the Broncos (5–3). The Steelers have an all-time regular-season record of 15–13 against the Patriots. In the Bill Belichick era, the main period of the rivalry, the Patriots have a 12–4 record against the Steelers. In their last matchup, the Patriots beat the Steelers 33–3 on Sunday Night Football . Pittsburgh also has a rivalry with
6840-609: The New York Giants . Through the 1930s, the Pirates never finished higher than second place in their division, or with a record better than .500 ( 1936 ). Pittsburgh did make history in 1938 by signing Byron White , a future Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court , to what was at the time the biggest contract in NFL history, but he played only one year with the Pirates before signing with the Detroit Lions . Prior to
7011-684: The North Shore neighborhood, which also hosts the University of Pittsburgh Panthers . Built in 2001 as Heinz Field, the stadium replaced Three Rivers Stadium , which had hosted the Steelers for 31 seasons. Prior to Three Rivers, the Steelers had played their games in Pitt Stadium and at Forbes Field . The Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL first took to the field as the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 20, 1933, losing 23–2 to
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7182-656: The Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL . Founded during the 1967 expansion , the Penguins have qualified for six Stanley Cup Finals , winning the Stanley Cup five times – in 1991 , 1992 , 2009 , 2016 , and 2017 . Along with the Edmonton Oilers , the Penguins are tied for the most Stanley Cup championships among the non- Original Six teams and sixth overall. With their Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017,
7353-455: The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins , and to European leagues. With the lockout resolved in 2005, the NHL organized an unprecedented draft lottery to set the 2005 NHL Entry Draft selection order. The draft lottery, which was held behind closed doors in a "secure location", resulted in the Penguins being awarded the first overall pick. Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) superstar Sidney Crosby (who had been training with Lemieux over
7524-417: The " Steagles "; the team's colors at that time were green and white as a result of wearing Eagles uniforms. Originally, the team wore solid gold-colored helmets and black jerseys. The Steelers' black and gold colors are now shared by all major professional teams in the city, including the Pittsburgh Pirates in baseball and the Pittsburgh Penguins in ice hockey. The shade of gold differs slightly among teams:
7695-487: The "Carpets"). This team finished 0–10, marking the only winless team in franchise history. The Steelers made the playoffs for the first time in 1947 , tying for first place in the division at 8–4 with the Philadelphia Eagles . This forced a tie-breaking playoff game at Forbes Field , which the Steelers lost 21–0. That would be Pittsburgh's only playoff game in the pre-merger era; they did qualify for
7866-405: The 1928 Pirates. The Penguins defeated the Oakland Seals in a four-game sweep in the quarterfinals, with Briere scoring the series-clinching goal in overtime. In the semi-final round, defending conference champions St. Louis Blues got the best of the Penguins during six games. Briere led the team in playoff scoring, recording five goals (including three game-winners) and eight points. Tragedy struck
8037-447: The 1940 season, the Pirates renamed themselves the Steelers. During World War II, the Steelers experienced player shortages. They twice merged with other NFL franchises to field a team. During the 1943 season , they merged with the Philadelphia Eagles forming the "Phil-Pitt Eagles" and were known as the " Steagles ". This team went 5–4–1. In 1944 , they merged with the Chicago Cardinals and were known as Card-Pitt (or, mockingly, as
8208-457: The 1980s with defenseman Randy Carlyle , and prolific scorers Paul Gardner and Mike Bullard but little else. During the early part of the decade, the Penguins made a habit of being a tough draw for higher-seeded opponents in the playoffs. In 1980, the 13th-seeded Penguins took the Bruins to the limit in their first-round playoff series. The following season, as the 15th seed, they lost the decisive game of their first-round series in overtime to
8379-496: The 2016 AFC Championship Game . They also won in 2017 when a go-ahead touchdown reception by Steelers' tight end Jesse James was controversially called back. Though they ultimately missed the playoffs, the Steelers defeated the Patriots by a score of 17–10 on December 16, 2018, in Pittsburgh. In the postseason, the Patriots have outscored the Steelers 135–75, with the Patriots maintaining a 4–1 record. The only other franchises with winning AFC playoff records against Steelers include
8550-404: The 2022 season, the team drafted Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett with their first round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Pickett started 12 games as the Steelers went 9–8 and missed the postseason in the 2022 season. In the 2023 season, the team finished 10–7 and third in the AFC North. They made the playoffs and were defeated by the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round 31–17. Prior to the 2024 season,
8721-488: The AFC Championship game after a 15–1 regular season. The Patriots won six of seven meetings over a ten-year period ( 1998 – 2007 ) before the Steelers broke through with a 33–10 victory at Foxborough in 2008 , after Matt Cassel turned the ball over five times. The Patriots in 2013 then made history by becoming the first opponent to score 55 points on the Steelers, winning 55–31. The Patriots won again in 2015 (28–21) and 2016's regular season (27–16), and then won 36–17 in
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#17328020615488892-408: The Broncos dates from 1970 , but the first notable contest came in 1973 , when Denver dealt Pittsburgh its first regular-season defeat at Three Rivers Stadium , 23–13. The following year, they met in the NFL's first regular-season overtime game, which ended in a 35–35 tie. Denver's first playoff game had them hosting the Steelers in the 1977 divisional round; the Broncos won 34–21. The following year,
9063-401: The Browns special teams and secondary before following Marty Schottenheimer for a brief tenure as Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator, and then hired by Pittsburgh. This has only intensified the rivalry. The teams have met three times in the postseason (1994, 2002, and 2021) with the Steelers winning the first two meetings, but losing the most recent in 2021. Pittsburgh's rivalry with
9234-403: The Century Division of the Eastern Conference in 1967. When the league reformed into the NFC and AFC in 1970, the Steelers were placed in the AFC Central until 2001 when they were realigned into the AFC North Division. The Steelers have used black and gold as their colors since the club's inception, the lone exception being the 1943 season when they merged with the Philadelphia Eagles and formed
9405-411: The Chicago Black Hawks 4–2. However, the Penguins went 27–34–13 and finished in fifth place in the West Division, missing the playoffs and ending with the third-worst record in the league. The team's best player proved to be longtime Cleveland Barons AHL goaltender Les Binkley , who recorded a 2.88 goals-against average and was second in the league with six shutouts. Defensive winger Ken Schinkel won
9576-612: The Detroit Red Wings in six games, finishing the playoffs with a 14–6 record. Crosby finished the playoffs with 27 points (6 goals and 21 assists in 20 games), tying Conn Smythe Trophy -winner Henrik Zetterberg (13 goals and 14 assists in 22 games) for the playoff scoring lead. In the 2008–09 season , Malkin won the Art Ross and was again a candidate for the Hart Memorial Trophy. Crosby finished third in League scoring with 33 goals and 70 assists for 103 points, despite missing five games. The Penguins' record dipped mid-season but lifted after Dan Bylsma replaced head coach Therrien. The effect
9747-403: The Hurricanes, the Penguins earned their second consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings, to whom they lost the previous year. After losing Games 1 and 2 in Detroit , like the previous years, the Penguins won Games 3 and 4 in Pittsburgh. Each team won on home ice in Games 5 and 6. In Game 7 in Detroit, Maxime Talbot scored two goals, including the game-winner, as
9918-431: The Islanders in six games, with Fleury struggling once again. The team then dispatched the Ottawa Senators in five games before being swept in the Conference Finals by the Boston Bruins, scoring just two goals in the entire four-game sweep. On June 13, 2013, Malkin signed an eight-year contract extension worth an annual average of $ 9.5 million. In the 2013–14 season , the Penguins suffered numerous injuries throughout
10089-435: The Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round before falling to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. In the 2017 season, the Steelers won the AFC North with a 13–3 mark. Their postseason was short lived with a 45–42 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite a 9–6–1 record in the 2018 season, the Steelers missed the playoffs. The Steelers went 8–8 and missed the postseason in the 2019 season. The 2020 season saw
10260-431: The NFL as the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 8, 1933. The team was owned by Art Rooney and took its original name from the baseball team of the same name , as was common practice for NFL teams at the time. To distinguish them from the baseball team, local media took to calling the football team the Rooneymen , an unofficial nickname that persisted for decades after the team had adopted its current nickname. The ownership of
10431-399: The NFL. The Steelers have also won eight AFC championships , tied with the Denver Broncos , but behind the Patriots' record 11 AFC championships. The team is tied with the Broncos, Dallas Cowboys , and San Francisco 49ers for the second-most Super Bowl appearances with eight. The Steelers, whose history may be traced to a regional pro team that was established in the early 1920s , joined
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#173280206154810602-399: The NHL as an urban renewal tool for Pittsburgh. The senator formed a group of local investors that included H. J. Heinz Company heir H. J. Heinz III , Pittsburgh Steelers ' owner Art Rooney and the Mellon family 's Richard Mellon Scaife . The projected league expansion depended on securing votes from the then-current NHL owners ; to ensure Pittsburgh would be selected as one of
10773-407: The NHL as defending Stanley Cup champions, raising their commemorative banner on October 13, 2016, in a shootout victory over Washington. The Penguins faced the Columbus Blue Jackets in the opening round of the 2017 playoffs , defeating them in five games. In the second round, they played against their divisional rival, Washington, and faced them for the second-straight year in the same round, winning
10944-425: The NHL's seventh all-time scorer (1,723), eighth in goals (690) and tenth in assists (1,033), and with the second-highest career points per game average (1.88), which is second to Wayne Gretzky 's 1.92. Despite the team's struggles, Crosby established himself as a star in the league, amassing 102 points in his debut season and finishing second to Alexander Ovechkin for the Calder Memorial Trophy awarded each year to
11115-434: The Patriots was in the 1997 playoffs before he departed to the rival New York Jets . Following the 2001 AFC title upset, the Patriots defeated the Steelers 30–14 at the start of the 2002 season. Pittsburgh did not exact revenge for the two losses until ending the Patriots' record-setting 21-game winning streak in week 6 of the 2004 NFL season . Later that season, the Steelers lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots in
11286-414: The Penguins 4–1. At the season's end, rookies Malkin and Jordan Staal were finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the Rookie of the Year, which Malkin won. On March 13, 2007, Pennsylvania's Governor Ed Rendell , Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato , Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Mario Lemieux of the Penguins ownership group announced an agreement had been reached among
11457-418: The Penguins became the first back-to-back champions in the salary cap era. Several of the team's former members have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame , including co-owner Mario Lemieux , who purchased the Penguins in 1999 and brought the club out of bankruptcy. Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr , Sidney Crosby , and Evgeni Malkin have won the Hart Memorial Trophy while playing for the franchise. Prior to
11628-428: The Penguins became the first team since the 1997–98 Detroit Red Wings to defend their title successfully and the first to do so in the salary cap era. Before the 2017–18 season , the Penguins lost longtime goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft to the Vegas Golden Knights . Nevertheless, the Penguins again qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs with the second division playoff spot, finishing
11799-423: The Penguins defeated the Rangers in a 4–1 series, the Capitals 4–2 and the Lightning 4–3 to win the Eastern Conference Championship, advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals against the San Jose Sharks . On June 12, 2016, the Penguins defeated the Sharks in a 4–2 series to win their fourth Stanley Cup title. Captain Sidney Crosby was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. The Penguins opened their 50th anniversary season in
11970-406: The Penguins defended their choice stating that the NHL Pirates also used black and gold as their team colors and that black and gold were Pittsburgh's traditional sporting colors. The NHL agreed, and Pittsburgh could use black and gold. The Penguins officially debuted the black and gold uniform in a game against the St. Louis Blues at the Civic Arena on January 30, 1980. On the ice, the Penguins began
12141-413: The Penguins had collapsed financially since the Stanley Cup-winning years of the early 1990s. Their home venue, the Civic Arena, had become the oldest arena in the NHL, and Lemieux had tried unsuccessfully to cut a deal with the city for a new facility. With Pittsburgh uninterested in building a new hockey arena for the struggling Penguins, Lemieux began looking into the possibilities of selling or relocating
12312-407: The Penguins have previously used "Vegas Gold", a color similar to metallic gold, and the Pirates' gold is a darker mustard yellow-gold, while the Steelers "gold" is more of a bright canary yellow. Black and gold are also the colors of the city's official flag . The Steelers logo was introduced in 1962 and is based on the " Steelmark ", originally designed by Pittsburgh's U.S. Steel and now owned by
12483-400: The Penguins just days after their playoff heroics. On May 15, 1970, Briere was in a car crash in his native Quebec , suffering brain trauma and slipping into a coma from which he would never recover; he died a year later. His number 21 jersey was never reissued, remaining out of circulation until it was formally retired in 2001. In the 1970–71 season , the Penguins finished five games out of
12654-518: The Penguins stunned the highly touted Washington Capitals 4–1 in the first round, only to fall to the Philadelphia Flyers 4–2 in the second round. By this time, the lofty contracts handed out during the early 1990s were catching up with the Penguins. At one point, the team owed over $ 90 million to numerous creditors, leading then-owners Howard Baldwin and Morris Belzberg (who bought the Penguins after their first Stanley Cup win) to ask
12825-555: The Penguins winning their first Stanley Cup title by defeating the Minnesota North Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals in six games, punctuated by an 8–0 victory in the deciding game, the largest margin of victory in a final Stanley Cup game in over 80 years. After the 1991 Stanley Cup Finals , the Penguins met with President George H. W. Bush , the first NHL team ever to visit the White House . The following season,
12996-423: The Penguins winning three (2008 Eastern Conference Finals, 4–1; 2009 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2; and 2018 Eastern Conference First Round, 4–2). The two teams have faced off 11 times in the playoffs, with the Penguins winning nine of the 11 matchups, their two series losses coming in the 1994 and 2018 playoffs. The Penguins defeated the Capitals en route to their five Stanley Cup victories. They have met in
13167-649: The Penguins won 2–1 to win their third Stanley Cup title. Malkin was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. During the 2009–10 season , Crosby scored 109 points (51 goals and 58 assists) in 81 games, winning the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL season's leading goalscorer. The Penguins, seeded fourth in the East, began their title defense, defeating the Ottawa Senators in six games. In
13338-498: The Penguins' creditors demanded payment of back debts, forcing the team into bankruptcy . The doors to the team's offices were padlocked, and it looked like the Penguins would fold or relocate. Around the same time, rumors began circulating that the Penguins and the California Golden Seals were to be relocated to Seattle and Denver respectively, the two cities that were to have been the sites of an expansion for
13509-483: The Penguins' disappointing playoff exit, general manager Ray Shero made changes to the team at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft for the upcoming 2012–13 season . During the lockout -shortened 2012–13 season, the Penguins again fought through serious injury. At the end of the regular season, they finished atop the Eastern Conference, matching up against the New York Islanders in round one. The Penguins defeated
13680-457: The Pens; but the team struggled to make the playoffs. The 1985–86 Pens missed the playoffs on the final day of the season by one game. In 1986–87 , they missed the playoffs by just two games and saw four teams with equal or worse records qualify. In 1987–88 , for the second time in a row, the Penguins missed the playoffs by one game. In 1989, Pittsburgh finally broke through the barrier and made
13851-609: The Philadelphia Flyers. Malkin finished the season with 106 points for second place in the league and finished as a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy . The team launched into their first extended playoff run in many years, beating Ottawa 4–0, defeating the New York Rangers 4–1 and then defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4–1 to clinch the Prince of Wales Trophy . Pittsburgh lost the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals to
14022-487: The Pittsburgh Amateur Hockey League. The latter team was founded in 1965 and plays at the same venue as the pros once did. Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Thunder. Stats reflect time with the Thunder only. Denotes player was traded to another team mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Thunder only. This American ice hockey team-related article
14193-571: The Stanley Cup semi-finals in 1975 , but were ousted from the playoffs by the New York Islanders in one of the only four best-of-seven-game series in NHL history where a team came back from being down three games to none. As the 1970s wore on, a mediocre team defense neutralized the Penguins' success beyond the regular season. Baz Bastien , a former coach and general manager of the AHL's Hornets, later became general manager. The Penguins missed
14364-485: The Steelers among Pittsburgh's three major professional sports teams , taking advantage of both its success and the Pittsburgh Pirates struggles both on and off the field. Especially notable was a 2007 survey done of the four major sports leagues' 122 teams. The Penguins surprised observers by being ranked 20th overall and third among NHL teams, while the Steelers were ranked number one and the Pirates (before
14535-414: The Steelers became the third team to win five Super Bowls, and the first sixth-seeded playoff team to reach and win the Super Bowl since the NFL expanded to a 12-team post-season tournament in 1990. He coached through the 2006 season which ended with an 8–8 record, just short of the playoffs. Overall Cowher's teams reached the playoffs 10 of 15 seasons with six AFC Championship Games, two Super Bowl berths and
14706-475: The Steelers has remained within the Rooney family since the organization's founding. Art Rooney's son, Dan Rooney , owned the team from 1988 until his death in 2017. Much control of the franchise has been given to Dan Rooney's son, Art Rooney II . The Steelers enjoy a large, widespread fanbase nicknamed Steeler Nation . They currently play their home games at Acrisure Stadium on Pittsburgh's North Side in
14877-541: The Steelers have franchise-best 11–0 start. However, the team faded at the end of the season to finish 12–4. The team lost in the Wild Card Round to the Cleveland Browns 48–37. The 2021 season saw the team go 9–7–1 and make the postseason. The Steelers lost 42–21 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card Round. Longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season. Through
15048-471: The Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive (they later won the division) with a late-season 7–3 win in snowy Cincinnati. One of the most memorable games was the 2005 AFC Wildcard playoff game , in which the Steelers, en route to a Super Bowl title , won a 31–17 come-from-behind victory after Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer was forced to leave the game with a knee injury. The injury happened when nose tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen contacted Palmer's knee during
15219-464: The Steelers regular black helmet. The uniforms were used for the Steelers' 80th anniversary season. Much like the previous alternate these jerseys were so popular that they were used up through the 2016 season. The jerseys were nicknamed the "bumblebee jerseys" due to looking like the pattern of a bumblebee. The jerseys were retired after the 2016 season. Also in 2016, the Steelers introduced its alternate black Color Rush uniforms. These were based on
15390-482: The Steelers to their second Super Bowl of this decade, and went on to win 27–23 against the Arizona Cardinals . At age 36, he was the youngest head coach to ever win the Super Bowl, and he is only the second African-American coach to ever win the Super Bowl ( Tony Dungy was the first). In their title defense, the Steelers went 9–7 and missed the postseason in the 2009 season. In the 2010 season, Tomlin led
15561-696: The Steelers traded Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. The team traded for Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears and signed Russell Wilson, who was released from the Denver Broncos. Since the NFL merger in 1970, the Pittsburgh Steelers have compiled a regular-season record of 444–282–2 (.635) and an overall record of 480–305–2 (.635) including the playoffs, reached the playoffs 30 times, won their division 22 times, played in 16 AFC championship games, and won six of eight Super Bowls. They are also
15732-572: The Wild Card Round to end the season. The following year, he led the Steelers to a 12–4 mark and a division title. With wins over the San Diego Chargers in the Divisional Round and the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship, Tomlin became the third consecutive Steelers Head Coach to go to the Super Bowl, equaling the Dallas Cowboys (Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer) in this achievement. On February 1, 2009, Tomlin led
15903-607: The arrival of Andrew McCutchen and that team's turnaround) ranked much lower on the list than its peers. The Penguins' popularity has at times rivaled that of the Steelers at the local level. Considered by some to be the best rivalry in the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers–Pittsburgh Penguins rivalry began in 1967 when the teams were introduced in the NHL's "Next Six" expansion wave. The rivalry exists both due to divisional alignment and geographic location, as both teams play in Pennsylvania . The Flyers lead
16074-464: The arrival of the Penguins, Pittsburgh had been the home of the NHL's Pittsburgh Pirates from 1925 to 1930 and of the American Hockey League 's Pittsburgh Hornets franchise from 1936 to 1967 (with a short break from 1956 to 1961). In the spring of 1965, Jack McGregor , a state senator from Kittanning, Pennsylvania , began lobbying campaign contributors and community leaders to bring an NHL franchise back to Pittsburgh. The group focused on leveraging
16245-500: The campaign. Despite the adversity, the Penguins won the realigned, eight-team Metropolitan Division , though the club struggled in the playoffs , requiring six games to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets , then losing to the New York Rangers in seven games despite leading the series 3–1 after four games. This collapse prompted Penguins ownership to fire general manager Shero, replacing him on June 6 with Jim Rutherford ,
16416-418: The city of Pittsburgh through 2040. After a mediocre start to the 2007–08 season , Crosby and starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury were both injured long-term due to high right ankle sprains. In their absence, the team flourished because of the play and leadership of Malkin. On April 2, 2008, the Penguins clinched the Atlantic Division title—their first division title in 10 years—with a 4–2 win against rivals
16587-478: The city's professional sports teams although, like the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Steelers, the shade of gold more closely resembled yellow. The change was not without controversy, as the Boston Bruins protested by claiming to own the rights to the black and gold colors. However, the Penguins cited the colors worn by the now-defunct NHL team the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1920s, as well as black and gold being
16758-414: The contract for general manager Craig Patrick , who had been the general manager since December 1989. On May 25, Ray Shero signed a five-year contract as general manager. Change came for the Penguins on October 18, 2006, when Evgeni Malkin made his NHL debut. He set the modern NHL record with a goal in each of his first six games. Malkin would record points in 16 consecutive games. The Penguins finished
16929-445: The end of the 2021 season, Tomlin's record is 162–94–2 (.632), including playoffs. He is the first Pittsburgh coach to never post a losing season. The 2013–17 seasons were noted for record performances from the " Killer B's ". This trio consisted of Antonio Brown , Ben Roethlisberger and Le'Veon Bell . Occasionally, the "Killer B's" has also included kicker Chris Boswell due to his ability to hit game-winning field goals. Prior to
17100-633: The existing "Original Six" teams hampered the Pens, along with the rest of the expansion teams. Beyond aging sniper Andy Bathgate , all-star defenseman Leo Boivin (who had begun his professional career with the Hornets) and New York Rangers ' veteran Earl Ingarfield , a cast of former minor leaguers largely manned the first Penguins' team. Several players played for the Hornets the previous season: Bathgate, wingers Val Fonteyne and Ab McDonald , and goaltenders Hank Bassen and Joe Daley . George Sullivan
17271-637: The expansion cities, McGregor enlisted Rooney to petition votes from James D. Norris , owner of the Chicago Black Hawks and his brother Bruce Norris , owner of the Detroit Red Wings . The effort was successful, and on February 8, 1966, the National Hockey League awarded an expansion team to Pittsburgh for the 1967–68 season . The Penguins paid $ 2.5 million ($ 23.8 million today) for their entry and $ 750,000 ($ 6.9 million today) more for start-up costs. The Civic Arena 's capacity
17442-564: The first overall pick for the 2004 NHL Entry Draft ( Alexander Ovechkin ), which went to the Washington Capitals. However, Ovechkin's countryman, center Evgeni Malkin , was similarly highly regarded, and Pittsburgh took him with the second overall pick. However, a transfer dispute between the NHL and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) delayed his Pittsburgh debut. By this point,
17613-648: The first time in 44 months, officially becoming the first player–owner in NHL history. Lemieux helped lead the Penguins deep into the 2001 playoffs , highlighted by an overtime victory against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 7 of the second round. Darius Kasparaitis scored the series-clinching goal to advance the Penguins to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost in five games to the New Jersey Devils. The Penguins' attendance had dwindled in
17784-462: The first to start an African-American quarterback (December 3, 1973, with Joe Gilliam ), the first team to boast of an African-American Super Bowl MVP (January 12, 1975, with Franco Harris ), the first to hire an African-American Coordinator (September 2, 1984, with Tony Dungy ), the first owner to push for passage of an "equal opportunity" mandating that at least one minority candidate is given an interview in all head coach hiring decisions throughout
17955-473: The former general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes. Rutherford's first action as general manager was to fire head coach Dan Bylsma, and on June 25, he announced that Mike Johnston was hired as Bylsma's replacement. In the 2014–15 season , the Penguins led the Metropolitan Division for the first half of the season. However, after losing players to injuries and illnesses, including the mumps ,
18126-503: The franchise was rocked when Mario Lemieux, citing ongoing health concerns and his disapproval with the way NHL hockey was being officiated, announced he would retire at the conclusion of the 1997 playoffs. Lemieux was so respected in the NHL, and his achievements over the course of his career were so great, that he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the year he retired, the three-year waiting period being waived. His departure
18297-456: The franchise, while two of the brothers – Timothy and Patrick – wanted to further pursue racetracks that they own in Florida and New York. Since 2006, many of the racetracks have added video slot machines , causing them to violate "NFL policy that prohibits involvement with racetrack and gambling interests". Upon Dan Rooney's death in 2017, he and Art Rooney II retained control of
18468-414: The front and back of the helmets. The current uniform designs were introduced in 1968 . The design consists of gold pants and either black jerseys or white jerseys, except for the 1970 and 1971 seasons when the Steelers wore white pants with their white jerseys. In 1997 , the team switched to rounded numbers on the jersey to match the number font ( Futura Condensed ) on the helmets, and a Steelers logo
18639-724: The head-to-head record with a 153–98-30 record. However, the Penguins eliminated the Flyers from the playoffs in 2008 and 2009 and were eliminated by them from the playoffs in 2012, strengthening the rivalry. Three years later, the Flyers won the sixth playoff meeting between the clubs to advance to the Conference Semi-finals. The franchises have met seven times in the playoffs, with the Flyers winning four series (1989 Patrick Division Finals, 4–3; 1997 Eastern Conference Quarter-finals, 4–1; 2000 Eastern Conference Semi-finals, 4–2; and 2012 Eastern Conference Quarter-finals, 4–2) and
18810-469: The heavily favored St. Louis Blues. Then, in the 1982 playoffs , the Penguins held a 3–1 lead late in the fifth and final game of their playoff series against the reigning champions, the New York Islanders. However, the Islanders rallied to force overtime and won the series on a goal by John Tonelli , who had tied the game before. It would be the Pens' final playoff appearance until 1989 . The team had
18981-404: The ingredients used in the steel-making process: yellow for coal, red for iron ore, and blue for scrap steel. While the formal Steelmark logo contains only the word "Steel", the team was given permission to add "ers" in 1963 after a petition to AISI. The Steelers are the only NFL team that puts its logo on only one side of the helmet (the right side). Longtime field and equipment manager Jack Hart
19152-520: The late 1980s, the Penguins finally gave Lemieux a strong supporting cast, trading for superstar defenseman Paul Coffey from the Edmonton Oilers (after the Oilers' 1987 Stanley Cup win) and bringing in young talent like scorers Kevin Stevens , Rob Brown and John Cullen from the minors. The team finally acquired a top-flight goaltender with the acquisition of Tom Barrasso from Buffalo. All this talent had an immediate impact in helping Lemieux lead
19323-425: The late 1990s. In 1998–99, the club had an average attendance of 14,825 at home games, the lowest it had been since Lemieux's rookie year. Reducing revenue on top of the previous bankruptcy necessitated salary shedding. The biggest salary move was the trading of superstar Jaromir Jagr to the Washington Capitals in the summer of 2001. The Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 12 years in 2002 , finishing in
19494-790: The league (the Rooney Rule in the early 2000s), and the first to hire a female as full-time athletic trainer ( Ariko Iso on July 24, 2002). The Steelers were a part of the NFL Eastern Division from 1933 to 1943 and were briefly in the Western Division in 1944, before returning to the Eastern Division until 1949. The team was then in the American Conference from 1950 to 1952, and the Eastern Conference from 1953 to 1966. They were then placed in
19665-625: The league's top rookie. In the Penguins' final game of the season, Crosby tallied a goal and an assist to become the top-scoring rookie in Penguin history (eclipsing Lemieux). The Penguins again posted the worst record in the Eastern Conference and the highest goals-against total in the League. They received the second overall draft pick, their fourth top-two pick in four years, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft , and selected touted two-way forward Jordan Staal . The team announced on April 20 they would not renew
19836-526: The league's worst record in both the 1982–83 and 1983–84 seasons. With the team suffering financial problems, it seemed the Penguins would either fold or relocate. Mario Lemieux , one of the most highly touted NHL draft picks in history, was due to be drafted in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft . Heading towards the end of the season ahead of the New Jersey Devils , who were placed last, the Penguins made several questionable moves that appeared to weaken
20007-412: The logo appeared on a redesigned uniform in the second season, which removed the scarf and gave the penguin a sleeker look. The circle encompassing the logo was later removed. The team's colors were originally powder blue , navy blue , and white. The powder blue was changed to royal blue in 1973 but returned in 1977. The team adopted the current black and gold color scheme in 1980 to unify the colors of
20178-511: The most conference championship games (11), and is tied with the Dallas Cowboys, the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl appearances (8). The Steelers have the best winning percentage (including every expansion team), earned the most All-Pro nominations, and have accumulated the most Super Bowl wins (6) since the modern game started in 1970. In 2017, they became the first team to reach 450 victories in
20349-582: The next round, the Penguins faced the Montreal Canadiens. The teams swapped wins in the series en route to the decisive Game 7, which the Penguins lost 5–2, ending their season and their tenure at Mellon Arena. In 2010–11 , the Penguins played their first game in the Consol Energy Center. On February 11, 2011, the Pittsburgh Penguins–New York Islanders brawl took place. A season-ending concussion suffered by Crosby and
20520-752: The nickname of the Pittsburgh Civic Arena), a logo was chosen that had a penguin in front of a triangle, which symbolized the " Golden Triangle " of downtown Pittsburgh. The Penguins' first general manager, Jack Riley , opened the first pre-season camp for the franchise in Brantford, Ontario , on September 13, 1967, playing the franchise's first exhibition match in Brantford against the Philadelphia Flyers on September 23, 1967. Restrictive rules which kept most major talent with
20691-426: The number of teams in the two conferences of the newly merged league. The Steelers also received a $ 3 million ($ 23.5 million today) relocation fee, which was a windfall for them; for years they rarely had enough to build a true contending team. The Steelers' history of bad luck changed with the hiring of coach Chuck Noll from the NFL champion Baltimore Colts for the 1969 season . Noll's most remarkable talent
20862-462: The off-ice difficulties, Pittsburgh finished with a 56–21–7 record, the franchise's best regular season ever, winning the Presidents' Trophy . After Lemieux's return, the team played better than it ever had before, winning an NHL-record 17 consecutive games. Despite all of this success, the New York Islanders eliminated them in the second round of Game 7 in overtime. The Penguins continued to be
21033-568: The official colors of the City of Pittsburgh and its namesake, and obtained permission to use the black and gold colors. The NHL's Pittsburgh Pirates used old Pittsburgh Police uniforms, beginning the black and gold color tradition in the city. Pittsburgh Steelers 1943 due to loss of players during World War II (temporary merger with Philadelphia Eagles ): 1944 due to loss of players during World War II (temporary merger with Chicago Cardinals ): The Pittsburgh Steelers are
21204-479: The oldest team never to have won a league championship, the Steelers of the post- merger (modern) era are among the most successful NFL franchises, especially during their dynasty in the 1970s. The team is tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl titles at six, and they have both played in (16 times) and hosted (11 times) more conference championship games than any other team in
21375-475: The only NFL team not to have a season with 12 or more losses since the league expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978. Since 2008, the Rooney family has brought in several investors for the team while retaining control of the team itself. This came about so that the team could comply with NFL ownership regulations. Dan Rooney , and his son, Art Rooney II , president of the franchise, wanted to stay involved with
21546-564: The parties to build the long-sought arena. The state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility, the Consol Energy Center , guaranteed that the Penguins would remain in the city of Pittsburgh. Following the announcement of the plan, the Lemieux ownership group announced they no longer had plans to sell the team. On June 8, 2007, a $ 325 million bond was issued, and the Penguins signed a 30-year lease on September 19, binding them to
21717-469: The past ten seasons, while winning their division four times. In the NFL's "modern era" (since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970) the Steelers have posted the best record in the league. The franchise has won the most regular-season games, the most playoff games (33 playoff wins; the Dallas Cowboys are second with 32), won the most divisional titles (20), has played in the most conference championship games (15), hosted
21888-509: The past, most notably the Las Vegas Raiders , Dallas Cowboys , Denver Broncos , New England Patriots , and Tennessee Titans . They also have an intrastate rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles , but under the current scheduling the teams play each other only once every four years. The Steelers and Cleveland Browns have been divisional rivals since the two cities' teams began playing against each other in 1950. After posting
22059-429: The plan, because there was a high chance of the franchise folding if Lemieux was not drafted. Other teams offered substantial trade packages for the draft choice, but the Penguins kept the pick and drafted Lemieux first overall. Lemieux paid dividends right away, scoring on his first-ever shot of his first-ever NHL shift in his first NHL game. However, the team spent four more years out of the playoffs after his arrival. In
22230-607: The players to defer their salaries to help pay the bills. When the deferred salaries finally came due, combined with other financial pressures, the Penguins were forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 1998. Lemieux then stepped in with an unusual proposal to buy the team out of bankruptcy. The Penguins owed Lemieux $ 32.5 million in deferred salary, making him the team's largest individual creditor. He proposed recovering this money by converting it into equity—enough to give him controlling interest. He also vowed to keep
22401-616: The playoffs in 1977–78 . Bastien traded prime draft picks for several players whose best years were already behind them, and the team would suffer in the early 1980s as a result. The decade closed with a playoff appearance in 1979 and a rousing opening series win over the Buffalo Sabres before a second-round sweep at the hands of the Boston Bruins . The Penguins began the 1980s by changing their team colors; in January 1980,
22572-568: The playoffs in 1994 (where they lost to the Washington Capitals in six games), the second round in 1995 (where they lost to the New Jersey Devils in five games) and the conference finals in 1996 (where they lost to the Florida Panthers in seven games). The 1997 playoffs marked a turning point, as the Penguins suffered a first-round elimination at the hands of the rival Philadelphia Flyers in five games. On April 6, 1997,
22743-426: The playoffs on the back of Lemieux leading the league in goals, assists and points. On December 31, 1988, Lemieux became the only player in history to score a goal in all five possible game situations in the same game (even strength, shorthanded, penalty shot, power play, and empty net). The Pens shocked the New York Rangers in a four-game sweep in the first round; however, the Philadelphia Flyers halted their progress in
22914-516: The playoffs with a 21–37–20 record, the fourth-worst record in the league. Pittsburgh achieved a playoff berth in 1972 , only to be swept by the Chicago Black Hawks in the first round. Except for a handful of players like Ken Schinkel, Pronovost, Syl Apps Jr. , Keith McCreary , agitator Bryan Watson and goaltender Les Binkley, talent was thin, but enough for the Penguins to reach the playoffs in both 1970 and 1972. The Penguins battled
23085-481: The postseason with a 12–4 record. They lost in overtime to the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card Round. The Steelers recorded their 400th victory in Week 8 of the 2012 season after defeating the Washington Redskins . Overall, the Steelers went 8–8 and missed the postseason in 2012. In the 2013 season, the Steelers went 8–8 and missed the postseason. In the 2014 season, the Steelers won the AFC North with
23256-548: The postseason, with the Steelers winning both times. The New England Patriots emerged as a prominent rival in league circles when the Patriots upset the Steelers in the 2001 AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field , though the two teams had met in the postseason twice before; the Patriots defeated the Steelers in 1996 28–3 while the Steelers won 7–6 in 1997 ; both times, the Patriots fielded players with Pittsburgh-area roots in Ty Law and Curtis Martin . Martin's final game with
23427-456: The regular season since the 1970 merger. The Steelers are 36–26 (.580) in the postseason, with all but one (the 1947 playoff) having been played since the merger. The franchise, along with the Rooney family have for generations been strong advocates for equality of opportunity for both minorities and women. Among these achievements of the Steelers was the first to hire an African-American assistant coach (September 29, 1957, with Lowell Perry ),
23598-528: The regular season with 100 points. They defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round in six games, but were defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals in six games. In the next season , the Penguins clinched a playoff berth, but were swept by the New York Islanders in the First Round. In the following season, which was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic , the team advanced to
23769-534: The rivalry. The Steelers and Bengals finished 2005 and 2006 with identical records (11–5 and 8–8 respectively), splitting both regular-season series, the Bengals winning the tiebreaker both years due to having a superior division record. The Steelers also are responsible for ending the Bengals' season in Cincinnati two years in a row, eliminating them from the playoffs in 2005 and taking them out of contention in 2006 . The rivalry has become more intense again since
23940-460: The season progressed, the Penguins signed new head coach (and former Penguins' player and commentator) Eddie Olczyk and opted not to include Fleury in the lineup for the bulk of the season. This culminated in the worst record in the NHL, with the team winning just 23 games. As in the 1980s, the Penguins' struggles were fortuitously concurrent with a string of NHL Entry Draft classes that would yield multiple world-class talents. The Penguins lost out on
24111-477: The season. With Malkin's Art Ross-winning performance, and Crosby's late-season return from injury, the Penguins headed into the 2012 playoffs with high hopes of making a significant Stanley Cup run. However, their cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, defeated the highly favored Penguins in six games. Malkin was later awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson award . Following
24282-465: The second round. The seven-game defeat featured Lemieux scoring five goals in the fifth game. A herniated disc in Lemieux's back cut short his 1989–90 season , although he still amassed 123 points. However, the Penguins fell out of the playoff picture. They opted to strengthen their roster and support Lemieux in the 1990 off-season. Free-agent signings ( Bryan Trottier ) and trades ( Joe Mullen , Larry Murphy , Ron Francis and Ulf Samuelsson ) played
24453-686: The station cared more about the Pittsburgh Spirit of the Major Indoor Soccer League than the Penguins. However, Lemieux's play steadily grew the fanbase in the area, which would only be reassured upon the arrival of Sidney Crosby after the team struggled both on the ice and in attendance following the Jaromir Jagr trade. Today, the Penguins are one of the NHL's most popular teams, especially among American non-Original Six franchises, and are considered second behind
24624-429: The summer) was the consensus first overall pick, with many referring to the draft lottery process as "The Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes". The Penguins selected Crosby on July 30, 2005, with the top pick, instantly rekindling interest in hockey in Pittsburgh. The Penguins began rebuilding the team under the salary cap. However, Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins' 2004 draft pick, could not report to Pittsburgh immediately because of
24795-457: The team fell to fourth in the Division. The Pens lost in five games to the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. In the off-season, Rutherford traded several players and picks to acquire star winger Phil Kessel . After acquiring Kessel, the Penguins had high expectations for the 2015–16 season. However, by December 12, 2015, the team was barely managing a winning season, posting
24966-414: The team in Pittsburgh. The NHL and the courts agreed, and Lemieux (with help from supermarket tycoon Ronald Burkle ) assumed control on September 3, 1999, saving the franchise for the second time. Lemieux again shocked the hockey world by announcing at a press conference on December 8, 2000, his intentions to return to the Penguins as an active player. On December 27, 2000, Lemieux stepped onto NHL ice for
25137-492: The team in the short term. They posted three six-game winless streaks in the last 21 games of the season and earned the right to draft Lemieux amidst protests from Devils' management. Pittsburgh head coach Lou Angotti later admitted that a conscious decision was made to finish the season as the team with the worst record, saying in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that a mid-season lunch prompted
25308-562: The team lost coach Bob Johnson to cancer , and Scotty Bowman took over as coach. Under Bowman, they swept the Chicago Blackhawks to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 1991–92 . Cancer revisited the Penguins in 1993 when Lemieux was tragically diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma . Only two months after the diagnosis, missing 24 out of 84 games, he came back to win his fourth Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion with 160 points, edging out Pat LaFontaine and Adam Oates . Despite
25479-664: The team owners were approached by then- Iowa Hawkeyes Head Coach Hayden Fry about designing his fading college team's uniforms in the image of the Steelers. Three days later, the owners sent Fry the reproduction jerseys (home and away versions) of then quarterback Terry Bradshaw . Today, the Hawkeyes still retain the 1979 Steelers uniforms as their home, and away colors. The Pittsburgh Steelers have three primary rivals, all within their division: ( Cleveland Browns , Baltimore Ravens , and Cincinnati Bengals ). They also have rivalries with other teams that arose from post-season battles in
25650-473: The team switched from wearing blue and white to their present-day scheme of black and gold to honor Pittsburgh's other sports teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as the Flag of Pittsburgh . Both the Pirates and Steelers had worn black and gold for decades, and both had enjoyed world championship seasons. The Bruins protested this color change, claiming a monopoly on black and gold, but
25821-480: The team to Kansas City, Missouri . A lockout prompted the cancellation of the 2004–05 NHL season . One of the many reasons for the lockout included disagreements on resolving the financial struggles of teams like the Penguins and the Ottawa Senators , which had filed for bankruptcy protection. During the lockout, the Penguins' players dispersed between the club's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate,
25992-545: The team to a 12–4 record and an AFC North title. The team defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round and the New York Jets in the AFC Championship. Tomlin became the only coach to reach the Super Bowl twice before the age of 40 as he took the team to Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011. However, the Steelers were defeated by the Green Bay Packers , 31–25. In the 2011 season, the Steelers made
26163-405: The team with the league-minimum 30%, the following made up the other investors at the time: Three minority investors in the Steelers have since became majority owners of other NFL teams: Through the end of the 2023 season , the Steelers have an all-time record of 707–606–22, including playoffs. In recent seasons the Steelers have generally performed well, qualifying for the playoffs six times in
26334-467: The team's nickname, sharing its nickname with the athletic department of the newly named Youngstown State University in nearby Youngstown, Ohio . (Youngstown is part of the Penguins' territorial rights to this day, though they did briefly share them with the Cleveland Barons in the mid-1970s.) Mark Peters had the winning entry (which was inspired because the team was to play in the "Igloo",
26505-516: The team's sole league honor, being named to represent the Penguins in the NHL All-Star Game . Bathgate led the team in scoring with 59 points but retired at season's end. McDonald, who led the team in goals and was second in team scoring, was also gone at season's end, traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for center Lou Angotti . The next season saw the team slip in the standings amid
26676-623: The team. The Penguins won the East Division title, extending their playoff streak to 15 seasons. This became the longest active streak in North American sports as a result of the San Antonio Spurs missing the 2020 NBA playoffs . The 2020–21 season came to an end in Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs against the New York Islanders. On November 29, 2021, Fenway Sports Group announced its intent to purchase
26847-400: The trades, and a late season playoff push, the Penguins were eliminated from playoff contention for the second consecutive year on the penultimate night of the season When the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Montreal Canadiens in overtime while the Capitals defeated the Philadelphia Flyers , clinching the final spot as the second wild card. Despite Pittsburgh's long history with hockey and
27018-471: The uniforms they wore from 1946 to 1965, but with black pants in place of either gold or white pants. In 2018, the Steelers unveiled a third uniform based on those worn from 1968 to 1997, coinciding with the Steel Curtain teams of the 1970s. It is similar to the current uniforms but without the Steelers logo on the left chest and use block lettering and numbers in place of Futura Condensed. In 1979,
27189-457: The year of the players' strike , the Steelers finished with a record of 8–7, but missed the playoffs. In 1989 , they would reach the second round of the playoffs on the strength of Merrill Hoge and Rod Woodson before narrowly missing the playoffs in each of the next two seasons, Noll's last seasons. Noll's career record with Pittsburgh was 209–156–1. In 1992, Chuck Noll retired and
27360-433: Was added to the left side of the jersey. The 2007–2011 third uniform, consisting of a black jersey with gold lettering, white pants with black and gold stripes, and a gold helmet were first used during the Steelers' 75th anniversary season in 2007 . They were meant to evoke the memory of the 1963 – 1964 era uniforms. The uniforms were so popular among fans that the Steelers' organization decided to keep them and use them as
27531-405: Was almost instantaneous, and the Penguins recovered enough to secure home-ice advantage in their first-round match up against the Philadelphia Flyers, whom the Penguins defeated in six games. It took seven games for the Penguins to win the next series against Washington, sending them to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they eliminated the Carolina Hurricanes in a four-game sweep. After defeating
27702-412: Was boosted from 10,732 to 12,500 to meet the NHL requirements for expansion. The Pens also paid an indemnification bill to settle with the Detroit Red Wings, which owned the Pittsburgh Hornets franchise. The investor group named McGregor president and chief executive officer, and he represented Pittsburgh on the NHL's Board of Governors. A contest was held where 700 of 26,000 entries picked "Penguins" as
27873-404: Was in his draft selections, taking Hall of Famers "Mean" Joe Greene in 1969 , Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount in 1970 , Jack Ham in 1971 , Franco Harris in 1972 , and finally, in 1974, pulling off the incredible feat of selecting five Hall of Famers in one draft year, Lynn Swann , Jack Lambert , John Stallworth , Donnie Shell and Mike Webster . The Pittsburgh Steelers' 1974 draft
28044-419: Was instructed to do this by Art Rooney as a test to see how the logo appeared on the gold helmets; however, its popularity led the team to leave it that way permanently. A year after introducing the logo, they switched to black helmets to make it stand out more. The Steelers, along with the New York Giants , are one of only two teams in the National Football League to have the players' uniform numbers on both
28215-411: Was marked with two milestones for the Penguins. On November 23, 2022, Evgeni Malkin played his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the second player in franchise history to play his 1,000th game in a Penguins uniform. This would be followed up only months later, when teammate Kris Letang would play his 1,000th game as well, on April 2, 2023, despite missing 18 games during the season. However, despite being in
28386-415: Was named the head coach for the club's first two seasons, and McDonald was named the team's first captain. On October 11, 1967, league president Clarence Campbell and McGregor jointly dropped the ceremonial first puck of the Penguins' opening home game against the Montreal Canadiens . On October 21, 1967, they became the first team from the expansion class to defeat an Original Six team, as they defeated
28557-421: Was set up to conduct interviews for the head coaching vacancy. On January 22, 2007, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin was announced as Cowher's successor as head coach. Tomlin is the first African-American to be named head coach of the team in its 75-year history. In his first season, he led the Steelers to a 10–6 record and AFC North title. The team fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars 31–29 in
28728-422: Was soon drawing comparisons to Phil Esposito and Bobby Clarke . Joining the team in November, he finished as the second-place rookie scorer in the NHL (behind Bobby Clarke) with 44 points (57th overall), and third on the Penguins. Briere placed second in Calder Memorial Trophy voting for Rookie of the Year honors behind Chicago goaltender Tony Esposito . Briere led Pittsburgh to its first NHL playoff berth since
28899-410: Was succeeded by Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bill Cowher , a native of the Pittsburgh suburb of Crafton . Cowher led the Steelers to the playoffs in each of his first six seasons, a feat that had been accomplished only by legendary coach Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns . In those first six seasons, Cowher coached them as deep as the AFC Championship Game three times and following
29070-413: Was the first in a series of events that would once again lead the Penguins into regular season stagnation, and to the brink of financial ruin. The Montreal Canadiens eliminated the team in the first round of the playoffs in 1998, despite being the second-seeded team in the East. The following year, their playoff run ended in the second round when they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games. In 2000,
29241-435: Was their best ever; no other team has ever drafted five future Hall of Famers in one year, and only very few (including the 1970 Steelers) have drafted two or more in one year. The players drafted in the early 1970s formed the base of an NFL dynasty, making the playoffs in eight seasons and becoming the only team in NFL history to win four Super Bowls in six years, as well as the first to win more than two. They also enjoyed
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