Penguins/NHL category, Page 228
Sidney Crosby, Matt Cullen help Penguins win 7 Emmy AwardsVideo
Sidney Crosby and Matt Cullen scored big assists, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins video staff win seven Emmy Awards at the 2020 Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Awards on Saturday. The program was held virtually. Crosby and Cullen were the producers on videos that featured important moments in their careers. Crosby was honored...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Don’t be surprised if Penguins trade newly re-signed Jared McCann
Jared McCann didn’t score in his last 25 games this season. His last goal was Jan. 14, and the meter still is running. McCann was scratched for the third game of the Penguins’ four-game loss to Montreal in the Stanley Cup playoffs’ prelim round. Six million bucks doesn’t buy what...
Penguins re-sign forward Jared McCann to two-year deal
For the first two-thirds of this season, it looked like the Penguins would have to break the bank to bring back forward Jared McCann. For the last quarter of the season, it looked like they’d be ill-advised to give him minimum wage. When the dust settled, they met McCann in...
First Call: Hornqvist, Kessel, Saad all salary ‘trade bait’? Hall of Fame voter’s strong endorsement of Bill Nunn
Friday’s “First Call” gives us a ringing endorsement of Steelers scout Bill Nunn and his posthumous chances of becoming a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Another Hall of Fame honor was bestowed during “Thursday Night Football.” Maurkice Pouncey’s twin brother needs surgery. And Saquon Barkley is responding to some criticism....
Former Penguins president Jack Kelley dies
Former Penguins president Jack Kelley, who coached Boston University to two national titles and was the first coach and general manager of the New England Whalers, died Tuesday, USA Hockey announced. He was 93. Kelley was president of the Penguins from 1993-98. His grandson is Andy Saucier, the team’s video...
Former Penguins assistant coach Tony Granato elected to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
Tony Granato, who was a Penguins assistant coach for five seasons, will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. A 13-year NHL veteran, Granato was on the Penguins bench from 2009-14. He coached the team’s forwards and penalty kill and helped the team to the best winning percentage...
Did the Penguins hire assistants for Mike Sullivan? Or potential replacements?
With the Steelers underway, some have pushed Penguins talk to the back burner until free agency or when the offseason trade market truly kicks into gear. But not for those of us here at “Breakfast With Benz.” General manager Jim Rutherford got a head start, so we feel the need...
Madden Monday: Steelers opener; Penguins ‘in organic decline,’ see themselves ‘as what they were, not how they are’
The first game of the 2020 Steelers season is Monday night against the New York Giants. So Mark Madden and I start this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast with a heavy dose of football. But the Penguins conversation is intriguing as well. Those that follow the team are trying to figure...
Penguins trade Nick Bjugstad to Minnesota for draft pick
In an effort to trim their salary cap, the Penguins traded forward Nick Bjugstad to the Minnesota Wild on Friday night. They didn’t get much in return. The Penguins will receive a conditional pick in the 2021 draft in exchange for the 28-year-old Bjugstad, who will cost $4.1 million against...
Penguins name new Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach
The Penguins have promoted from within to fill the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coaching vacancy. JD Forrest, an assistant with the AHL club for the past four seasons, has been bumped up to the top job, the organization announced Friday, replacing Mike Vellucci, who was promoted to NHL assistant last week. Jason...
First Call: Kris Letang wants clarity. Giants coach wants better practices. Gerrit Cole wants better results.
Friday’s “First Call” starts with Penguins defenseman Kris Letang. He wants some clarity about his future. New York Giants coach Joe Judge wants his players more focused before Monday night’s game against the Steelers. And former Pirate pitcher Gerrit Cole wants to avoid home runs. • • • Letang update:...
FNB Corp. works with Pittsburgh Penguins as plans for new headquarters continue
In a post-covid-19 future, executives with FNB Corp. meet with clients at its 24-story headquarters Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District and walk across the street to PPG Arena, entering through the FNB Gate to seats in the FNB Club section in time for the puck drop at a Penguins game. Now...
Matt Murray to Colorado? Avalanche insider says he’s atop their ‘potential wish list’
Colorado Avalanche insider Adrian Dater seems to have a pretty good feel for Penguins fans and Pittsburgh. His parents lived in Wexford for some time. During Thursday’s podcast, Dater told me, “I learned early on, don’t troll any Pittsburgh Penguins fans about their team. Because if you do, you’ll get...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans go after JuJu and ‘Duck;’ Pens fans fret about Jim Rutherford
Normally, this time of year, Steelers fans are mad over what the team did wrong in the preseason as we get ready for NFL opening weekend. So with no preseason games, does that mean Steelers fans are any less concerned? Pfft! Not according to emails and my Twitter feed. In...
First Call: Steelers, Giants face O-line questions; Matt Murray and NHL goalie pool; Pitt star shines in NBA playoffs
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks at a shared concern for both the Steelers and the New York Giants in advance of Monday Night Football. A former Pitt basketball player is emerging in the NBA playoffs. And the NHL goalie rumor mill may have one less name in the hopper. So what...
Ex-Penguins assistant Mark Recchi not out of work long
The Devils fired former Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero in January, but the pipeline of former Penguins moving to New Jersey continues to flow. The Devils hired Mark Recchi as an assistant coach Tuesday, less than a month after he was let go from the same position with the Penguins....
Madden Monday: Whose window will stay open longer? The Steelers or Penguins?
If Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is really trying to keep his core players together, let’s look at what that means. Sidney Crosby is signed through 2025. Jake Guentzel is locked up until the end of the 2024 playoffs. But Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin both only have two years...
Penguins re-sign defenseman Juuso RiikolaVideo
The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed defenseman Juuso Riikola to a two-year contract extension with a salary cap hit of $1.15 million. Riikola, 26, was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this upcoming offseason. A native of Joensuu, Finland, the undrafted Riikola has spent the past two seasons with Penguins, primarily...
Mark Madden: Could Marc-Andre Fleury return to the Penguins?
It’s not imminent. There are lots of moving parts. Chances seem less than 50-50. But goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury could return to the Penguins. It’s possible. You may recall Allan Walsh, Fleury’s agent, recently tweeting an altered photo that showed Fleury stabbed in the back by a sword stamped “DeBoer.” As...
U mad, bro? Fans spout about Pirates failures, Steelers moves, Penguins trade talk
Steelers, Penguins and Pirates. We spin the hits here at “U mad, bro?” No one is spared in this edition. This week people spout off about Steelers personnel, Penguins trade rumors and Bucco ineptitude. We begin with William. He checks in on the woeful Pirates. “I have followed this team...
Penguins name Todd Reirden, Mike Vellucci as assistant coaches
Todd Reirden interviewed for a job with Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford before. Back in spring 2014, after Dan Bylsma was fired as head coach, the Penguins were ready to name Willie Desjardins as his successor with Reirden retaining his position as an assistant coach. Things fell through with Desjardins...
Mark Madden: Islanders’ defensive style could pose problems for Penguins, rest of NHL
There’s a lot to like about the New York Islanders. The Islanders have Philadelphia on the brink of elimination, leading the Flyers three games to two in their second-round series. Both Flyers victories came in overtime, and after the Islanders had rallied from deficits of three and two goals, respectively....
Examining Penguins trade strategy, being ‘one forward short,’ NHL goalie glut, Flyers stay alive
It’s only taken nine months. But we are finally in a position where we are on the verge of something good happening in 2020. The Philadelphia Flyers are on the cusp of being eliminated in the 2020 playoffs. It didn’t happen on the first try, though. They stayed alive with...
First Call: Jim Rutherford keeps trade talk open on Evgeni Malkin, Matt Murray. Bounce back for JuJu? Marte Par-tay in Miami.
The trade action could be swift on Penguins goalie Matt Murray, and general manager Jim Rutherford is letting speculation linger about Evgeni Malkin. That’s how we start Wednesday’s “First Call.” Meanwhile, former Pirates outfielder Starling Marte has started his new chapter in Miami with a bang. Someone is thinking JuJu...
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby undergoes wrist surgery
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby underwent arthroscopic wrist surgery on Monday. The procedure was described as arthroscopic wrist debridement surgery according to a release the team issued on Tuesday. Recovery time will be three to four weeks. NHL training camps for the 2020-21 season are aiming to open in mid-November. Which...
