‘Burgh’s Best to Wear It, No. 17: Rick Kehoe was Penguins’ points leader in pre-Mario era
The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number.
No. 17: Rick Kehoe
Much of Pittsburgh might feel as if the Penguins didn’t exist until Mario Lemieux arrived in 1984. But in the pre-Mario era — long before Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr and Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin helped earn the franchise five Stanley Cups — nobody had more points than Rick Kehoe.
A part of the organization for three decades, Kehoe’s playing days included 636 points over 10-plus seasons for the Penguins. That stood as the club record until Lemieux, Jagr, Crosby and Malkin eclipsed it, but Kehoe still ranks fifth in franchise history in points, sixth in goals and seventh in games played.
Kehoe was chosen as the best athlete to wear No. 17 in Pittsburgh via a vote by the Tribune-Review sports staff.
"When you score goals and win, it's a good day."
PREACH.
We're checking in with Penguins alumnus Rick Kehoe, who ranks fifth on the franchise all-time points list. pic.twitter.com/e6gri7zTYj
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 14, 2020
Acquired via a 1974 trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs for the a hefty price — the Penguins’ previous first-round pick (Blaine Stoughton) and an upcoming first-rounder — Kehoe became part of the core of the Penguins’ best pre-Lemieux teams. They made the playoffs seven of Kehoe’s first eight seasons in Pittsburgh.
An All-Star and Lady Byng Trophy winner during the 1980-81 season when he had a career-high 55 goals, Kehoe was a remarkably consistent goal scorer.
Aside from the 55-goal outburst, Kehoe scored between 27 and 33 goals during each of the other eight of his first nine seasons with the Penguins.
After his playing career ended in 1985, Kehoe served as a scout and/or assistant coach for the organization the next 17 years — his name is engraved on the Stanley Cup twice (1991, ‘92) — before a 160-game stint as its head coach from 2001-03.
Rick Kehoe had his moments: pic.twitter.com/6Wa2zL2hEn
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) June 20, 2014
Kehoe had some competition for the honor as Pittsburgh’s best No. 17. Most came from the Pirates.
Dock Ellis’ 869 strikeouts rank ninth all-time for the Pirates, and he started Game 1 of the 1971 World Series.
But Ellis’ claim to fame is a no-hitter he threw against the San Diego Padres on June 12, 1970. Being one of only 303 no-hitters thrown over almost 150 years of MLB is impressive. What makes Ellis’ so prominent among those 303 is it is the only one known during which the pitcher has claimed to have been under the influence of LSD.
Bob Walk won 82 games for the Pirates between 1984-93 while typically filling a back-of-the-rotation role and sometimes serving as the “long man” in the bullpen. Walk’s most shining moment was a three-hitter in a 7-1 win against the Atlanta Braves in the 1992 NLCS.
It was Walk’s third NLCS start and seventh NLCS appearance for the Pirates between 1990-92. It was also his last postseason game and remains the most recent NLCS game played in Pittsburgh. Walk has been part of the Pirates’ broadcast team since his retirement after the 1993 season.
Pirates outfielder Lee Lacy collected 546 hits and 140 steals over six seasons with the Pirates.
Pitt defensive lineman Rashad Weaver had 9½ sacks over his 2017-18 redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons.
Weaver suffered a season-ending knee injury during last year’s training camp but could return to be one of the ACC’s best defensive ends this season — if there is a season, of course.
The most notable Steelers player to wear No. 17 is Mike Wallace, a third-round pick in 2009 who had 235 catches for 4,042 yards and 32 touchdowns over four seasons in Pittsburgh.
One of the NFL’s fastest players, Wallace led the NFL in yards per reception as a rookie (19.4), bettered that number his second season (21.0) and made the Pro Bowl in Year 3.
Check out the entire ’Burgh’s Best to Wear It series here.
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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