The Rise of the Pittsburgh Penguins 2009-2018

The perfect gift for any fan of Pittsburgh hockey! Here are details about how your beloved hockey team became the dominant NHL franchise of the 21st century.

The story of the Pittsburgh Penguins of 2009 to 2018 reads like a classic Greek tragedy, filled with gut-wrenching plot twists and turns. After rising from the ashes of the early 2000s on the wings of young stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to capture the 2009 Stanley Cup, the Penguins were hailed as hockey’s newest superpower.

However, plagued by a career-threatening concussion to Crosby and a series of ghastly playoff exits, the would-be dynasty hit the skids. Dismayed over the downward spiral, ownership cleaned house and turned to long-time Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford in an effort to restore the club’s sagging fortunes. With coach Mike Sullivan now at the helm and scorer Phil Kessel on the roster, the Pens put together a stunning resurgence, capturing back-to-back Cups in 2016 and 2017.

Rick Buker ties together a ten-year span in a fun-to read format, including an appendix with season by season stats.