Subj : Penguins 12 Days of Hockeymas: 3 Number One Picks
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers - Main
Date : Wed Dec 23 2020 04:40 am
The ';12 Days of Christmas'; is a classic holiday song�first published in its
current form in 1908. In a nod to the classic carol, join�The Hockey Writers�as
we count down the 12 Days of Hockeymas. Each day, we will provide you with a
piece of hockey history as we eagerly await the start of the 2020-21 NHL
season.
There have been three notable eras in the Pittsburgh Penguins history -
Pre-Lemieux, Post-Lemieux and Post-Crosby.
Of the three first-overall picks in team history, Mario Lemieux and Sidney
Crosby, have undoubtedly written the story of the Penguins. But, let';s not
forget the other top selection, Marc-Andre Fleury.
Nonetheless, Pittsburgh fans have been blessed to see such talent don the
skating penguin, and with every number one pick, there';s a story.1984 - Mario
Lemieux
The first story starts in Montreal. Not only was the 1984 NHL Draft in
Montreal, but it was also the birthplace of the top pick - a six-foot-four kid
known as Le Magnifique. As an 18-year-old in his final underage season with the
Laval Voisins, Lemieux netted 133 goals and 282 points in 70 games, which is
still a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League record. Mario Lemieux dominated his
time in the NHL. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)
Before today';s draft lottery, the No. 1 pick belonged to the team with the
worst record, which subsequently opened the door for tanking. There is still
speculation on whether the Penguins "tanked" during the 1983-84 season.
While then-General Manager Eddie Johnston has always denied tanking, then-head
coach Lou Angotti has admitted to it. TSN also made a documentary title
"Playing To Lose," which documents the season leading up to the 1984 draft.
In the days leading up to the draft, Pittsburgh failed to negotiate a deal with
Lemieux, which created tension between the two parties, so much so that Super
Mario refused to put on the Penguins jersey after his name was called and he
didn';t shake Johnston';s hand.
Eventually, Lemieux and the Pens agreed to a deal and, as they say, the rest is
history.2003 - Marc-Andre Fleury
In the early 2000s, the Penguins began a rebuild after Jaromir Jagr was traded
to the Washington Capitals and Lemieux prepared to retire for the second and
final time.
After finishing with a 27-44-6 record during the 2002-03 season, the Penguins
landed the third-overall pick in the draft. The general manager at the time,
Craig Patrick, completed a trade with the Florida Panthers to send Mikael
Samuelsson, the No. 3 pick and a third-round pick in exchange for the No. 1
pick and a third-round selection.Marc-Andre Fleury (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)
Pittsburgh took the slender six-foot-two Fleury, making him the third goalie in
NHL history to selected first overall. He eclipsed 375 wins in his time with
Pittsburgh which included three Stanley Cups and a Penguins'; franchise record
for shutouts (44).
"The Flower" was selected in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft before leading the
newly-formed Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season
with the team. 2005 - Sidney Crosby
The Penguins'; rebuild continued after they selected Fleury in 2003, followed
by Evgeni Malkin second overall in 2004. However, the NHL draft format changed
following the 2004-05 lockout. Accordingly, the 2005 NHL Draft order was
determined by a weighted lottery and the Penguins had to rely on luck to nab
the would-be top pick, Sidney Crosby.Sidney Crosby #87 of the Rimouski Oceanic
skates during the 2005 Mastercard Memorial Cup Tournament on May 22-29, 2005 in
London, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
As legend has it, Patrick carried a four-leaf clover in his pocket on the day
of the lottery, and the Penguins drew the winning ball to land the most
highly-touted prospect since Lemieux. The following season, Pittsburgh missed
the playoffs, but their rebuild proved successful as the team has not missed
the playoffs since.
The Penguins haven';t had a top-five selection since 2006 when they took Jordan
Staal, but the recent picks, including a highly-touted Samuel Poulin, have
fans hoping they can lead the team back to the Stanley Cup a few more times
before the next rebuild.
Stay tuned to The Hockey Writers as the 12 Days of Hockeymas continues with
the Penguins' two retired numbers.
The post Penguins 12 Days of Hockeymas: 3 Number One Picks appeared first on
The Hockey Writers.
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