Pittsburgh Penguins Explained: Traditions, Logo & History

Facts verified July 2026.

How did Mario Lemieux save the Penguins twice?

Mario Lemieux saved the Penguins twice.

First on the ice: drafted in 1984 when the franchise was struggling on and off the ice, he became a superstar who lifted the team to its first two Cups. Then in the boardroom: in 1999, with the club in bankruptcy and at risk of leaving Pittsburgh, Lemieux led an ownership group that bought the team — converting deferred salary he was owed into equity. He remains the only person to win a Stanley Cup as both a player and an owner of the same team.

How good has the Crosby-Malkin era been?

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have formed one of the greatest one-two centers in NHL history.

Since Crosby's arrival in 2005 and Malkin's in 2006, the pair have led the Penguins to three Stanley Cups (2009, 2016, 2017), including back-to-back titles — the first repeat champion in nearly two decades. Both are certain Hall of Famers, and their sustained excellence made Pittsburgh a perennial contender for over 15 years.

When did the Penguins join the NHL?

The Penguins were founded in 1967 as part of the NHL's 'Great Expansion,' which doubled the league from six teams to twelve.

The name was chosen through a fan contest, playing on the team's home at the Civic Arena, which was nicknamed 'The Igloo' for its distinctive domed roof. After decades of ups and downs, the franchise became one of the NHL's premier organizations.

Why was the Civic Arena called 'The Igloo'?

The Penguins' original home, the Civic Arena (later Mellon Arena), was nicknamed 'The Igloo' for its distinctive domed, retractable stainless-steel roof — the first of its kind on a major arena.

The nickname paired naturally with the team's Penguins identity. The team played there from 1967 until moving to PPG Paints Arena in 2010.

What was Sidney Crosby's 'Golden Goal'?

Though scored for Canada rather than the Penguins, Sidney Crosby's overtime goal to win the 2010 Winter Olympics gold medal on home soil in Vancouver is one of the most famous moments of his career.

It cemented his status as the face of hockey and remains an iconic moment for Penguins fans who watched their captain deliver on the sport's biggest international stage.

How rare were the Penguins' back-to-back Cups?

When the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, they became the first team to repeat as champions in nearly two decades, since the Red Wings in 1997–98.

In the modern salary-cap era, which is designed to promote parity, repeating is extraordinarily difficult — making the Crosby-Malkin Penguins' feat one of the signature accomplishments of their dynasty.

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