I got into hockey in 1984 when Mario was drafted. I grew up in the NY area, and had Devil, Ranger, Islander and Flyer fans as friends. 1991 and 1992 were special to watch Mario hoist the Cup. Then the lean years, and now, WOW.

in 1989 I moved from New Jersey to Western PA, age 10. I hung with my allegiances to the Mets, and the Giants, and the Devils for a while but not long. The dedication of Pittsburgh fans won me over. Plus, the Pirates were good back then. :p

   As I live in Europe (Estonia) it was almost impossible for me to see any NHL game. I did watch the olympics, World championship, etc. So the first connection with NHL was a PC game EAs NHL 97. (I was 8 at that time). Played it pretty much and learned all the teams and the 1st lines of each team (because there was no line changes). As my interest rised I searched internet a little and found some nice videos about Straka and Jagr scoring. A few years later I could buy hockey trade cards and so started collecting them and so my interest growed each year. And now I play hockey myself as a goalie and I love it. And now I can see NHL games too, so I get a part of this excitement.
Why I became a Penguins fan… I liked the logo and the name and J. Jagr. I hope he comes back to Pit. When Pittsburgh was in the end of the standings few years I was a little said that they aren’t doing well, but it happens and I kept my head up. Skipping all the other points…I am just very very happy that Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup. (have been waiting for it and wanting it).

I’d probably call it 89-90; would have been 11 or 12. I was just getting into sports back then (I’m the only one in my immediate family who follows it at all) and it was time for me to pick teams. Hockey was the toughest, because I really didn’t know anything about the game (back then, nobody showed it on TV. Like, at all.) I started out with the Kings, because…well, they had Gretzky, and I’d heard of him. Anyway, I start to learn more things…like, there’s a team in Pittsburgh called the Penguins (awesome name!) and they’ve got a guy named Mario (really awesome name!) And I pretty quickly gravitated towards them. Been a fan ever since. Someday, I even hope to see them play in person.

I had gone to many baseball games with my dad over the years, but we had never gone to a hockey game. It was ’85 or ’86, I was 14 and had gotten interested in the team because of Lemieux. For the first time in my life, the Penguins actually started looking legitimate. We got tickets (limeted view) for a game toward the end of the season against the Flyers. This was during that era where the Pens had literally gone something like 7 years without beating the Flyers.

It was a great game. The Pens had the lead for most of the game. The crowd was totally energized because the game actually had playoff implications and, hey, we might actually BEAT Philly. Well, the streak didn’t end that day. Tim Kerr scored in OT for Philly. The final was 5-4 if I remember. The crowd left disappointed but still very optimistic. I think that is what made me get on board. I realized that day that I was going to care about this team for the rest of my life.

I was flipping channels during last years finals, and stopped (for some unknown reason) on game 3. I was NOT a hockey fan, never watched a game, had not idea what was going on, but was COMPLETELY fascinated by what I saw. Was it Crosby? The fast pace? The cute penguin logo? I don’t know, but I do know that I watched every second of the rest of that series, then spent the off season learning everything I could about the game. I dove in head first at the start of this season and loved every game. I picked a great time to become a Pens fan!

I’m a Devils fan that secretly began rooting for the Penguins during last year’s playoffs after the Devils crashed and burned in the first round. I kept an eye on the Pens during the regular season, so when the Devils had their obligatory first round flame-out, I decided to attach all my playoff hopes and dreams to the Penguins. Unlike Marian Hossa, it would appear that I chose well. My heart will always belong to the Devils, but the affection fostered in me for the Penguins after watching them overcome a harrowing regular season, a difficult playoff run and the long odds to win it all makes them a pretty close second. I’m almost as giddy with happiness as I would be if it had been the Devils who had won the Cup. Almost.

I have always been a fan of their sports teams. In the 70’s, a friend invited me to the house for dinner to meet Bobby Orr. He always ate at their house when he came to town. At the time I wasn’t impressed because I didn’t follow hockey but now, I ATE DINNER WITH BOBBY ORR! After Mario came I got into watching the games and following the season. My husband is a Ranger fan and we try to get to one NY/Pitt game a year, in Pittsburgh. So far Pittsburgh has won each one and he has sworn off going unless we go to the Garden. He is bitter right now, ha! My family is all over the nation and we have been chatting on line and cheering the Pens on. I have linked them up with this blog and I want to compliment you all on a classy and informative blog. I’ll be checking in. periodically until the fall when I will be here every day.

Back in the 70’s when the Penguins made the run to the Stanley Cup Quarter Finals, there was a player named George Fergunson who was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs that year to the Pens. He was my favortie Leaf and thats when I became a full time Penguins fan.

Last nights victory was so enjoyable and gratifying for us die hards you have no idea. To beat the Red Wings in their rink in a game 7….unbelievable!!!!

I think I started with the 1988-1989 season. Honestly now I’m not sure what got me into it. :/

I was 4 years old back in 1982-83 and can remember going to see the Islanders at the Igloo. There couldn’t have been more than 6000 people there, but it was fun. I also remember going to see the Oilers with Gretzky, a rare sellout, and we had seats where you could touch the roof.

My dad took me to an autograph session at a Bridgeville car dealer (not sure which one) and I won a team autographed stick, where Mike Bullard showed me how to hold it. This was the year before Mario, and there was only 50 people or so at the show.

When Mario came to town, we started with a partial season ticket plan, and headed back to the car dealer for the autograph session. With Mario in tow, there were what seemed at the time to be thousands of people… the team was on its’ way up. Those early years were rough, but that made the 89 playoff run so memorable.

The 91 and 92 Cup celebrations were so much fun, who can forget Trottier’s tarp slide at Three Rivers? I think we took for granted that another championship was soon to follow. The unknowns of bankruptcy, moving away from the area, or even if there would be a Pittsburgh Penguins made the lousy hockey hard to take, but that also makes the last 2 years all the sweeter.

Thanks to sites like this and Center Ice, it’s like I never left, and here’s to it being a lot shorter than 17 years before we celebrate again.

I was born and raised in Beaver Falls, PA.

I didn’t become a fan until I met one of my best friends in second grade. He had me over to his house a few times and his room was full of Pens gear. I asked him about it and he started having me over to watch games. The only problem was I started watching them in 93! Bad timing if I do say so myself.

I still remember those days of learning the game, watching Mario and buying Jagr brand peanut butter (seriously……he had his own peanut butter).

i was hooked on hockey after watching the intensity of the ’89 cup winning flames when i was 8yrs old. when i started to watch a little more hockey, i discovered mario lemieux. and the rest was history.

I grew up and still reside in new jersey so naturally I was a big flyers fan, actually a huge Rick Tocchet fan. I have played hockey since I was 4 or 5 always wearing number 22. I was 7 years old when they traded Tocchet to the Penguins, and naturally I followed him to the Penguins, thus starting my love for the Pittsburgh Penguins. When Pittsburgh traded Tocchet in 94’ I believe, it was already too late, I was a Pittsburgh Penguins fan, and thats what I was staying. It would be and is the greatest decision I have ever made in my life. I was 9 when I got my first Mario jersey, and have been with the team ever since. I remain the only Penguins fan in my family, but I would never change a thing, that is my team, and we are stanley cup champions once again.

i’m 18 years old, and was actually born in detroit [booo.] my family was never a red wings fan though, and we moved to pittsburgh when i was five years old. my mom was originally from pittsburgh, so she already loved the pens; my dad was from philly, so he has always had a soft spot for the flyers. but after living here for a couple years, my family became season ticket holders for the penguins. i’ve been very fortunate, growing up watching the pens & being able to go to so many games, and we have supported them when they sucked, were bankrupt, and were there for mario’s comeback. these past couple of years especially have been extremely exciting, and i am so ecstatic to have the cup here in pittsburgh! i was only a baby, and living in detroit when they won the cup in ’91 and ’92.

last night was also the night i graduated from high school, and having the pens win the stanley cup on the same night made it the best night ever & one i will always, always, always remember. [:

The first game I remember was in 1954 at Duquesne Gardens with my father, cousin and uncle. After that, when the Hornets reformed, we went to many AHL games.
Then in the Pens first year I got tickets for one of the first games. If I remember rightly, we sat in what’s now the “A” section and paid an atrocious $5.00 for a ticket! with a slight discount.
So I guess I’ve been a fan for a little while. My wife became a fan in 1970 and son in 1979.
I’ve watched a few good players over the years but to be fortunate enough to watch maybe the only 2 sets of “dual” greats on a team since the Habs of the 50s, these guys may really be the best. And who knows what the next 40 years will bring?

A guy that lived across the alley from me was a Pens fan & got me into hockey. He actually works for Maxis & does the artwork for The Sims games.

I have been a hockey fan since I was old enough to walk. Coming from Upstate NY I had a choice of teams and always went with Buffalo. That is until my college days. Going to college in Ohio I had a friend who was a hardcore Pens fan. He swore he would change me from Sabres to Pitt, but I swore it would never happen. Then last year I moved to Pittsburgh for 6 months, living next to the Mellon, and in those six months your amazing city changed me into a pens fan. I became enamored with everything Pittsburgh, and just became a fan of the city. Slowly Bills and Sabres pennants and jerseys have given way to Penguins and Steelers. Your wonderful city turned this lifelong hockey fan into a Penguins fan.

I started going to games at the Civic Arena back in the 1970’s, watching players like Jimmy Rutherford, Syl Apps, Lowell McDonald and Dave Burrows. The Penguins weren’t a great team back then, so the Arena was never crowded. My uncle knew a cop who worked the arena. He was able to get us in for free. Although I’ve lived in California for 20 years, I’ll always be black and gold.

I haven’t shaved since the end of the season…haven’t showered since Monday. Still have on my baby blue Malkin shirt I wore for game 6.

God help my co-workers.

Being a native Houstonian, all the Hockey I’ve known was the minor leagues in their various forms.

…until NHL 93 on the Sega Genesis came along.

My buddy is a New York Transplant and (of course) played as the Messier-led Rangers.

The only team to match up well against them was the Pens.

We gamed it up RELIGIOUSLY (with the offsides off because it’s all about scoring on the rush) and I couldn’t help but fall in love with Lemieux, Jagr (later all love was lost), Stevens, Barrasso, Kasparaitis and the like…

I wasn’t a fan until after the last cup was won, so I had never seen the pens lift it up in real time…until last night.

and I cried.

I haven’t commented on this in a long time, but don’t worry I am a faithful reader! Great job all season Frank and Hooks! :) I was at Game 7 last night and it was the best experience of my life! I am still in shock that I was able to see the Cup lifted in person and especially by the PENS! I was only 7 years old when the Pens won their first Cup and I didn’t really understand it, but my love of hockey and the Penguins has grown so much since then and I have my Grandmother to thank for that! She is the one who started my hockey love. We are from the Pittsburgh area and when she was younger her father would take her via street car to watch the Hornets (at one time a minor league in Pittsburgh) play at the Duquesne Gardens. She always told me stories of how there was no glass around the boards, how the old sweaters looked and how it was a tradition for her dad to buy her a bag of peanuts and a rootbeer. She truly loves this sport and the Penguins and as a result I do to. I am lucky enough to still have my Gram around and I am fortunate that I can really appreciate what I witnessed during this Cup run.

I grew up in South Florida, long before hockey was there. After moving from Miami to Palm Beach, I became friends with a kid from NY. he turned me on to hockey, so I started off in the early 80’s pulling for his team, the NY Islanders. A year or two went by and we became more competitive, and it was time to find my own team to root for. There were a few things that influenced my choice, but to make a long story short; I chose the Pens and have lived with and loved my choice of teams ever since. The good and the bad, but hey a true fan sticks with his team. WAY TO GO PENS, just wish I could enjoy the fun of another cup win with more fans. yes still in Florida and still pulling for the black and gold. You guys up in the Pitt area enjoy and have a beer for me.

I grew up idolizing Mario Lemieux so that’s the reason I’m a Pens fan. I was 13 years old when they won the Cup 17 years ago. This victory is so, SO sweet!

I moved to Pittsburgh from New Jersey in ‘91 when I was 10 yrs old. My friends had all lived there their whole lives and had been all-around Pittsburgh fans since birth. For anyone who’s never been to Pittsburgh, let me tell you that the town’s committment to it’s teams is contagious. The entire town is black and gold. If you’re a fan, you bleed black and gold. I started getting into hockey. We would sit at the lunch table and make black and gold bead earrings, necklaces, and bracelets to wear for the next game. This was the Lemeiux/Jagr era. They won the Cup 2 yrs in a row. And this was the first time I’d ever even watched hockey. I was hooked. I’ve been a fan ever since. I moved back to NJ a few years later, but I’ve still followed the Penguins every step of the way. My mom, sister, and brother still live out there, so I try to get to a home game every once in a while. Otherwise, I go to Philly and proudly wear my black and gold.

Well, I am the youngest of four kids in my family and all the way up until I was born my family had Pens season tickets, but the price of four kids does add up, so when I was born they sacrificed the season tickets for me. (Although part of me wishes I was starving and had season tickets!) But even so, my dad always made me watch hockey with him every night. I never really understood the game until I was about 10. This is right when the Pens started to lose and not be very good. I was just starting to understand all the rules and different things about the game at the WRONG time. I would get so frustrated but my dad still made me watch with him. Then he started telling me about Sidney and this guy named Evgeni Malkin. I am now in college at CMU in Pittsburgh because I did not want to leave this city and I love going down to games for student rush and I have been doing that for a few years now and it is awesome. This feeling is the greatest ever! Even better than the Steelers (and I LOOOOVE the Steelers!) Just a great time to be in Pittsburgh.

I grew up in Slippery Rock north of Pittsburgh. Family & friends were diehard Pittsburgh fans, no questions asked. I was rooting for the Pirates and Steelers before I knew what a balk or a first down was. We skated and played pickup hockey games on frozen ponds around home in the winter, which led to my love of hockey. When the news came out that the NHL was going to expand from 6 to 12 teams in 1967 and one of the new teams was going to be in Pittsburgh, it seemed only natural to cheer for the Penguins. The early teams had a mix of veterans past their prime and unknow young players. Guys like Andy Bathgate, Les Binkley, Val Fonteyne, etc. They wore the powder blue jerseys and there was not a lot of success in the first few years, but we loved them anyway. The sport was a little easier to follow because their were fewer teams and fewer players to keep track of. The future was uncertain in the early years and I am really glad to see the loyal following the team has now. I have been a Pens fan since they came to the Burgh, 42 years and counting!

Thank the writer’s strike; I began watching last year during the regular season and I just loved it the sport and the team. I went through the crushing loss last year and the roller coast season this year but I’m loyal even though I’m new. I completely believed we won because yesterday was my birthday; we just had to. And karma it’s a bitch. Thanks again Hossa! You made it all possible. I didn’t miss a game this year; had the Center Ice package and my lucky penguin all season. Now I think I have to do the same thing next year for the same results right? So the Penguins gained a new fan in Kentucky last year and I look forward to many hockey watching years but wasn’t it great to win-I have been giddy all day .

The start of my love for the Pittsburgh Penguins began at an early age. I was six years old, and when I got back from a trip to Florida my Dad bought me two PC video games: NHL 96 and NBA 96. I had already been rollerblading since age 5, yet had never had a stick in my hands. After playing both games, it was clear that the hockey game was my favorite. I became very interested in the Pens and in watching Mario Lemieux. I remember crying to my mom when I learned that Mario was retiring for the first time, yet I was so happy when he came back at the end of 2000. I remember the game to this day. He had a goal and two assists against the leafs… then beat the caps and sabres in the playoffs. I thought they would win the cup that year, but they lost to the devils in the eastern finals.

Through all of the ups and downs of the Penguins, it has been amazing to watch them win Lord Stanley’s Cup. This was a team that almost missed the playoffs, yet came through with a 4 seed and won the whole thing. It is truly remarkable.

I was channel surfing one day back in 1992 and came across a Pens game. I wasn’t into sports at all, but for some reason paused to watch. I saw Jagr score an amazing goal and thought to myself, “Wow, that was pretty cool!” So I kept watching…and I was hooked. Soon I was going to games (I have relatives that live in northeast Ohio, so I made sure I got hockey tickets for Christmas so I could go to games when I visited for holidays), obsessively watching on TV, covering my walls with posters, etc.

17 years later, I can say that the Pens and hockey have had more of an effect on my life than just about anything (except my parents, of course!). My love of hockey dictated everything from my choice of colleges (BGSU, who at the time had a great program—and hey, Coach Bylsma played there!), my collegiate extracurricular activities (I played hockey on the women’s team, coached bantam boys hockey, worked for the varsity team, and even got kicked out of my sorority because they said I spent too much time at the ice rink—HA!), and my major (sports information).

I’ve never wavered in my Penguin fandom—been there through the near bankruptcies, the threats of moving, the arena battles, the trades, the years they finished dead last, etc., etc., etc. I live across the street from a gloating RedWings fan who, four times in the past 17 years, has gotten to celebrate a Cup Championship. I can’t wait to see him and say, “So…how ’bout my Pens!?”

What does this championship mean to me? A lot. I’ve believed they were capable of this for ages—and finally getting to see them hoist that trophy was so, so sweet. It’s right up their with my wedding day as the best day of my life—though I do have to admit I didn’t cry at my wedding, but I did cry last night when that buzzer ran out and the celebration begin. :)

GO PENS!!!

It started for me in 93-94. As a kid growing up in the ‘burgh, it was hard not to love the Pens. We were out almost every day playing street or roller hockey, pretending we were Mario, Ronnie, or Jags. The loss to the Caps and the ensuing lockout were tough but we stuck around. The winning streak to start the short season and the truly amazing show Jagr and Mario put on in 95’-‘96 made it all worth it. The late ’90’s were certainly rough. I had moved to NJ so I was stuck watching the Devils win boring Cup title after boring Cup title while the Pens kept coming up short. The massive sell-off that came in the early ’00’s and the resulting bankruptcies had me questioning whether there would still be a team. That was the most painful part of all. Then – of course – Mario saved the day AGAIN and we got Fluery, Sid, Geno, and Staal. Everything since has been pure magic. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this my whole life. Its really fantastic. Go Pens!!

I was born in FL like the one of the previous posters and grew up in North Miami Beach,about my mid teens my parents moved us to a Canadian Border town called Buffalo NY and introduced me to the rest of my Hockey crazy family.It was all over for me at that point I was hooked! Moved to Pitt in 2000 and have been rooting for em since!

I am Greek and for the ones who dont know ice hockey isnt popular at all here. Greek is famous for the hot summers and the majestic islands and not for ice/snow (which dont really has). I didnt know anything about ice hockey until I started watching CNN’s daily 30 min sports show WORLD SPORT. I watched some highlights from the Finals between Rangers vs Vancouver and I though “thats a nice game”. I didnt watch hockey next year but I started to watch again in 1995. CNN had the story of the year: the return of SUPER MARIO! This was it! I stuck, I knew which team I will support and who will be my favorite player. The more I start to learn about hockey and Mario, the more I admired him. 14 years later, I have learned many, many things about Lemieux and Penguins and I hope I will be able to see them soon. If it wasnt that difficult to obtain a visa I would have been to Pittsburgh this year during the Finals! But we have a great team with such talented young players, that I am sure we will be there again! I believe Penguins have the potential to become the new dynasty. Lets hope they will. LETS GO PENS!!!

I’m 20 and have only been watching hockey for a few years now. It all started when I came down to PA to go to college at PSU (I’m from Maine). All of my friends at school were huge Pens fans and they made me sit and watch a few games with them and I’ve been hooked ever since.

I was too young to remember much from the first two Cups(I was 5 and 6 respectively), but I still got to see Mario, Jagr(still one of my favorite Pens of all time) Francis, Stevens, Wregget and company as the first things I remember. Can vaguely remember elimanating the Caps in ‘95. Went to my first game the next year, still have the ticket stub for Dec. 30, 1996 against the Caps(we won 4-2, Mario scored the empty netter). But I got hooked from there, despite the heartbreaks of the Rats against Flordia and Gary Valk. But there was also good times, Mario’s Immaculate Deflection on my 15th birthday, Kasper’s OT goal in Game 7, beating the Caps in ‘00 and ’01, shocking the Devils in ’99 and much more. But going through the dark times of the early part of this decade made last night so sweet. It was hard to be a fan in those days, but I stuck it out. It has been gratifying to see where they were in 2003-04 wondering if they were ever going to be good again to seeing them skate the Stanley Cup last night. It’s what being a fan is all about. Loved every single moment, and can’t wait to continue the journey next year. Go Pens.

I grew up in China and came to US to study. I lived in Pittsburgh for six years to study at CMU and became a Steelers fan in 2004 when Big Ben came along. I was only a casual fan of Penguins when Sid came and didn’t take advantage of the student rush program (the last opportunity for me came in April 2007 but I was about to defend my thesis that week so I didn’t go), which I regret very much today. After I graduated, I moved to New York area and found myself missing Pittsburgh so much. I think one of the reasons I love Pittsburgh is that as a foreigner, I really feel that by becoming a Pittsburgh sports fan, I get a sense of belongings — I belong to a community of people who share passion and love for Steelers, Penguins, and the city. I don’t feel isolated anymore. I would not miss any opportunity to see on TV anything related to Pittsburgh. Thanks to the local TV coverage of Pens’ divisional rivals Rangers, Devils, and Islanders, I got to see quite some Penguins games on TV. So I started following Penguins in addition to Steelers to get myself as close to Pittsburgh as I can. As I got to know more about the players, the team, and the organization, I grew to love them — their characters and their spirits. What they have been through and how they overcame adversities greatly inspired me. Steelers used to be No. 1 for me. Now I am feeling that my heart goes a little more to Pens. I know for sure that I will be a lifelong fan of Steelers and Pens, and I am very grateful that they brought so much joy to my life!

Pretty basic stuff. I was a huge Pirates and Steelers fan in the early 90’s as a junior high kid and caught a whiff of the two titles in the early 90’s. I guess I caught interest again in the Pens when Mario took over and started to make changes. I really started to watch when they made the playoffs again a few years back, and I was completely hooked by the run last season.

I have been a fan since I was 5 in 1975. I grew up in NJ. I always liked hockey, but hardly ever got to see it on TV. When I was 5, my dad let me have his ancient 13" black and white TV. Just about the only channel I could get was Channel 29 out of Philly. Back in the days of the Broad Street Bullies, alot of Flyer games were televised. And it seemed like every other game was against the Penguins. As an impressionable 5 year old, the sight of those men in black from Philly routinely pummeling the Penguins made an impression. As early as I can remember, I hated the Flyers and wanted nothing more than to see the Penguins beat them. When I found out how historically bad the Penguins were, it just made me root for them more. I’ve never been one to jump on band wagons, and always liked rooting for the underdog, so the Pens were a natural fit! Nothing like knocking off Philly on the way to the Cup! Too bad my other favorite teams are the Cubs and Seahawks…

I didn’t really pay any attention to hockey growing up in Atlanta. I know, weird right? An Atlanta native not watching hockey?

But one of the greatest sports games ever was NHL 93 for the Sega Genesis, and for reasons lost to time I fell in love with the Pens. Still didn’t do much more than keep an eye on hockey from then on until college, when Mario making his come back and the intensity of playoff hockey in the front room of the fraternity house drew me in deeper.

Fell in love with the team again as hockey grew in the ATL thanks to the Thrashers and Sid the Kid emerged, then was enthralled by last year’s run to the Cup finals. Had my concerns during the season, but watching this Cup win was wonderful. Few sports memories will top this years Pens playoff run.

Presently own only two sports jerseys: a Matt Ryan #2 and a Super Mario #66, trying to represent down south for the Pens faithful.

I’m a Pittsburgh area native, born and raised mostly in Sewickley. The above date was my first game, Pens vs North Stars, for my 14th birthday. It was a lot of fun, even if my only memory of that game was a nearby heckler who wouldn’t stop harassing Duane Rupp. “Yeah, give him the puck, it’s St. Patrick’s Day, Rupp!”

In high school for Saturday night home games a group of us would take the 16A PAT bus to 7th and Liberty, walk up to the Arena, and get a ticket to the “E” balconies for $4.50. A 10-spot would cover the game, round-trip bus fare, and a popcorn or a coke.
Those were the days…

I last saw the Pens lose 5-3 to the Avalanche on January 10 in Denver. Despite the loss, it was cool to see Staal get a shortie and I was amazed how many Pens fans were in attendance. I hope to be able to catch a game next season in the Burgh, perhaps a nostalgic return to the E balconies in Mellon Arena’s last season.

 Living in western Pa I was a huge Pirate and Steeler fan and although I liked hockey in general and followed the NHL I didnt really follow the Penguins at all.

In 1974 ,my first year in college, I had a friend who was big longtime hockey fan…he was from near Philly but hated the Flyers !!…a Gilles Meloche fan and he liked whatever team he played for which at that time was the California Seals..anyway we turn on the Penguin game and this play by play guy has us absolutely rolling with his style of announcing and the goofy sayings. I was immediately hooked on the Penguins and listening to Mike Lange.

Believe me Mr Lange was about the only thing that got me through all those really lean years when the Pens were lucky to win 20 games. Listening to the game at work the other night brought back a flood of memories and I am as happy for Mike as I am for the players and fans. Mike you are still the greatest !

I was born and raised in western Pennsylvania along the banks of the Allegheny River north of Pittsburgh. My uncle always watched Buffalo Sabres games when I was a child…so that turned me on to the NHL sometime around the mid-to-late 80’s. Since then, my allegiance has always been with the Pens, as it is with the Steelers and Pirates. It was a glorious win the other night!!!!

My brother and I along with a friend each had our first “season” tickets while we were still grade schoolers. Back when the boys wore baby blue and guys like Rupp, Pronovost, Apps and Shack played. We had the 20 Game Plan. D-7, seats 1-4 in Row B or D were ours 20 times a year. Briere was mourned, the goalies fought and sometimes didn’t even wear a mask. The California Golden Seals were a great rivalry if only due to skill level similarities. We have all stayed loyal, vocal Penguin hockey fans through Mario and Jaromir and Ronnie Francis – remember some of them carrying on when their Captain suffered a wrist injury? – right on to today when the glow only intensifies with morning’s light gleaming once again off Lord Stanley’s trophy secured in the arms of a Pittsburgh Penguin.

I hope I don’t come off sounding like a bandwagon fan, but I really became a fan only in late March. As a 17-year-old in Omaha, Nebraska with the college football season over for about 2 months, I was really bored. I hadn’t ever really followed hockey until late February, when I went to my high school’s first club hockey playoff game of the year. The club went on to lose in the semifinals, and took 3rd place. Unfortunate, but on the bright side, the sport had taken a hold of me (I am still a much bigger fan of football, but hockey has taken my second favorite sport spot, and consumes me after football is done.)

However, I had no team to follow at this point. I had a slight connection to the Blues after seeing a game last year at St. Louis and having been born just outside of St. Louis in St. Charles, but I wasn’t really interested in them. Luckily, I knew some high school friends who were just diehard fans of the Penguins. They watch every game (be it at one of their homes, Buffalo Wild Wings, a random bar, or anywhere). Wanting to be a fan of a team that my friends shared an interest in, I asked if I could join them to watch some games. I was instantly hooked, with Maxime Talbot becoming my favorite player after seeing a few games. (Which made game 7 all the more enjoyable)

Since then, I have watched every game I could (sometimes work and school would get in the way.)

I am now a true Penguins fan, for all time. The Pens are probably the only Pittsburgh team that is one of my favorites, being that I do like the Cards and the Pats in baseball and football respectively, although I don’t really follow them. So, the Penguins are my favorite professional team. However, my favorite team of all is the Nebraska Cornhuskers (college football) and I doubt that spot will be taken soon.

Still, though, hockey has captured my heart. In some ways it is more enjoyable than football (less stoppage in play, for example.), and I now love the sport, and I love the Penguins.

Hey Guys, I´m a die-hard Penguins fan from Brazil.!! The first time I heard about the Pens I was about 1992-1993 with a Sega´s video game Mario Lemieux Hockey. After that I started to read about Pens and follow the seasons on a site called Iglootalk or something that (I cant remember now) and watch some games on cable TV here in Brazil on ESPN.
Jaromir Jagr was always my favourite player and I can still remember the first live playoff game I saw, Pens x Panthers and Panthers won and went to finals that year just to lose do Avalanche.
Very glad we won this year in this historical game 7!!! Congrats to Pens players and Pens fans around the world.
And just for fun:
CHUUUUUUPAAAA MARIAN HOSSA!!!!!
(translation) SUUUUUUUCCKKKK IT MARIAN HOSSA!!!!

I became a Pens fan a couple days after the USA won their gold medal on 2/22/1980. I was 14 at the time. One of the players, Mark Johnson, my favorite, came to play with the Pens just days after. I have been a fan ever since. Other favorite players included Randy Carlyle, and now Max Talbot.

I was getting into hockey as a youngin living in Georgia. Nobody played hockey where I lived but I remember seeing the Underdogs win 2 in a row. When I moved to the Northwest all I did was play hockey all year. I liked the Canucks and the Devils more at the time but I just loved the game so much I was happy to play and watch every game possible.
It wasn’t until I was in high school and I had to do a gay ass report on “Heroes in My Life”. I stumbled through all the Biography books I could find at the school library until I came across one about Mario Lemieux. That book and my report gave me a reinvigorating love for the game I’ve been playing most of my life and for the team that introduced me to the game.
A few months later Super Mario came back into the NHL for one final go and the rest was history.
Since then I proudly sport my team colors even though I’m not a native to Pittsburgh. My first tattoo was a hockey tattoo with the Pens alternate logo as the shield of the tattoo (puck in the background with cross sticks.)
Game 7 was an amazing night and even though I live in another non-hockey town, I was amazed to go to a sports bar with hockey fans filling the place rooting for their teams. I won’t forget that night and I’m hoping this is the beginning of more visits by Lord Stanley in the Pitt.

My grandpa was a Pirates fan so I started out traveling from central PA to Pittsburgh to 3 Rivers in the mid 80’s. Started watching all of the Pittsburgh sports teams from then on.

 I was excited for the first two Cups but nothing tops this one. What a great run and what a great group of players to have accomplished this.

mario

I’ve been a Pens, Steelers, and Pirates fan since I was 5. I saw the California Golden Seals, the Cleveland Barons, and the Colorado Rockies.

When I was 7, I remember crying when I heard the Pens were declaring bankruptcy and may fold the franchise in 1975. I also cried in 1991 after the first Cup.

Pierre Larouche, Jean Pronovost, Peter Lee, George Ferguson, Ross Lonsberry, Greg Millen, Andy Brickley, I remember them all.

What this team accomplished on Friday is just the beginning.

See you on Grant St. tomorrow, boys.

I started in the late 70’s when the powerhouse line was McDonald-Apps and Pronovost. It used to be a chore moving the rabbit ears on the TV to get the few games per year on Channel 53.

From 79-83 we used to go to 30+ games per year. As others have noted, there were only 6,000 or so there and you ended up knowing everyone at the Igloo as it was mostly the same people. The highlights at that time was when the same song was played in the third period and Harry the Whale would perform a dance in the E level.

The first time you could tell Pittsburgh was ready for a winner and ready to go bonkers for a good team was likely 1982 or 1983 (I can’t remember which!). The Pens took the Islanders to seven games in the midst of their 4 year Cup run and almost stopped it. Pens won Game 6 on a wicked wrister by Rick Kehoe. Driving back to the South Hills, people were getting out of cars on the LIberty Bridge and int he Tunnel giving each other high fives inthe traffic. It was pretty nuts in terms of excitement. Pens were up by one with a few minutes left in Game 7 and ended up losing, but it was awesome anyway.

A few years later we weren’t as god (ahem) and were able to draft Mario!

I have been a Pirates/Steelers fan since I can remember,growing up in East Liverpool,Oh, in the (late) fifties. Although I knew nothing about hockey it was natural to start following the Pens when they were born in ‘67. I moved to California in ’70 but continued my allegiance to the Pittsburgh teams. In those days there weren’t many opportunities to see any of those teams on TV and never the Pens. When Mario was drafted I began seeing more highlights on ESPN and was becoming more of a fan. After the Cup years and the devastation in ‘93 I moved to a new house and purchased a satellite dish.I found many Pens games to watch thru feeds and became a true Pens hockey fan. Now DirecTV’s Center Ice provides me the ability to watch all the games.

I was born a Pittsburgh sports fan. The Steel City. Pittsburgh from 1973 until this very day. Good or bad. Win or lose. All Pittsburgh teams are number one for me. I do rather prefer the Nittany Lions over the Panthers though. Go figure. I guess I have ice in my veins. I would rather freeze in PA than bask in the sun anywhere else.

They say kids learn from their parents, but this time was the other way around. My older daughter was around 15 yrs old (now 28) and became very interested in Pens Hockey (not just good looking guys, but the entire sport – plays, rules, etc.). It was a great way to connect with a teenage girl and we both grew to be avid Pens fans together, then added my younger (by 6 years) daughter. I’ve since moved to Colorado and root from a distance, but they are still in the East and recently were on the South Side rooting and, of course, celebrating the Cup!!!! Toooo sweet. Pens hockey, Mario, the new “Boys of Winter” (really boys) are the best.

Addendum to my previous comment. I did remember going to the games at the Igloo in the early 70’s while still in college, getting almost any seat in the place without difficulty, and seeing Slap Shot Pete – the real penguin. Anyone else out there who can recall likewise?

When I was a kid, around 5 years old I think, the first book I ever checked out of the library was a sports almanac. I did not know a lot about stats so I looked up championships from the year I was born. The Steelers won the Super Bowl and the Pirates won the World Series in 1979 and around the same time my dad got me my first jersey which was a yellow Clemente jersey. So ever since then I had a little connection with Pittsburgh which increased over the years. Hockey is my favorite sport so the Penguins became my favorite team by default for being from Pittsburgh. I loved the fact (You Pittsburgh locals might want one) but I always hated Basketball (love to play but hate to watch) and Pittsburgh does not have a team. Also, all of the Pittsburgh professional teams have uniformity with their uniforms with the same black and gold jerseys. The Steelers also have that unique helmet with a blank side and their logo in the other SO WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THESE TEAMS!!! Lemieux announced he was coming out of retirement on my 21st birthday. My loyalty extends from flying home from Korea (took 7 days leave and spent $1,000 for a plane ticket) just to watch the Steelers Super Bowl in my home state which I ended up getting A single ticket to. I canceled a Caribbean vacation and spent the money on the Winter Classic. I Was at Games 2, 5 of last year’s Stanley cup and this year’s regular season game in Detroit. Had to listen and put up with a year’s worth of idiot Wed Whinny Wings fans for a year about LAST YEARS cup and then to top it off the whole Hossa thing. Oh how vengeance is sweet!!!!! And I will be there tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the Cup guys!!! For all of you who read this thanks!! Sorry it was so long but I just love the town I’ve visited 7-8 times. See you all tomorrow and Go Pittsburgh!!!!!!!!!!!

Grew up in the Midwest, and started pulling for the Pens in the mid 80s when I first started watching Playoff Hockey on ESPN. I liked the Pens uniforms, logo and their offensive style of play. Unfortunately they weren’t too good until about ‘89, so I saw very little of their play. Actually, I’m ashamed to admit, I was originally a Flyers fan…Why? They were fighting the Oilers juggernaut & I was cheering for the underdog. It took me a move to LA, going to Kings games (vs. Philly) as well as watching Hextall’s actions to see they were nothing but a bunch of thug punks. Oh well they haven’t done jack in a long time. HAHA. As for the Stanley Cup titles, Friday’s game was the first time I actually saw the Pens hoist the Cup, I missed the wins over Minnesota and Chicago largely due to the cable coverage (back then the NHL was farting around with Sports Channel, more obscure than Versus by far). Thank goodness the Pens were able to pull it out and my diligence watching the past couple seasons the entire way was rewarded! WAY TO GO PENS, do it again next year!

I became a Penguins fan in 1979. I had cheered on the Steelers to Superbowl victory – I was there at the twi-night double header the night the Pirates clinched over the Expos, and thought, why not 3?

I made it a habit to listen to KDKA, and started tuning in to Penguins hockey games, and that habit never ended. I recall listening to Rick Kehoe as a player and remember losing the first round to Boston in 1980. But we made the playoffs and I was hooked.

Many, many years later, when I left the area and moved to Oklahoma, I managed to find ways to get the games over the internet. I laugh at all the accusations of “bandwagon fans” being tossed around the boards. I’ve been loyal to this team a very long time and am proud of what they have accomplished. The Pens have a strong following of displaced Pennsylvanians.

awesome idea for a post…
born in calgary, my dad always watched hocky and i got drawn into it
and as a little kid that penguins logo mustve drawn me in
a couple years after that lemieux won the cup
and i was only 11 yrs old but i still remember that awesome feeling
then in ’92 they did it again and if i remember correctly a korean guy scored a goal in that last game in ’92 and i was like wooow an asian in hockey haha
stuck with em thru the bad (ugh…2002-2003 and on?) and good…
now some 17 years later i finally get to see them hoist the cup again
AWESOME.

I used to go to games with youth groups and the occasional Pens-Rangers game with my old man going back to the late 70s/early 80s (thankfully he never pushed his native NYC teams on me). Like most Pittsburghers my age (late 30s), I really got interested when Lemieux was drafted. By the mid 80s, keep in mind that most Pittsburgh sports fans had watched the Steelers run into a patch of mediocrity and pre-Leyland the Pirates had one of their worst runs in recent history (anyone remember Sixto Lezcano, George Hendrix and Doug Frobel?).

Mario was the biggest sports figure and really inspired a lot of interest in the Pens from impressionable young Pittsburgh sports fans. That’s one reason I’m so excited for the current squad and its young stars. It’s like they’re carrying the torch for an entire generation of young sports fans in Pittsburgh. I’ve always felt a little privledged to grow up in the 70s and remember most of the Superbowls and the ‘79 Pirates. Other than the Steelers recent success and the Pens Cup, the early 90s Pens were the only other top dog moment in Pittsburgh sports. There are lots of other great memories, but this year has been incredible. [In addition to the Superbowl win, let’s not forgot record setting season for one of the all-time great Pitt hoops squads too.]

It was the Stanley Cup finals 1991 vs. the North Stars. I believe it was on ESPN??, when I caught the final game and the celebration. I was born in NY – bronx. Lifetime Yankees fan (I hear the booing) but never into hockey. I had relatives into the Islanders…but still was not interested. I watched the victory of the Pens, the celebration, handshakes and the Cup. I thought it was the coolest victory celebration of any sport, and decided that will be my team. Yes, I was a 1991 bandwagoner.

Fast forward to 2002 when I decided to make Pittsburgh my home. Still followed the team in those dry years and earned my right as a non-bandwagoner fan. Got my season tickets rather easily in the year before the Crosby era and have not looked back since. Waiting for the home opener this year to see the banner raise will be a beautiful site…and then next year in the new arena.

My dad is from pittsburgh and me being almost 26 have to thank the mighty ducks movies for introducing to the sport of hockey and knowing of the penguins first cup win in 91, put 2 and 2 together. I was 8 I think my little bro being 6 and since my dad liked the penguins we liked the penguins. We grew up watching mario jagr francis stevens barrasso wregget coffey mullen. All of the greats that played with the team. My brothers player was lemieux and mine was jagr. I grew up in florida moved to cleveland when i was 13. We didnt have any hockey at all near us at that time. So we started roller hockey and never turned back. We both grew up playing and watching hockey and still loved our pens through thick and thin. My friends here bitch at me and say your not from pittsburgh you live in cleveland so you cant like the steelers or penguins why dont you like any florida teams. Its not where im from or where I live its what I was brought up on and Its staying that way till I DIE…. GO PENS GO STEELERS (im not a big baseball fan)

I grew up being a Steelers and Pirates fan. Hockey was unheard of in the south, so I didn’t get into Hockey until the late 80’s.

As a natural progression I chose to follow the Penguins because of the other teams.
Fortunately for me it was the Lemieux years.
I became a fan fast and still to this day consider Lemieux to be one of my heroes.

And hockey has pretty much replaced all other sports for me except for football.