9 Penguins make NHL's Top 100 Players

For the 100 years of the NHL, they announced the 100 top players. 9 have ties to the Pittsburgh Penguins

9/100. Not too shabby. #NHL100

A photo posted by Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) on Jan 27, 2017 at 8:11pm PST

While all nine were instrumental in NHL history (and a part of Pens history too), only 3 players on the list scored the majority of their points with the Penguins: Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Sidney Crosby.

And, from our guesses back in September, the official list pretty much all makes sense. All but Mark Recchi - who's 12th all-time in NHL scoring- can't crack this list, which is comical. That sucks Also a notable omission is Larry Murphy, who doesn't make the NHL's list, despite being 5th all-time among defensemen in scoring and winning 4 Stanley Cups. Both those guys are on our Top 100 players for the NHL's first 100 years, no doubt.

Also Pavel Datsyuk makes the list over Evgeni Malkin, despite Geno having 2 Art Ross scoring titles (Datsyuk: 0), Geno with 1 Hart (Datsyuk: 0), Geno with 1 Conn Smythe for playoff MVP (Datsyuk: 0) and Geno with a Ted Lindsay (Datsyuk: 0). Datsyuk with 1 abandonment on his NHL contract (Geno 0). But so it goes. But, not just to pick on Datsyuk - Malkin's outscored Patrick Kane and has a better point/game rate than Pat LaFontaine, Eric Lindros and Denis Savard (h/t Puck Daddy). In fact, Malkin's 14th all-time in points/game, to leave him off this list is really bad. Something says if Geno was born in Manitoba (like Top 100 list-maker Jonathan Toews) and not Magnitogorsk, Malkin would have made it....

Aside from those notable omissions, let's end on a positive note:

Three of the Greatest. #NHL100 pic.twitter.com/Zin5BAcok9

— NHL (@NHL) January 28, 2017

Like we said on twitter, if only you could add Gordie Howe (RIP) to that picture you've got the Mount Rushmore of NHL hockey, with Mario towering over 'em all.