The Pittsburgh Penguins’ organizational history has a plethora of great players, and we’ve decided to go through the best Penguins’ players to wear each jersey number. Today, we’re starting right at the beginning with #1.
There are 22 players in team history that have worn #1, with most of them being goaltenders – including the likes of Brent Johnson and his father, Bob, Wendell Young, Peteris Skudra, Casey DeSmith, and former Penguins GM Jim Rutherford.
But this one goes to “The Moose,” former Penguins goaltender Johan Hedberg.
Hedberg played for the Penguins for parts of three seasons from 2001-03. During that time, he posted a .901 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.82 goals-against average (GAA). As a rookie, he took the reins of the starting position and manned the net for the Penguins in their run to the Eastern Conference Final. He posted a .911 SV% and a 2.30 GAA in the playoffs that season, his only postseason appearance in a Penguins’ uniform.
He had many memorable saves after leaving Pittsburgh as well. But during one of his last career stops in Pittsburgh in 2010, he had a pretty memorable shift against the Penguins, including a great save on Evgeni Malkin:
Hedberg was traded to the Penguins while playing for the San Jose Sharks AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, on March 12, 2001. He didn’t have time to have another helmet made for him before making his Penguins debut four days later, and he earned his nickname “The Moose” after sporting his iconic Manitoba Moose helmet that was blue with large moose antlers. Penguins fans in what was then Mellon Arena were often heard chanting “Mooooooose!” after a big save.
© Doug Pensinger – ALLSPORT
And, never to be forgotten was the “Moose Sundae” served at Kings, a Pittsburgh-based restaurant chain, during his tenure there:
Hedberg played 12 NHL seasons from 2000-2013 between the Penguins, the Vancouver Canucks, the Dallas Stars, the Atlanta Thrashers, and the New Jersey Devils. He finished his career with 161 NHL wins, a .282 GAA, and a .902 SV%.
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