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 continue the list by naming the best #14 in Penguins’ history.
Even though 25 players in team history have worn #14 at some point, there was really only one answer for this one, and he was a player who helped the Penguins win three Stanley Cup Championships – one of Sidney Crosby’s best wingers and playoff double-overtime hero, Chris Kunitz.
© Charles LeClaire – USA TODAY Sports
Kunitz and forward Eric Tangradi were traded by the Anaheim Ducks to the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 26, 2009, in exchange for defenseman Ryan Whitney. Kunitz, already a Stanley Cup Champion in 2007 with the Ducks, made an immediate impact, registering 7 goals and 18 points in 20 games – as well as 14 playoff points – to aid the Penguins in the quest for their third Stanley Cup that season.
He became a mainstay in the Penguins’ top-six, spending much of his time alongside Crosby. Over the course of his nine-year Penguins’ career, he registered 169 goals and 388 points in 569 games, and he played alongside Crosby at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
Kunitz wasn’t just known for his offensive upside, however. He was also known for his physicality, something he never shied away from:
But Kunitz’s signature moment – one of the most unforgettable moments in Pittsburgh sports history – came in double-overtime in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Ottawa Senators in 2017.
And the great Mike “Doc” Emrick’s call on the goal is something that anyone in Pittsburgh can visualize instantaneously:
It’s Schultz working it back in deep
Fresh from the bench it’s Crosby
Crosby on, Kunitz a shot,
HE SCOOOOOOOOORES
PENGUINS WIN IT
AND THEY GO TO THE FINAL https://t.co/ZQw9ijo0BG— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) June 4, 2024
After suiting up for the Penguins, Kunitz went on to play two more seasons in the NHL, one with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and one with the Chicago Blackhawks. He finished his career with 268 goals and 619 points in 1,022 games played.
But, most importantly, he was a four-time Stanley Cup Champion, and he’ll forever be a cult hero in Pittsburgh.
Honorable Mentions: Wayne Bianchin, Doug Shedden, Stu Barnes
