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 #43 in Penguins’ history.
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Seven players have worn #43 for the Penguins. Jeff Daniels was the first to wear it in 1992-93, and it wasn’t worn again until 2003-06 by Tomas Surovy. Jansen Harkins wore it most recently in 2024, and it was Danton Heinen before him.
But sandwiched between all those guys was the best #43 in franchise history, Conor Sheary.
© Charles LeClaire – Imagn Images
After captaining the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2013-14, Sheary, undrafted, was signed to a PTO contract for Penguins’ AHL affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) at the end of their season. He impressed in the postseason that year and earned a stay in the AHL the following season.
He signed an entry-level contract with the Penguins in 2015, and it was all uphill from there. Sheary was a key part of the Penguins’ 2016 Stanley Cup run that season, including a memorable overtime game-winning goal in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the San Jose Sharks.
Sheary recorded four goals and 10 points during that playoff run, sharing some time with Crosby.
But 2016-17 was his best season, when he registered 23 goals and 53 points in 61 games, largely beside Crosby yet again. He also saw some time with Guentzel as part of the “Sid and the Kids” line en route to the Penguins’ second straight Stanley Cup.
After the 2017-18 season, Sheary played parts of two seasons with the Buffalo Sabres before coming back to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline one last time in 2020. He has since played for the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Over the course of his NHL career to this point, the 32-year-old forward has registered 124 goals and 267 points in 588 games.
