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 #9 in Penguins’ history.
The first #9 in team history was Andy Bathgate back in 1968, who was a superstar on an original-six New York Rangers team before making stops in Toronto, Detroit, and finally, in Pittsburgh for the final seasons of his NHL career. But given that the all-time great – who registered 349 goals and 973 points in his Hall-of-Fame career – played in Pittsburgh well past his prime and at the end of his career, he wasn’t necessarily the best #9 for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
That title goes to Sidney Crosby-era fan favorite, Pascal Dupuis, who played the best stretch of his career with the Penguins.
© Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports
Dupuis was a mainstay in the Penguins’ lineup from the time he was traded to the Penguins in 2008 – as part of the deal that brought Marian Hossa to Pittsburgh – all the way to his final NHL game on December 6, 2015. Although he didn’t produce in the 2009 playoffs en route to the Penguins’ third Stanley Cup Championship, he was a menace on the penalty kill and scored some memorable playoff goals in the succeeding years – including the overtime game-winner in the 2010 playoffs to send the Penguins to the second round:
Dupuis spent a significant amount of time playing with Crosby and Chris Kunitz as the third cog on a dominant line, but he fit up and down the lineup and was a strong two-way forward with speed. Dupuis finished his Penguins career with 109 goals and 247 points over parts of nine seasons, and he was also beloved by Penguins’ fans and media for his charming personality – most notably the fun “rivalry” he had with Sportsnet Pittsburgh reporter Dan Potash over the years:
Unfortunately, Dupuis had to end his career prematurely. A few days following his final NHL game, he announced his retirement from the game of hockey due to a blood clotting condition. He finished his career with 190 goals and 409 points in 871 career games, in addition to 19 goals and 44 points in 97 playoff games.
Honorable Mentions: Andy Bathgate, Mark Johnson, Ron Flockhart, Tony Tanti
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