According to player data from NHL.com, only eight players born in Pennsylvania have dressed for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Interestingly, out of the eight, it’s an even split between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, so where do the other players come from?
Ryan Malone (Pittsburgh, PA)
Initially drafted by his hometown Penguins in the fourth round (115th overall) of the 1999 Draft, Ryan Malone would debut in 2003-04 and earn All-Rooke honors at 24. He was a member of the team that lost in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final, scoring 16 points in 20 games.
Eventually, Pittsburgh traded him to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he would finish his NHL career with the New York Rangers in 2014-15. During Malone’s stint with the Penguins, he scored 87 goals and 169 points in 299 games.
Sam Lafferty (Hollidaysburg, PA)
Sam Lafferty recently played with the Vancouver Canucks and is now a member of the Buffalo Sabres, but was originally a Penguins draft pick in the fourth round (113th overall) in 2014. Like Malone, he made his NHL debut at 24 and collected 13 points in 50 games.
His tenure with Pittsburgh was short-lived. He played just 94 games before he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Alexander Nylander. Since then, Lafferty has been traded three more times and has also played with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Overall, he has 83 points in 289 games.
Jay Caufield (Philadelphia, PA)
Jay Caufield was an undrafted right winger from Philadelphia who played for the 1992 Penguins, who won the Stanley Cup. Initially signed by the New York Rangers in 1985, he played 13 games with the club before moving to the Minnesota North Stars in a trade in 1987.
In 1988, Pittsburgh claimed Caufield in the waiver draft. Over the next five seasons, he play 194 games with the Penguins, scoring 10 points. During his time in the NHL, he also skated in the AHL and IHL.
Eric Tangradi (Philadelphia, PA)
Eric Tangradi played 150 games in the NHL after the Anaheim Ducks drafted him in the third round (42nd overall) in 2007. Interestingly, he never dressed for the organization, getting traded with Chris Kunitz for Ryan Whitney in 2009.
Over three and half seasons, Tangradi played 45 games and scored five points with the Penguins before another trade sent him to the Winnipeg Jets. His most productive seasons came with the Jets, but he also skated in Montreal, Detroit, and New Jersey.
Bill Thomas (Pittsburgh, PA)
Bill Thomas had a brief NHL career, signing with the Phoenix Coyotes as a free agent in 2006. He skated 40 games in the desert before coming home to Pittsburgh in 2008, although he only played 16 games with the Penguins.
After a year outside the NHL, Thomas returned to the Florida Panthers and finished his career with the team in 2011-12. He collected 28 points in 87 games.
Nate Guenin (Alquippa, PA)
The Rangers drafted Nate Guenin in the fourth round (127th overall) in 2002. He never played on Broadway and signed with the Flyers as a free agent in 2006. After 12 games over three seasons, he moved across the state to Pittsburgh, where he appeared in two games in 2009-10.
Guenin then made stops in Columbus and Anaheim before becoming an NHL regular with the Colorado Avalanche in 2013-14. Over the next three seasons, he played in 173 games and collected 24 points. After nine years, 205 games, and 28 points, Guenin departed the NHL in 2016.
Dylan Reese (Pittsburgh, PA)
Dylan Reese was another Rangers fourth-round pick (209th overall) in 2003 who ended up never skating with the club. Instead, he made his NHL debut with the Islanders and played 74 games over three seasons.
As a free agent in 2012, Reese relocated to Pittsburgh but appeared in only three games. He finished his NHL career with the Coyotes in 2014-15, dressing in one game.
Honorable Mention
According to the NHL, Jamie Leach was born in Philadelphia, PA. However, his other online player profiles list him as being from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. His father is Flyers legend Reggie Leach, who won two Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975 while maintaining the NHL record for most postseason goals in a single playoff run.
Jaime was a third-round pick (47th overall) in the 1987 Draft. He debuted in 1989 and didn’t skate in enough games to get his name on the Stanley Cup in 1991. But, with 38 games in 1992, he joined his father on hockey’s Holy Grail.
Of the five years he spent in the NHL, Leach played three and a half seasons with Pittsburgh, scoring 14 points in 60 games. He also dressed with the Hartford Whalers and Florida Panthers.
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