The Pittsburgh Penguins joined the NHL in 1967, the year the Original Six Era ended, and the league expanded from six to 12 teams.
In addition to the Penguins, the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, St. Louis Blues, and Oakland Seals became franchises.
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In 2024, only the Flyers, Kings, Blues, and Penguins remain in their original cities, while the North Stars moved to Dallas, TX, in 1993, and the Golden Seals folded as the Cleveland Barons in 1978.
Here’s a breakdown of how Pittsburgh has performed against their expansion siblings as five of the six original new teams are approaching their 57th seasons.
California Golden Seals – 69 games (35-16-18-0)
The Penguins had mild success against the Seals in the beginning. During the first 26 meetings, the teams combined for a 9-8-9 record in favor of Pittsburgh.
When the Seals became the Golden Seals, the Penguins began to rack up the wins, compiling an 18-8-7 record in 33 meetings.
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Interestingly, when the Golden Seals moved to Cleveland, OH, in 1976, Pittsburgh never lost to the Barons, sporting a near-perfect 8-0-2 record against their first Ohio neighbor rival.
In their only playoff meeting in 1970, the Penguins swept the Golden Seals in four straight games.
St. Louis Blues – 155 games (61-70-18-6)
Unlike other expansion teams on this list, excluding the Seals franchise, the Blues were the last team from the original expansion ones to win the Stanley Cup, achieving their first victory in 2019.
Since their inception, the Blues have been a top Western Conference team. However, they lost three consecutive Final appearances from 1967 to 1969. The Blues have never had a problem with Pittsburgh, owning a nine-game lead in their overall matchup.
Meanwhile, in three playoff series, St. Louis also holds a slight lead, 2-1. They only lost in 1975, winning the first meeting in 1970 and the last in 1981.
Dallas Stars – 154 games (73-66-12-3)
When the North Stars existed, the Penguins enjoyed traveling to Minnesota and had a winning record of 54-47-10 through the first 111 games.
In 1991, the two former expansion clubs met in the Stanley Cup Final, with Pittsburgh capturing their first championship in six games, destroying the North Stars 8-0 in the finale.
Since the franchise relocated to Texas in 1993, the Penguins have found the rivalry even more intense. The two teams have split the 43 games 19-19-2-3. So far, Pittsburgh and Dallas have yet to meet in the Final.
Los Angeles Kings – 168 games (69-77-18-4)
Unlike the Blues, who waited 52 years for a title, the Kings went 45 years before sipping for the Stanley Cup by winning in 2012 and 2014. But, just like so many other clubs on this list, the Penguins have struggled to earn victories against their California rival.
In 168 meetings, Pittsburgh continues to trail the overall matchup with a 69-77-18-4 record.
However, the Kings are the only 1967 expansion team the Penguins have yet to face in the playoffs. Both teams would need to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for that series.
Philadelphia Flyers – 311 games (116-153-30-12)
The Penguins have skated in 4,417 games, 311 of which were against the Flyers, their cross-state nemesis. Statistically, the Pennsylvania rivalry accounts for 7% of all games in club history.
Even though the Flyers are one of six teams the Penguins have defeated more than 100 times, the overall numbers do not favor the black and gold, who have compiled a 116-153-30-12 record against their divisional opponent.
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Those 153 losses are the most against any opponent in the league.
Meanwhile, these two teams have met seven times in the postseason, with the Flyers holding a 4-3 lead, although the overall win-loss totals are just 21-20.
As if anyone needed a reminder, the Penguins—Flyers Game 4 playoff contest in 2000 went five overtimes and is the longest game in modern NHL history.
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