From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In the moments after the 87th game of the 2009 NHL postseason, Penguins star Sidney Crosby, who wears No. 87, lifted the Stanley Cup in a joyous championship celebration. As team captain, Crosby's name is expected to come first in the new list of players etched onto the bottom ring of the massive trophy in September. Here's a look at each player who is eligible to have his name on the Cup:
Sidney Crosby
• Center Captain
Pegged as the next hockey megastar from the time he was a teenager, Crosby needed just four pro seasons to win a Cup at age 21, becoming the youngest captain to raise the trophy. He finished second in the regular season with 103 points and led the postseason with 15 goals, tying a league record with six game-openers. "It's everything I expected, and probably more," he said of the experience.
Sergei Gonchar
• Defenseman Alt. Captain
Out until February after preseason shoulder surgery, Gonchar returned for the tremendous stretch drive. He missed two games in the second round, then played despite a torn knee ligament and finished second among defensemen in the playoffs with 14 points. "You've seen it so many times on TV, and now it's in front of you. It's yours," Gonchar, 35, said of winning his first Cup.
Evgeni Malkin
• Center Alt. Captain
Winning the Cup in just his third NHL season, "Geno" captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, at 22 years, 10 months the third-youngest to do so. His 36 playoff points were the most since Wayne Gretzky's 40 in 1993. He became the fifth player since expansion to win the Art Ross Trophy, with 113 points, and lead the playoffs in points. "Lots of emotion," said Malkin. "We won. It's my dream."
Craig Adams
• Right winger
Acquired off waivers from Chicago in March, Adams, 32, stepped in as a fourth-line player and penalty-killer. He had not been in the playoffs since winning his first Cup with Carolina in 2006 but had three goals in the postseason for the Penguins, two in series-clinching games against Washington and Carolina.
Philippe Boucher
• Defenseman
Acquired from Dallas in November, Boucher, 36, brought experience -- including the postseason games when Gonchar was out or limited by a knee injury and the Penguins dressed seven defensemen. He had one goal in the playoffs, the winner in the series opener against Carolina. He won his first Cup.
Matt Cooke
• Left winger
In his first season with the Penguins, Cooke, 30, became a part of the Penguins' solid third line. He had seven points in the playoffs en route to his first Cup. He got under opponents' skin and finished third in the playoffs with 85 hits.
Pascal Dupuis
• Left winger/Right winger
A speedster who was deployed on different lines and was a reliable penalty-killer, Dupuis, 30, won his first Cup. "It's an old cliche, but it feels so good," said Dupuis, who was the odd man out for eight playoff games when the Penguins dressed seven defensemen, but was back for the final series.
Mark Eaton
• Defenseman
After injuries gutted his previous two seasons and forced him to miss the 2008 run to the final, Eaton, 32, a defensive defenseman, blocked 46 shots and surprised some with four goals in the 2009 postseason, including one in the comeback series clincher against Philadelphia. "Besides family stuff, it's the coolest thing that's ever happened to me," he said of his first Cup.
Ruslan Fedotenko
• Left winger
Playing with Malkin and Max Talbot in the playoffs, Fedotenko, 30, had seven goals, 14 points, tied for fourth on the team. This first-year Penguins player won the Cup for the second time after being a hero for Tampa Bay in its clinching game in 2004. "The second one is more emotional than the first one," he said.
Marc-Andre Fleury
• Goalie
Huge saves against Philadelphia's Jeff Carter in the first round, Washington's Alex Ovechkin in the second and Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom in the final seconds of the Cup clincher helped Fleury, 24, quiet some critics as he won his first Cup. He came back from giving up five goals and getting pulled in Game 5 of the final to win the next two games, allowing one goal in each. "Winning with this team is special," Fleury said.
Mathieu Garon
• Goalie
A little-used backup to Fleury, Garon, 31, won his first Cup. He appeared in just four games after being acquired from Edmonton in January but played a little more than half of Game 5 of the final when the Penguins came out flat and Fleury was pulled. Garon stopped all eight shots he faced.
Hal Gill
• Defenseman
This 6-foot-7 veteran had two playoff assists and earned his first Cup by pairing with Rob Scuderi to form an effective shutdown duo used against opponents' top lines. "It was a tough year all around, so it makes it that much more worth it," said Gill, 34.
Eric Godard
• Right winger
This enforcer in his first season with the Penguins didn't crack the lineup in the playoffs but won his first Cup. In 71 regular-season games, Godard, 29, had two goals and led the team with 171 penalty minutes.
Alex Goligoski
• Defenseman
This offensively gifted rookie played 45 games in the regular season but spent much of the second half of the season in the AHL. Goligoski, 23, returned for the postseason and appeared in two games in the second round while Gonchar was injured. This is his first Cup.
Bill Guerin
• Right winger
The Penguins obtained Guerin, 38, from the New York Islanders in March and milked every bit of experience and leadership from him. He played on the top line with Crosby, and the two became close. In the playoffs, Guerin had seven goals and was third on the team with 15 points. His reward was rejuvenation and his second Cup, after a 14-year wait.
Tyler Kennedy
• Right winger
A whirlwind of speed and grit, Kennedy, 22, was part of the Penguins' effective third line. Three of his five playoff goals were winners, including two in the opening round and one in Game 6 of the final. He won his first Cup.
Chris Kunitz
• Left winger
Acquired from Anaheim in February, Kunitz, 29, played on Crosby's line. He had nearly a point a game in the regular season after the deal and had one goal and 13 assists in the playoffs. He won his second Cup, the first coming in 2007 with Anaheim.
Kris Letang
• Defenseman
A year after he was in and out of the lineup in the playoffs, Letang, 22, was strong at both ends and on the point on the top power-play unit this time. He had four goals, two on the power play, and 13 points in the playoffs as he won his first Cup. One of his goals was an overtime winner in Game 3 against Washington.
Brooks Orpik
• Defenseman
Orpik, 28, is the longest-tenured Penguins player. He was a first-round draft pick in 2000 and waded through some tough non-playoff seasons before winning his first Cup. He was second in the 2009 playoffs, first among defensemen, with 112 hits, and second overall in blocked shots with 51.
Miroslav Satan
• Right winger
In his first season with the Penguins, Satan, 34, was exiled to the minor leagues at the trade deadline because of salary-cap issues. He returned to play in 17 postseason games, getting one goal and six assists on the way to his first Cup. "I signed with Pittsburgh to have a chance to win a Cup, and we did," he said. "It was a strange road to it, especially for me, but we still accomplished the goal.
Rob Scuderi
• Defenseman
Scuderi, 30, along with partner Gill, drew assignments against top opposing players such as Ovechkin, Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Eric Staal. Near the end of Game 6 of the final, Scuderi helped preserve the Penguins' Cup hopes by making a couple of key blocks at the goal line. The skilled penalty-killer led the playoffs with 53 blocked shots in winning his first Cup.
Jordan Staal
• Center
The youngest player in the final, Staal, 20, had two huge goals against Detroit, a tying short-handed goal in Game 4 and the opener in Game 6. He was part of a key third line, killed penalties and was on the second power-play unit. He had four goals, nine points in the playoffs and got to grab the Cup for the first time. "I couldn't get my emotions in check when I was lifting it," he said.
Petr Sykora
• Right winger
A late-season slump led to Sykora, 32, being benched for much of the playoffs. He returned for Game 6 of the final, only to have his foot broken making a big block. He won the Cup with New Jersey in 2000 but missed the on-ice celebration because of a head injury. "When I won it before, I was in the hospital and I never had a chance to grab the Cup and skate around," Sykora said. "I just can't describe the feeling this time."
Max Talbot
• Center/Right winger
Talbot, 25, played with Malkin in the playoffs. He followed a regular season of 12 goals in 75 games with a postseason of eight goals in 24 games, including the winner in the clincher against Carolina and both Penguins goals in Game 7 of the final. His loss in a fight with Philadelphia's Daniel Carcillo sparked the team's comeback, clinching win in the first round. "It was all worth it," Talbot said of his first Cup.
Sidney Crosby
• Center Captain
Pegged as the next hockey megastar from the time he was a teenager, Crosby needed just four pro seasons to win a Cup at age 21, becoming the youngest captain to raise the trophy. He finished second in the regular season with 103 points and led the postseason with 15 goals, tying a league record with six game-openers. "It's everything I expected, and probably more," he said of the experience.
Sergei Gonchar
• Defenseman Alt. Captain
Out until February after preseason shoulder surgery, Gonchar returned for the tremendous stretch drive. He missed two games in the second round, then played despite a torn knee ligament and finished second among defensemen in the playoffs with 14 points. "You've seen it so many times on TV, and now it's in front of you. It's yours," Gonchar, 35, said of winning his first Cup.
Evgeni Malkin
• Center Alt. Captain
Winning the Cup in just his third NHL season, "Geno" captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, at 22 years, 10 months the third-youngest to do so. His 36 playoff points were the most since Wayne Gretzky's 40 in 1993. He became the fifth player since expansion to win the Art Ross Trophy, with 113 points, and lead the playoffs in points. "Lots of emotion," said Malkin. "We won. It's my dream."
Craig Adams
• Right winger
Acquired off waivers from Chicago in March, Adams, 32, stepped in as a fourth-line player and penalty-killer. He had not been in the playoffs since winning his first Cup with Carolina in 2006 but had three goals in the postseason for the Penguins, two in series-clinching games against Washington and Carolina.
Philippe Boucher
• Defenseman
Acquired from Dallas in November, Boucher, 36, brought experience -- including the postseason games when Gonchar was out or limited by a knee injury and the Penguins dressed seven defensemen. He had one goal in the playoffs, the winner in the series opener against Carolina. He won his first Cup.
Matt Cooke
• Left winger
In his first season with the Penguins, Cooke, 30, became a part of the Penguins' solid third line. He had seven points in the playoffs en route to his first Cup. He got under opponents' skin and finished third in the playoffs with 85 hits.
Pascal Dupuis
• Left winger/Right winger
A speedster who was deployed on different lines and was a reliable penalty-killer, Dupuis, 30, won his first Cup. "It's an old cliche, but it feels so good," said Dupuis, who was the odd man out for eight playoff games when the Penguins dressed seven defensemen, but was back for the final series.
Mark Eaton
• Defenseman
After injuries gutted his previous two seasons and forced him to miss the 2008 run to the final, Eaton, 32, a defensive defenseman, blocked 46 shots and surprised some with four goals in the 2009 postseason, including one in the comeback series clincher against Philadelphia. "Besides family stuff, it's the coolest thing that's ever happened to me," he said of his first Cup.
Ruslan Fedotenko
• Left winger
Playing with Malkin and Max Talbot in the playoffs, Fedotenko, 30, had seven goals, 14 points, tied for fourth on the team. This first-year Penguins player won the Cup for the second time after being a hero for Tampa Bay in its clinching game in 2004. "The second one is more emotional than the first one," he said.
Marc-Andre Fleury
• Goalie
Huge saves against Philadelphia's Jeff Carter in the first round, Washington's Alex Ovechkin in the second and Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom in the final seconds of the Cup clincher helped Fleury, 24, quiet some critics as he won his first Cup. He came back from giving up five goals and getting pulled in Game 5 of the final to win the next two games, allowing one goal in each. "Winning with this team is special," Fleury said.
Mathieu Garon
• Goalie
A little-used backup to Fleury, Garon, 31, won his first Cup. He appeared in just four games after being acquired from Edmonton in January but played a little more than half of Game 5 of the final when the Penguins came out flat and Fleury was pulled. Garon stopped all eight shots he faced.
Hal Gill
• Defenseman
This 6-foot-7 veteran had two playoff assists and earned his first Cup by pairing with Rob Scuderi to form an effective shutdown duo used against opponents' top lines. "It was a tough year all around, so it makes it that much more worth it," said Gill, 34.
Eric Godard
• Right winger
This enforcer in his first season with the Penguins didn't crack the lineup in the playoffs but won his first Cup. In 71 regular-season games, Godard, 29, had two goals and led the team with 171 penalty minutes.
Alex Goligoski
• Defenseman
This offensively gifted rookie played 45 games in the regular season but spent much of the second half of the season in the AHL. Goligoski, 23, returned for the postseason and appeared in two games in the second round while Gonchar was injured. This is his first Cup.
Bill Guerin
• Right winger
The Penguins obtained Guerin, 38, from the New York Islanders in March and milked every bit of experience and leadership from him. He played on the top line with Crosby, and the two became close. In the playoffs, Guerin had seven goals and was third on the team with 15 points. His reward was rejuvenation and his second Cup, after a 14-year wait.
Tyler Kennedy
• Right winger
A whirlwind of speed and grit, Kennedy, 22, was part of the Penguins' effective third line. Three of his five playoff goals were winners, including two in the opening round and one in Game 6 of the final. He won his first Cup.
Chris Kunitz
• Left winger
Acquired from Anaheim in February, Kunitz, 29, played on Crosby's line. He had nearly a point a game in the regular season after the deal and had one goal and 13 assists in the playoffs. He won his second Cup, the first coming in 2007 with Anaheim.
Kris Letang
• Defenseman
A year after he was in and out of the lineup in the playoffs, Letang, 22, was strong at both ends and on the point on the top power-play unit this time. He had four goals, two on the power play, and 13 points in the playoffs as he won his first Cup. One of his goals was an overtime winner in Game 3 against Washington.
Brooks Orpik
• Defenseman
Orpik, 28, is the longest-tenured Penguins player. He was a first-round draft pick in 2000 and waded through some tough non-playoff seasons before winning his first Cup. He was second in the 2009 playoffs, first among defensemen, with 112 hits, and second overall in blocked shots with 51.
Miroslav Satan
• Right winger
In his first season with the Penguins, Satan, 34, was exiled to the minor leagues at the trade deadline because of salary-cap issues. He returned to play in 17 postseason games, getting one goal and six assists on the way to his first Cup. "I signed with Pittsburgh to have a chance to win a Cup, and we did," he said. "It was a strange road to it, especially for me, but we still accomplished the goal.
Rob Scuderi
• Defenseman
Scuderi, 30, along with partner Gill, drew assignments against top opposing players such as Ovechkin, Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Eric Staal. Near the end of Game 6 of the final, Scuderi helped preserve the Penguins' Cup hopes by making a couple of key blocks at the goal line. The skilled penalty-killer led the playoffs with 53 blocked shots in winning his first Cup.
Jordan Staal
• Center
The youngest player in the final, Staal, 20, had two huge goals against Detroit, a tying short-handed goal in Game 4 and the opener in Game 6. He was part of a key third line, killed penalties and was on the second power-play unit. He had four goals, nine points in the playoffs and got to grab the Cup for the first time. "I couldn't get my emotions in check when I was lifting it," he said.
Petr Sykora
• Right winger
A late-season slump led to Sykora, 32, being benched for much of the playoffs. He returned for Game 6 of the final, only to have his foot broken making a big block. He won the Cup with New Jersey in 2000 but missed the on-ice celebration because of a head injury. "When I won it before, I was in the hospital and I never had a chance to grab the Cup and skate around," Sykora said. "I just can't describe the feeling this time."
Max Talbot
• Center/Right winger
Talbot, 25, played with Malkin in the playoffs. He followed a regular season of 12 goals in 75 games with a postseason of eight goals in 24 games, including the winner in the clincher against Carolina and both Penguins goals in Game 7 of the final. His loss in a fight with Philadelphia's Daniel Carcillo sparked the team's comeback, clinching win in the first round. "It was all worth it," Talbot said of his first Cup.
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