Mario Lemieux was back at center ice Saturday, drawing a full-throated ovation at PPG Paints Arena before the Pittsburgh Penguins’ home opener against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Hall of Fame forward took part in the pregame celebration marking Pittsburgh’s 60th anniversary season. Lemieux stopped along the Penguins bench for fist bumps before heading to the red line for the ceremonial faceoff.
Sidney Crosby represented Pittsburgh opposite Montreal captain Nick Suzuki. They were joined by Doug McGregor, whose father Jack McGregor was the club’s first owner when the Penguins entered the NHL in 1967, and Penguins chairman and governor Jeff Hoffman.
After the horn
The Canadiens were fitting opposition for the anniversary night. Montreal was Pittsburgh’s opponent for the Penguins’ first home game six decades ago, when the new franchise opened its doors in 1967.
That original game puck returned to the rink for Saturday’s ceremony, connecting the opening chapter of the club’s history to its present-day core.
Since then, the Penguins have won five Stanley Cups. Their championship years were 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016 and 2017, with consecutive titles in both the early-1990s Lemieux era and the Crosby-led run of 2016-17.
