Pittsburgh Penguins Chapter Eternal

FAST FACTS

• Michel Briere was 21 when he died as a result of a brain injury suffered in an automobile accident.

Briere and Mario Lemieux are the only two players in Penguins’ history to have their numbers retired. Briere’s number 21 was officially retired on January 5, 2001

Keith McCreary was the only other player to wear #21.
The Penguins wore a simple black armband that was screened on the left sleeve as a memorial to General Manager Baz Bastien who died in a car accident on March 15, 1983.
The team wore the armband for the remaining three home games of the 1982-83 season.

FORMER COACHES

Bob Johnson, coach of the Penguins in 1990-91 and led the team it’s first Stanley Cup Championship.
Born on March 4, 1931 and died from brain cancer on November 26, 1991.

Marc Boileau, head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1973 to 1976. Born September 3, 1932 and died December 27, 2000.

Herb Books – Best known as the head coach of the “Miracle” 1980 USA Mens Hockey Team, Brooks served as Director of Player Development with the Penguins, scout, and later head coach from December 9, 1999 to May 9, 2000. Brooks died in an auto accident on August 11, 2003.

Ivan Hlinka, born January 26, 1950 – died in an auto accident on August 16, 2004. Coached the Pens in 2000-01.

Jimmy Roberts – born April 9, 1940 – died on October 23, 2015. Roberts served as an assistant with the Penguins for three seasons under head coach Bob Berry from 1984 through 1987.

It’s a Great Day for Hockey

“BADGER” BOB JOHNSON, Head coach of the Pens, in 1990-91, and led Pittsburgh to the first Stanley Cup win in franchise history

Video above from Bob Johnson’s memorial tribute, the voice is of public address announcer John Barbero.

A list of players, managers, coaches and members of the Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Fame that have passed away:

PLAYER	SEASONS	GAMES	BORN	DIED
Michel Briere	1969-70	76	10/21/1949	4/13/1971
Tim Horton*	1971-72	44	1/12/1930	2/21/1974
Dunc McCallum	1968-71	185	3/29/1940	3/31/1983
Brian Spencer	1977-79	86	9/3/1949	6/3/1988
Bob Woytowich	1968-72	248	8/18/1941	7/30/1988
Billy Speer	1967-69	102	3/20/1942	2/12/1989
Bob Dillabough*	1967-69	61	4/24/1941	3/27/1997
Mel Pearson	1967-68	2	4/29/1938	1/9/1999
Roy Edwards*	1971-72	1	3/12/1937	8/16/1999
Billy Harris*	1968-69	54	7/29/1935	9/20/2001
Bryan Fogarty	1992-93	12	6/11/1969	3/6/2002
Al Smith	1969-71	92	11/10/1945	8/7/2002
Steve Durbano	1973-76	66	12/12/1951	11/10/2002
Keith McCreary	1967-72	362	6/19/1940	12/9/2003
Bill Hicke	1971-72	12	3/31/1938	7/18/2005
Michel Plasse	1974-76	75	6/1/1948	12/30/2006
Ted Lanyon	1967-68	5	6/11/1939	5/21/2008
Hank Bassen*	1967-68	25	12/6/1932	5/29/2009
Pete Laframboise	1974-75	35	1/18/1950	3/19/2011
Barry Wilkins	1974-76	134	2/28/1947	6/26/2011
Roger Belanger	1984-85	44	12/1/1965	11/16/2011
Arto Javanainen	1984-85	14	4/8/1959	1/25/2011
Nick Harbaruk*	1969-73	322	8/16/1943	3/10/2011
Bob Stumpf	1974-75	3	4/25/1953	2/17/2013
Mike McMahon	1969-70	12	8/30/1941	4/29/2013
Ross Lonsberry	1978-81	236	2/7/1947	5/5/2014
Andy Bathgate*	1967-71	150	8/28/1932	2/26/2016
Rick MacLeish	1981-83	46	1/3/1950	5/30/2016
George Konik	1967-68	52	5/4/1937	10/21/2016
Bob Stewart	1979-80	65	11/10/1950	2/3/2017
Darryl Edestrand	1971-74	155	11/6/1945	10/8/2017
Zarley Zalapksi	1987-1991	190	4/22/1968	12/12/2017
Greg Polis	1970-74	256	8/8/1950	3/17/2018

* = played for the Pittsburgh Hornets, too.

Edward DeBartolo (Pens Hall of Fame 1996)
Became the full-time owner of the Penguins in 1978 and was at the helm for the team’s first Stanley Cup Championship in 1991. He died on December 19, 1994 at the age of 85.

AT Caggiano (Pens Hall of Fame 2001)
Worked in the Penguins dressing room for the team’s first 33 seasons, he never missed a Penguins home game. Caggiano passed away in May of 2000 and, in his honor, the Penguins Booster Club renamed their annual award after Caggiano prior to the 2000-01 season.

Vince Lascheid (Pens Hall of Fame 2003)
Was the organist at the Civic / Mellon Arena from 1970 to 2003. During his musical career, Lascheid also worked with the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team (1970 to 2009) and the Pittsburgh Triangles tennis team (mid-1970s). Lascheid died on March 20, 2009.

Frank Sciulli (Pens Hall of Fame 2007)
Was a dressing room assistant with the Penguins from its inception in 1967 until passing away in 2007. Sciulli also worked in the same capacity for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Wren Blair (Pens Hall of Fame 2007)
Blair was the general manager of the Penguins from July 1975 to December 3, 1976. The Pens were 44-44-17 in his 105 games. Blair died on January 2, 2013 at the age of 87.