It’s as much about having “them” as it is about having “it.” The former, of course, refers to the four horsemen, i.e. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury. But the latter is what makes the Penguins an unmatched franchise in today’s NHL.
There’s just something about the recent Stanley Cup champions, and it goes beyond young talent or depth or the system in which they play.
It’s the culture.
The Penguins have the luxury of playing in front of some of the most loyal fans in all of professional sports. A brand new, state-of-the-art arena, the Consol Energy Center, is one-year away. Some of the most gifted and imposing talents in the game are locked up to long-term contracts. Etc., etc., etc.
Now, other teams can make similar claims, but there’s still something else about the Penguins.
It’s the culture.
Coming off a Stanley Cup championship and taking into account the salary-cap era implications, with the amount of unrestricted free-agents on the Penguins roster, it appeared especially unlikely that the Penguins would be able to bring back a championship-caliber roster into 2009-10.
No one would’ve been disappointed had that happened either. And yet it didn’t. Think about this:
Bill Guerin: The now two-time Stanley Cup champion rose from the dead after being picked up in a trade with the New York Islanders and emerged as a legitimate top-line forward with Crosby and LW Chris Kunitz as linemates. He showed he still has the speed, grit and sniper-ability, all of which are perfect attributes to bring to the negotiating table for the UFA.
Ruslan Fedotenko: Also a two-time Stanley Cup champion, Fedotenko continued to build on his “clutch performer” reputation, as he provided the Penguins a much-needed consistency from the wing position throughout the playoffs. Further, he seemingly developed a comfortable rapport with linemate Malkin, as the two were a threat every time they were thrown out on the ice.
Craig Adams: Another two-time Stanley Cup champion, Adams is the quintessential cerebral grinder, who adds versatility and experience. With right-handed center Mike Zigomanis injured, Adams brought that very element to the table for the Penguins. He could take the defensive-zone face-off with his right-handed shot, or flank either wing and bring speed and two-way responsibility to the line-up. All this when he’s not killing penalties.
In addition to niche talent and experience, what these three players have in common is that which is all-too uncommon in professional sports–loyalty.
Guerin signed a 1-year deal worth $2 million. His previous annual salary was $4.5 million.
Fedotenko signed a 1-year deal worth $1.8 million. He made $450,000 more last year.
Adams signed a two-year deal worth, well, the professional sports equivalent of a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger.
The key to gather from all this is that those players took much less money and much less security for a much better chance to win another Stanley Cup. “And that, my friends, is called integrity,” as Scent of a Woman’s Lt. Col. Frank Slade said. (Watch the movie. It’s good).
From anyone’s perspective, their loyalty and determination to win is admirable. And while, as mentioned earlier, their decisions were much more aberration than norm, we’ve already heard that song before in Pittsburgh. Superstars like Crosby and Malkin; stars like Fleury and Staal, men like Brooks Orpik have already taken less to play in the City of Champions.
Meanwhile, for instance, Marian Hossa–who ditched Pittsburgh for Detroit because he felt they had a “better chance to win the Cup,”–leaves self-procliamed Hockeytown to play for Chicago. More to it, upon his arrival, he says, “It’s great to be in a hockey town.”
I mean, the nerve!
(FYI, he took a substantial pay-cut, too. He signed a 12-year, $62.8 million).
Were you able to detect the sarcasm?
Frankly, you can’t blame Hossa. You can’t blame any player who signs a more lucrative deal with another team. These guys play a physical sport and there are never any guarantees. There are family and otherwise personal issues they ought to take into account, so I won’t judge.
But there’s just something about the Penguins.
I think it’s the culture.