Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
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| Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | |
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| City: | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| League: | American Hockey League |
| Conference: | Eastern Conference |
| Division: | East Division |
| Founded: | 1999 |
| Home arena: | Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza |
| Colors: | Black, gold, red, white |
| Owner(s): |  Ron Burkle Mario Lemieux |
| General manager: | Ray Shero |
| Head coach: | Todd Reirden |
| Captain: | Connor James |
| Media: | Wilkes-Barre Times Leader Scranton Times-Tribune 102.3 The Mountain WDMT-FM |
| Affiliates: | Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1981 to 1988: | Fredericton Express |
| 1988 to 1993: | Halifax Citadels |
| 1993 to 1996: | Cornwall Aces |
| 1999 to present: | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins |
| Championships | |
| Division Championships: | 2 (2005–06, 2007–08) |
| Conference Championships: | 3 (2000–01, 2003–04, 2007–08) |
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza.
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[edit] History
The Pittsburgh Penguins' top minor league affiliate throughout the 1990s was the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the IHL. However, in the mid 1990s, the IHL began moving away from being a developmental league and more towards being a top independent minor league. For this reason, the Penguins wanted their top minor league affiliate in the AHL. The Penguins purchased the dormant Cornwall Aces AHL franchise from the Colorado Avalanche in 1996, but left the team inactive until the 1999–2000 season when it was placed in Wilkes-Barre. The team is affectionately referred to as "The Baby Penguins" by fans. The WBS Pens have gone to the Calder Cup Final three times in their ten year existence, most recently in 2008 by way of beating the Portland Pirates in a thrilling seven game series in the Eastern Conference finals; the Penguins took game seven by a score of 3-2 after being down in the series three games to two. They went on to play the Chicago Wolves in the final, but lost the series 4-2.
Their mascot is Tux the penguin, who wears number #99 in reference to the team's first season in 1999. The team celebrated their 10th Anniversary Season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2008/2009 with the catch phrase of "Making Memories". The team qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs in 2009 for the seventh year in a row and attempted to make the Calder Cup Final for the third time in six years to try and win the franchise's first Cup. The Pens fourth drive to the Calder Cup Final came to end against the Hershey Bears in the conference semifinals. The series went to seven games with Hershey taking the final two at home by identical scores of 3-0 after the Pens won three in a row in Wilkes-Barre.
[edit] Season-by-season results
[edit] Regular Season
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OTL | SOL | Points | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–00 | 80 | 23 | 43 | 9 | 5 | — | 60 | 236 | 306 | 5th, Empire State |
| 2000–01 | 80 | 36 | 33 | 9 | 2 | — | 83 | 252 | 248 | 2nd, Mid-Atlantic |
| 2001–02 | 80 | 20 | 44 | 13 | 3 | — | 56 | 201 | 274 | 4th, South |
| 2002–03 | 80 | 36 | 32 | 7 | 5 | — | 84 | 245 | 248 | 3rd, South |
| 2003–04 | 80 | 34 | 28 | 10 | 8 | — | 86 | 197 | 197 | 3rd, East |
| 2004–05 | 80 | 39 | 27 | — | 7 | 7 | 92 | 227 | 219 | 4th, East |
| 2005–06 | 80 | 51 | 18 | — | 5 | 6 | 113 | 249 | 178 | 1st, East |
| 2006–07 | 80 | 51 | 23 | — | 2 | 4 | 108 | 276 | 221 | 2nd, East |
| 2007–08 | 80 | 47 | 26 | — | 3 | 4 | 101 | 223 | 187 | 1st, East |
| 2008–09 | 80 | 49 | 25 | — | 3 | 3 | 104 | 274 | 212 | 3rd, East |
[edit] Playoffs
| Season | Prelim | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–00 | Out of Playoffs | ||||
| 2000–01 | — | W, 3–2, SYR | W, 4–2, PHIL | W, 4–0, HER | L, 2–4,SJNB |
| 2001–02 | Out of Playoffs | ||||
| 2002–03 | W, 2–0, UT | L, 1–3, GR | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | — | W, 4–3, BRI | W, 4–2, PHIL | W, 4–3, HART | L, 0–4,MIL |
| 2004–05 | — | W, 4–2, BING | L, 1–4, PHIL | — | — |
| 2005–06 | — | W, 4–3, BRI | L, 0–4, HER | — | — |
| 2006–07 | — | W, 4–2, NOR | L, 1–4, HER | — | — |
| 2007–08 | — | W, 4–1, HER | W, 4–1, PHIL | W, 4-3 PORT | L, 2-4, CHI |
| 2008–09 | — | W, 4–1, BRI | L,3-4 HER | — | — |
[edit] Current roster
As of May 12, 2009[1]
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Catches | Place of birth
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| 1 | |
Curtis Darling | R | Calgary, Alberta | |
| 30 | |
Brad Thiessen | L | Aldergrove, British Columbia | |
| 35 | |
Adam Berkhoel | L | Woodbury, Minnesota | |
| 36 | |
John Curry | L | Shorewood, Minnesota | |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Shoots | Place of birth | ||
| 2 | |
Jean-Philippe Cote | L | Charlesbourg, Quebec | |
| 3 | |
Joey Mormina | L | Montreal, Quebec | |
| 4 | |
Jon D'Aversa | L | Richmond Hill, Ontario | |
| 5 | |
Deryk Engelland | R | Chetwynd, British Columbia | |
| 6 | |
Ben Lovejoy | R | Canaan, New Hampshire | |
| 8 | |
Andy Wozniewski | L | Buffalo Grove, Illinois | |
| 11 | |
Reid Cashman | L | Red Wing, Minnesota | |
| 23 | |
Lane Caffaro | L | Slave Lake, Alberta | |
| 37 | |
Brock Sheahan | L | Lethbridge, Alberta | |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Position | Shoots | Place of birth | ||
| 7 | |
Bill Thomas | RW | R | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | |
| 9 | |
Connor James - Captain | C | R | Calgary, Alberta | |
| 10 | |
Mark Letestu | C | R | Elk Point, Alberta | |
| 12 | |
Jordan Morrison | LW | L | Uxbridge, Ontario | |
| 14 | |
Chris Minard | LW | L | Owen Sound, Ontario | |
| 15 | |
David Gove | C | L | Centerville, Massachusetts | |
| 18 | |
Joe Vitale | C | R | St. Louis, Missouri | |
| 19 | |
Luca Caputi | LW | R | Toronto, Ontario | |
| 20 | |
Paul Bissonnette | LW | L | Welland, Ontario | |
| 21 | |
Dustin Jeffrey | C | L | Sarnia, Ontario | |
| 22 | |
Jeff Taffe | C | L | Hastings, Minnesota | |
| 24 | |
Tim Wallace | LW | R | Anchorage, Alaska | |
| 25 |  |
Janne Pesonen | LW | L | Suomussalmi, Finland | |
| 26 | |
Jean-Michel Daoust | RW | R | Valleyfield, Quebec | |
| 28 | |
Nick Johnson | RW | L | Calgary, Alberta | |
| 31 | |
Casey Pierro-Zabotel | LW | L | Ashcroft, British Columbia | |
| 32 | |
Bryan Ewing | LW | R | Wheeling, West Virginia | |
| 33 | |
Tommy Goebel | RW | R | Parma, Ohio | |
| 34 | |
Aaron Boogaard | RW | R | Regina, Saskatchewan | |
| 38 | |
Adam Henrich | LW | L | Thornhill, Ontario | |
| 39 | |
Zack Sill | C | L | Truro, Nova Scotia | |
[edit] Team records
[edit] Single season
- Goals: 34 Chris Minard (2008–09)
- Assists: 50 Jeff Taffe (2008–09) and Janne Pesonen (2008–09)
- Points: 82 Janne Pesonen (2008–09)
- Penalty minutes: 431 Dennis Bonvie (2005–06)
- Goaltending wins: 33 John Curry (2008–09)
- GAA: 2.26 Dany Sabourin (2005–06)
- SV%: .922 Rich Parent (2000–01) and Dany Sabourin (2005–06)
[edit] Career
- Career goals: 97 Tom Kostopoulos
- Career assists: 149 Tom Kostopoulos
- Career points: 246 Tom Kostopoulos
- Career penalty minutes: 1081 Dennis Bonvie
- Career goaltending wins: 57 John Curry
- Career shutouts: 10 Sebastien Caron
- Career games: 318 Tom Kostopoulos
[edit] AHL records
As of the 2007–08 AHL Season. Data from the AHL Hall of Fame Website. [1]
[edit] Team
- Longest Road Winning Streak (one season): 13 games (October 9 – December 3, 2005) (tied)
[edit] Player
- Most points by a defenceman, career: 486 John Slaney (Baltimore, Portland, Cornwall, W.B./Scr., Phila.)
- Most goals by a defenceman, career: John Slaney, 157 (Baltimore, Portland, Cornwall, W.B./Scr., Phila.)
- Most goals by a Defenceman, season: John Slaney, 30 (1999–2000)
- Most PIM, career: 4,104 Dennis Bonvie (Cape Breton, Hamilton, Portland, Phila., W.B./Scr., Providence, Binghamton, Hershey)
- Most PIM, game: Steve Parsons, 64 (March 17, 2002 vs. Syracuse)
[edit] AHL awards and trophies
As of the 2007–08 AHL Season. Data from the AHL Hall of Fame Website. [2]
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Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award |
[edit] Notable Penguins
- Colby Armstrong
- Kris Beech
- Dennis Bonvie
- Sebastien Caron
- Erik Christensen
- Ty Conklin
- Greg Crozier
- Marc-Andre Fleury
- Tyler Kennedy
- Tom Kostopoulos
- Kris Letang
- Ryan Malone
- Michel Ouellet
- Toby Petersen
- Darcy Robinson
- Dany Sabourin
- Maxime Talbot
- Ryan Whitney
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Official Website
- The Internet Hockey Database - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
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