Your top 3

[Stevens25]

Since there's nothing really good to talk about with the Pens nowadays I thought I'd ask everyone's top 3 favorite players in Pens history. This is your typical topic on a message board like this,buit I don't think it's been done yet so here goes...

1. Kevin Stevens....Artie was the kinda player who not only would score a goal against your team,but run you over while doing it. I really consider him one of the top power forwards ever. It's too bad the he had that horrible injury in 93 and then left the Pens in 95. His career could've been even greater.

2. Mario Lemeiux....It's Mario,enough said. Seriously,I've never seen anyone do the things he's done. He is nothing short of brilliant in my eyes. Gretzky may have the best "career," but Mario is the best player in NHL history. Again, just imagine if he had been healthy....

3.Ulf Samuelsson....I loved Ufie and his style of play. He was in your face and not only did he make the huge hits,but he did all those little things needed to win games. He gave the Pens a toughness that we never had before. Now way,we win any Stanley Cup without him.


Honorable mentions....Rick Tocchet,Sidney Crosby,Jaromir Jagr,Ron Francis,Paul Coffey and Ryan Malone.

[netwolf]

1. Jaromir Jagr - Living in a rural area with no access to cable TV, I didn't even discover hockey and the Penguins until midway through the 1990-91 regular season. I picked a good time to find them I guess. Jagr was a rookie then and grabbed my attention with some kind of crazy goal. I have been a fan ever since. Because I began following the team the same year he came into the league and because he got better and better and I got more and more into the game, he's #1.

2. Ron Francis - Everyone knows how tremendous of a player he was and still, I think he is one of the most underrated players in league history. He set up more goals than anyone not named Gretzky, but how many people think of Francis quite that high? Another reason I liked him is because he wasn't the best skater, didn't have a great shot, wasn't overly physical, but was STILL one of the greatest to even play because he thought the game on a level very few have or will. Then to top it all off, he's the very definition of class. And I share a birthday with him.

3. Mario Lemieux - He's Mario. He's at 3 through no fault of his own; I just had a better connection to Lemieux and Jagr as I saw all of their careers. I missed out on a lot of the great thing Lemieux did, though I have obviously caught up in that regard.

[NIN]

1. Mario Lemieux. The number one reason I ever knew hockey was a sport. The Reason I started playing. The ONLY reason I became a die hard Pens fan.

2. Jaromir Jagr. Even in his rookie season he would forecheck with the puck on his blade for 30 seconds at a time. Palumalu really reminds me of Jagr because of the hair but mainly because of that love for the game.

3.Kevein Stevens. The guy was just scary when he was in one of his "moods". He would intimidate players out of his way with a glance. Fast and punishing. Hands were remarkable and his playmaking ability was getting into elite status until the Pilon incident.

Honorable mention to Robby Brown (I always thought that I could go pro because of him ), Ulfie, Barrasso, and especially Kovalev. I really enjoy wacthing Kovy play, when he is focused there are few better-ever.

[Pitts]

#1 Ulf!

#2 Rick Tocchet

#3 Jaromir Jagr

I'm not going to mention Lemieux because it goes without saying that he is tops in everyone's book.

Honorables to St. Ron, Larry Murphy, Kaspar & Tom Barrasso.

[Tinnick 23:58:00]

1. Mario. Enough said.

2. Kasparitis. He laid out Lindros and beat Hasek (!) in game 7 in 2001. Yeah, he got beat sometimes and took bad penalties, be he was always fun to watch.

3. Kovalev. The year I had season tickets was his breakout year. He was so enjoyable to watch on the ice. The week he had back-to-back hat tricks at home was just insanely fun.

[FallenHero96]

1. Lemieux
2. Kovalev
3. Jagr

Honorable Mention: I am amazed that more people do not talk about the short time that Luc Robitaille played for the pens. He was awesome while he was here.

[HomerPenguin]

I'm also treating Lemieux as a foregone conclusion.

1. Ron Francis
2. Ulf Samuelsson (if for nothing else, for all the times he absolutely drilled Lindros)
3. Jaromir Jagr (this one pains me a bit, but I was at that game 6 against the Devils in 99, and with the exception of Lemieux's return from retirement and the one cup final game I saw as a kid in 1991, it was the most fantastic thing I've ever seen at a sporting event)

[Scott]

#1 Mario

#2 Jagr

#3 Francis

I have to do a #4..

Francois Leroux...his skills were minimal at best,,,he was however the Pens best physical presence including Ulfie. He made momentum changing hits all the time. Open ice, or pinching. He would also lure guys into hitting him, yet unload and they would go flying.

He would also drop the gloves and won his fights 95 percent of the time.
That was taking on the top heavyweights..twist, domi, probert, and he beat them all.
Anyone remember how bloody twist was from that fight? Looked like a new spot of red paint everywhere.

[jmh70]

#1 Mario - God
#2 Kovalev - Perhaps the smoothest puck handler I've ever seen. Absolutely lethal wrist shot. Still disappointed he didn't come back this season.
#3 Jagr - Despite his antics I will never boo this man. He was a joy to watch and, when motivated, is still the best player in the world.

['burgh in london]

as a kid growing up in the burgh, i would have to list

1. jean pronovost and pierre larouche - the year they both scored 50 goals was simply magic, and way beyond anything pens fan had seen in offense before then. cant ever forget seeing those pens play the candiens or kings, larouche matching lafleur or dionne goal for goal

2. battleship bob kelly - he was the guy who singlehandedly stood up to the broad st bullies during their glory years and took on dave schultz

3. ok, mario.

hon. mentions to ron stackhouse (who needs to skate anyways) and syl apps jr. (a class act) didnt any of you play high school hockey or street hockey in the 70s/early 80s?

[NIN]

Francois Leroux...his skills were minimal at best,,,he was however the Pens best physical presence including Ulfie. He made momentum changing hits all the time. Open ice, or pinching. He would also lure guys into hitting him, yet unload and they would go flying.

He would also drop the gloves and won his fights 95 percent of the time.
That was taking on the top heavyweights..twist, domi, probert, and he beat them all.
Anyone remember how bloody twist was from that fight? Looked like a new spot of red paint everywhere.

SO when is the wedding between you and Frankie? Seriously you two need a room.

[Mad City Mike]

1. Who else but Le Magnifique? Easy one.

2. Ulfie. He embodies what I want in a physical defenseman.

3. (Tie) Ron Francis and Larry Murphy. Both are similar in that that played somewhat secondary roles. But both excelled at the little things. Francis's defensive play and Murph's ability to keep the puck in the zone (made even more glaringly apparent by the current group's inability to do so) stand out as the things I most appreciate.

[vcip]

1.Mario
2.Jagr
3.Rob Brown

[relantel]

1. mario
2. jean pronovost
3. ron francis

[schreibdog]

1. Mario - The best player I ever had a chance to watch in person. The guy was absolutely amazing back in the late 80s and early 90s. The first game I ever got to go to was when he scored 5 goals every possible way...I was hooked from that night forward.
2. Marty Straka - I love to watch a player work hard every shift, and that's exactly what you got from Straka. But this guy could also pass, shoot, and stickhandle extremely well. Of all the players we've lost over the years, I wish he was back with this team the most.
3. Johan Hedberg - I've never seen a goalie that wanted so badly to do well. Moose has a true passion for the game, and he is really fun to watch.

[Pipes Hochuli]

lemieux, kovalev, crosby

i laughed when i saw malone mentioned