ELMONT, N.Y. — Six members of the Pittsburgh Penguins finished the season with perfect attendance.
Forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Lars Eller as well as defensemen Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang and Marcus Pettersson appeared in all 82 games, the final of which was Wednesday’s game against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena.
For Crosby, it marked the second consecutive season he appeared in a complete set of contests.
Oddly enough, it was also the second consecutive season he has missed the playoffs.
Regardless, the accomplishment was nothing insignificant for Crosby, especially considering some of the concussion woes that denied him large portions of seasons earlier in his career.
“Anytime you can stay healthy and play the full season, that’s great,” Crosby said following a morning skate at UBS Arena. “There’s one or two years where I played 81, and I sat out the last one because we were in the playoffs. I’d take that position too. I played 82 last year. I’ve played 82 two years (consecutively), and it hasn’t worked out. But especially as you get older, you appreciate it’s more of a grind and you try to balance everything. I’m happy about that for sure.”
Letang reached the mark for the second time in his career. He previously played in 82 games during the 2010-11 season.
His playing a full regular season was no small feat considering he suffered a stroke and missed a handful of games during the 2022-23 campaign (to say nothing of the stroke he suffered in 2014).
As of late, he has missed a handful of morning skates and practices for what have been termed as “maintenance days.”
No specifics have been offered as to what malady Letang might be maintaining, but he did offer a quippy retort when asked about his health following a 4-1 home win against the Nashville Predators on Monday.
“I feel like you should feel after 81 games.”
Rust nominated for King Clancy award
National Association of Young People Who Stutter
Penguins forward Bryan Rust speaks with a fan who attended a game during the 2023-24 season at PPG Paints Arena through the National Association of Young People Who Stutter. Rust, a stutterer, has worked with the group since 2022.
Forward Bryan Rust was named the Penguins’ nominee for the NHL’s King Clancy Memorial Trophy.
The league announced nominees for all 32 teams Wednesday.
Named after Hockey Hall of Famer Frank “King” Clancy, the award recognizes “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
Previously a nominee in 2022, Rust has worked with the National Association of Young People Who Stutter (the group’s name is often presented simply as “Friends”) for several years.
A stutterer himself, Rust holds personal meetings with children with speech impediments after almost every home game at PPG Paints Arena to pose for photos, sign autographs and offer encouragement on how to navigate life with a stutter.
“Obviously, something that’s close to my heart,” Rust said to TribLive in January. “Something that’s really important to me and my family. Something that might get overlooked. … It’s something that I’ve gone through, and I’ve tried my best to go through that adversity and tried to get better. It’s something that for me was important because it gets overlooked.”
A selection committee headed by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will determine the winner who will receive a $25,000 donation to to be directed to a charity or charities of his choice.
No member of the Penguins has won the award.
Bemstrom scratched, Penguins save draft pick
AP
In 24 games with the Penguins this season, forward Emil Bemstrom had five points (three goals, two assists).
Penguins forward Emil Bemstrom was scratched for Wednesday’s game against the New York Islanders. In fact, he wasn’t even with the team for its morning skate and did not have a stall in the visiting dressing room.
Coach Mike Sullivan only noted Bemstrom was not available for the game when asked about his status and did not provide specifics.
What wasn’t stated was that Bemstrom could have cost the Penguins a third-round pick, even if through unlikely circumstances.
The Penguins acquired Bemstrom from the Columbus Blue Jackets via a trade Feb. 22 that sent a 2026 sixth-round pick and forward Alex Nylander to Columbus. A condition of the trade called for the draft pick to be upgraded to a third-round selection if Bemstrom scored six goals for the Penguins by the conclusion of the regular season.
As it was, he tallied three goals in 24 games, the most recent coming during Monday’s win against the Predators.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at [email protected].
