15 CHL Grads Raise Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins won their third Stanley Cup title Friday night with a thrilling 2-1 game seven victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby, who played with the Rimouski Oceanic from 2003-05, headlines a list of 15 Canadian Hockey League graduates to have their name engraved on the Stanley Cup. “It’s a dream come true,” Crosby told NHL.com almost 45 minutes after he accepted the Stanley Cup from Commissioner Gary Bettman. “It’s everything you imagined and more.” Crosby led the league with 15 post-season goals and finished second in playoff points with 31.
CHL grads certainly had an impact on the final game producing a pair of hero’s including Maxime Talbot who scored both goals for the Penguins. “I just put the pucks in — it was an entire team effort and we all played so well tonight,” Talbot told NHL.com on the ice after the win. “What can I say? We won the Cup, man. This is just crazy.” Talbot played his junior hockey with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques from 2000-04.
In addition to Talbot, Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, a product of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles from 2000-04, came up with some big saves down the stretch and in the final seconds before the buzzer. “It just felt good. It’s awesome,” Fleury told NHL.com. “I knew we could do it.”
On the other side of the ice, the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings featured a lineup with 14 CHL grads including Head Coach Mike Babcock who played with Saskatoon and Kelowna from 1980-83 and coached the Moose Jaw Warriors and Spokane Chiefs from 1991-00.
Pittsburgh Penguins CHL Grads:
Sidney Crosby, Rimouski (2003-05)
Jordan Staal, Peterborough (2004-06)
Tyler Kennedy, Sault Ste. Marie (2002-06)
Kristopher Letang, Val d’Or (2004-07)
Matt Cooke, Windsor/Kingston (1995-98)
Pascal Dupuis, Rouyn-Noranda/Shawinigan (1996-00)
Maxime Talbot, Rouyn-Noranda/Hull/Gatineau (2000-04)
Philippe Boucher, Granby/Laval (1990-93)
Mike Zigomanis, Kingston (1997-01)
Eric Godard, Lethbridge (1998-00)
Dustin Jeffrey, Mississauga/Sault Ste. Marie (2004-08)
Chris Minard, Owen Sound/Toronto St. Michael’s/Oshawa (1998-02)
Marc-Andre Fleury, Cape Breton (2000-04)
Mathieu Garon, Victoriaville (1995-98)
Assistant Coach Mike Yeo, Sudbury (1990-94)
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Detroit Red Wings CHL Grads:
Marian Hossa, Portland (1997-98)
Daniel Cleary, Belleville (1994-98)
Tomas Kopecky, Lethbridge (2000-02)
Kris Draper, Ottawa (1990-91)
Brad Stuart, Regina/Calgary (1996-99)
Kirk Maltby, Owen Sound (1989-92)
Derek Meech, Red Deer (2000-04)
Aaron Downey, Guelph (1992-93)
Chris Osgood, Medicine Hat/Brandon/Seattle (1989-92)
Darren McCarty, Belleville (1989-92)
Darren Helm, Medicine Hat (2004-07)
Head Coach Mike Babcock, Saskatoon/Kelowna (1980-83) and Moose Jaw/Spokane (1991-00)
Assistant Coach Paul MacLean, Hull (1977-78)
Assistant Coach Brad McCrimmon, Saskatoon (1998-00)
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Congratulations to all Canadian Hockey League graduates for a tremendous season!
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Photo by Getty Images with files courtesy of www.nhl.com