Pittsburgh Penguins win Stanley Cup for second consecutive season


By @MichaelCaples –

It hadn’t been done since the Red Wings accomplished the feat in 1997 and 1998.

For the second straight season, the Pittsburgh Penguins are Stanley Cup champions.

With a 2-0 victory in Game 6 of the Cup Final against the Nashville Predators, the Penguins successfully defended their league title with the help of many Michigan names.

The most notable are featured in the graphic above – Michigan natives Bryan Rust, Ian Cole and Kevin Porter, along with Michigan college hockey standouts Carl Hagelin and Chris Kunitz.

Hagelin scored the goal that started the party for the Penguins; the Michigan alum fired the puck into an empty net with 13.6 seconds remaining.

Here’s a look at all the Michigan connections on the Penguins’ championship roster:

  • Bryan Rust – Pontiac native, NTDP alum
  • Ian Cole – Ann Arbor native, NTDP alum
  • Kevin Porter – Northville native, NTDP and Michigan alum
  • Carl Hagelin – Michigan alum
  • Chris Kunitz – Ferris State alum
  • Ron Hainsey – NTDP alum
  • Phil Kessel – NTDP alum
  • Tom Sestito – Plymouth Whalers alum
  • David Warsofsky – NTDP alum