In August 1991, head coach Bob Johnson was diagnosed with brain cancer after a six-game, 12-day road trip with Team USA in preparation for the 1991 Canada Cup. During the pre-season, the Penguins visited Johnson surrounding exhibition games played September 19th and 20th against Calgary and Team USA, both teams Johnson had previously coached. On October 1st, just three days before the 1991-92 regular season opener, the Penguins named Scotty Bowman interim head coach as Johnson continued to battle brain cancer in Colorado Springs.
Ron Francis missed the first nine games of the season due to a contract holdout as the Penguins went 4-3-2 (.556) to start the season. After Francis returned, the Penguins went 18-9-2 (.655) in their next 29 games including an 8-3-2 record in November in which they averaged 4.62 goals-per-game. Bob Johnson passed away on November 26, 1991 at his home in Colorado Springs. The next night, the Penguins held an on-ice candlelight tribute to Johnson and unveiled a patch on the left shoulder of their jerseys honoring Johnson's life.
The Penguins sent five players to the 1992 NHL All-Star Game including Mario Lemieux, Kevin Stevens, Jaromir Jagr, Paul Coffey and Bryan Trottier in addition to coach Scotty Bowman who served in Bob Johnson's place. The mid-season classic did the Penguins no favors though as they went 3-8-2 in the first 13 games after the All-Star break. After being surrounded by trade rumors all season, defenseman Paul Coffey was traded to Los Angeles in exhchange for Jeff Chychrun, Brian Benning and Los Angeles' 1st round choice in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. General Manager Craig Patrick then dealt Benning and the 1st round choice to Philadelphia and Mark Recchi, the team's leading scorer in 1990-91 to Philadelphia for Rick Tocchet, Kjell Samuelsson, Ken Wregget and Philadelphia's 3rd round choice in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.
Tocchet scored 14 goals and had 16 assists in 19 games to finish out the regular season, missing just three games due to a broken jaw suffered March 15, 1992 at Chicago. The Penguins went 12-8-2 in the final 22 games of the season after the trades finishing in third place in the Patrick Division. Mario Lemieux won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer with 131 points in just 64 games. The Penguins led the league with 343 goals scored, but finished third to last in the NHL with 308 allowed.
The 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins finished with a record of 39-32-9 and entered the Playoffs facing the Washington Capitals without the luxury of home ice. After going down 3-1 in the series, the Penguins won three straight including Game 7 in Washington to clinch the series. The Penguins won Game 1 of the Patrick Division Finals at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers and in Game 2, Mario Lemieux was viciously slashed on the hand by Adam Graves in the first period. Lemieux missed the rest of the series with a broken hand and the Penguins dropped Game 3, 6-5, in overtime. The Penguins again won three straight to knock off New York four games to two winnning the final three games of the series and going on to sweep the Bruins and Blackhawks in the Wales Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final, respectively, to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup. The 11 consecutive wins tied an NHL record achieved earlier that same post-season by Chicago.
This ring, produced by Balfour- the same jeweler of the 1992 Stanley Cup rings - is a salesman sample of the acutal ring awarded to Mario Lemieux. This size 11 ring features two large cubic zircons set in gold settings set in black stone on the tableau respresenting the second Stanley Cup in franchise history and is surronded by 16 smaller cubic zircons on the inner bezel which represent the 16 wins required to win the Stanley Cup.
Ron Francis missed the first nine games of the season due to a contract holdout as the Penguins went 4-3-2 (.556) to start the season. After Francis returned, the Penguins went 18-9-2 (.655) in their next 29 games including an 8-3-2 record in November in which they averaged 4.62 goals-per-game. Bob Johnson passed away on November 26, 1991 at his home in Colorado Springs. The next night, the Penguins held an on-ice candlelight tribute to Johnson and unveiled a patch on the left shoulder of their jerseys honoring Johnson's life.
The Penguins sent five players to the 1992 NHL All-Star Game including Mario Lemieux, Kevin Stevens, Jaromir Jagr, Paul Coffey and Bryan Trottier in addition to coach Scotty Bowman who served in Bob Johnson's place. The mid-season classic did the Penguins no favors though as they went 3-8-2 in the first 13 games after the All-Star break. After being surrounded by trade rumors all season, defenseman Paul Coffey was traded to Los Angeles in exhchange for Jeff Chychrun, Brian Benning and Los Angeles' 1st round choice in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. General Manager Craig Patrick then dealt Benning and the 1st round choice to Philadelphia and Mark Recchi, the team's leading scorer in 1990-91 to Philadelphia for Rick Tocchet, Kjell Samuelsson, Ken Wregget and Philadelphia's 3rd round choice in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.
Tocchet scored 14 goals and had 16 assists in 19 games to finish out the regular season, missing just three games due to a broken jaw suffered March 15, 1992 at Chicago. The Penguins went 12-8-2 in the final 22 games of the season after the trades finishing in third place in the Patrick Division. Mario Lemieux won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer with 131 points in just 64 games. The Penguins led the league with 343 goals scored, but finished third to last in the NHL with 308 allowed.
The 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins finished with a record of 39-32-9 and entered the Playoffs facing the Washington Capitals without the luxury of home ice. After going down 3-1 in the series, the Penguins won three straight including Game 7 in Washington to clinch the series. The Penguins won Game 1 of the Patrick Division Finals at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers and in Game 2, Mario Lemieux was viciously slashed on the hand by Adam Graves in the first period. Lemieux missed the rest of the series with a broken hand and the Penguins dropped Game 3, 6-5, in overtime. The Penguins again won three straight to knock off New York four games to two winnning the final three games of the series and going on to sweep the Bruins and Blackhawks in the Wales Conference Final and Stanley Cup Final, respectively, to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup. The 11 consecutive wins tied an NHL record achieved earlier that same post-season by Chicago.
This ring, produced by Balfour- the same jeweler of the 1992 Stanley Cup rings - is a salesman sample of the acutal ring awarded to Mario Lemieux. This size 11 ring features two large cubic zircons set in gold settings set in black stone on the tableau respresenting the second Stanley Cup in franchise history and is surronded by 16 smaller cubic zircons on the inner bezel which represent the 16 wins required to win the Stanley Cup.
