Blue Blood Discussion. Hockey Version.

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

We often hear "blue bloods" in college FB and BB. They are not called that in the NFL, but the "blue blood" NFL franchises are the Packers, Cowboys, Steelers, Patriots maybe Giants. Used to be Raiders

In hockey (NHL) there is the "Orginal Six". Rangers, Blackhawks, Canadiens, Red Wings, Maple Leafs and Bruins. Those are considered the blue bloods. The NHL's 1st expansion was in 1967, a second group of 6, in the Penguins, Flyers, Kings, Blues, California Seals and Minnesota North Stars. That's now well over 50 years, there are now 30 teams in the NHL.

In the Hockey News today, they brought up a debate, are there more bluebloods or does any of the post expansion teams belong??? It is funny, the early consensus was the Flyers. Then the Islanders and Oilers based on their dynasties. But the writer settled if there as one post expansion franchise that is now a "blueblood" it is your beloved flightless bird. The Penguins. 1) Aside from the Canadiens, no one has more Cups than the Penguins over the past 50 years. Or even post expansion. The Oilers also have 5, but the one drawback they have it is all was with essentially one group of players in the 80's. Secondly, in the last 40 years, the Pens have had likely the overall best player more than any other team. In fact scoring titles, the Pens. Hall of Famers. The Pens. You goto the All Time NHL scorers, 11 of the all time 50 top scorers played at least one season for the Penguins over that stretch.

The Hockey News concluded that the Penguins are the bluest of the blue in post expansion era. They are a blue blood.

 

[ratking17]

5 cups less than 30 years equals unparalleled dominance.

 

[Pitt2009]

Like the topic. I’d put the Pens as a new blood with (fball) teams like FSU and LSU and (bball) UConn and Nova.

FWIW, blue bloods like ND, Nebraska, Michigan, Oklahoma, and USC haven’t championships in 2+ decades.

 

[Burgh15]

The Penguins are definitely a modern blue blood. I like the comparison made in the above post. Beyond the championships and the amazing talent, the Penguins are also seen as a team that always goes "all in" to win a Cup. That speaks to being an excellent team as well.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

5 cups less than 30 years equals unparalleled dominance.

It's more than that though....

Lemieux
Jagr
Francis
Coffey
Murphy
Trottier
Stevens
Tocchet
Recchi
Mullen
Robitaille
Sandstrom
Zubov
Fluery
Sid
Geno
Letang
Hossa
Iginla
Guerin
Etc..............etc.................

 

[Pitt79]

The Pens had the craziest luck as well, to have the top pick right when Mario and Crosby came out, also 2nd pick for Malkin, stumbled across players like Jagr, LeTang, Coffey, Francis and MAF as well around the time they were getting Mario and Sid. It will be interesting to see if they keep up the excellence once the Geno/Sid Era Ends.

 

[pittdan77]

The Pens had the craziest luck as well, to have the top pick right when Mario and Crosby came out, also 2nd pick for Malkin, stumbled across players like Jagr, LeTang, Coffey, Francis and MAF as well around the time they were getting Mario and Sid. It will be interesting to see if they keep up the excellence once the Geno/Sid Era Ends.

Nobody thought a 5th round pick that looked like an aging frat boy was going to win a half-dozen Super Bowls. Cowboys never have their big 90's run if some idiot doesn't give away the farm for a depleted RB. Luck is a huge part of championships.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Pens
Canadiens
Maple Leafs
Rangers
Red Wings
Blackhawks
Bruins
Oilers (maybe) based on the Gretzky/Messier glory days

 

[Pitt79]

Nobody thought a 5th round pick that looked like an aging frat boy was going to win a half-dozen Super Bowls. Cowboys never have their big 90's run if some idiot doesn't give away the farm for a depleted RB. Luck is a huge part of championships.

My point is still valid, owning the #1 overall pick in the years Mario and Sid where the pick, will pretty much fuel 2 dynasties- lottery winning for sure. I doubt there was anyone better in all of the years since outside those 2, except maybe Ovie, and we got the 2nd best guy in the Ovie year, Malkin. Can you name anyone in the NHL draft better than Mario or Sid since 1980?

 

[happjack]

Pens
Canadiens
Maple Leafs
Rangers
Red Wings
Blackhawks
Bruins
Oilers (maybe) based on the Gretzky/Messier glory days

The NHL really doesn't have "blue bloods", the Leafs haven't won a Cup since 1967 and it's been over 20 years since they've made a Conference Finals, the Habs and Rangers haven't won a Cup since Bill Clinton's first term, the Wings had a great run in the 90's and 2000's but sucked for over a decade and aren't going to be good for a long time, the Bruins are a laughing stock after this season, Old Man Bush was President last time Edmonton won a Cup. The Pens, LA, Tampa and Chicago are kind of "blue bloods" since they've had recent success.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The NHL really doesn't have "blue bloods", the Leafs haven't won a Cup since 1967 and it's been over 20 years since they've made a Conference Finals, the Habs and Rangers haven't won a Cup since Bill Clinton's first term, the Wings had a great run in the 90's and 2000's but sucked for over a decade and aren't going to be good for a long time, the Bruins are a laughing stock after this season, Old Man Bush was President last time Edmonton won a Cup. The Pens, LA, Tampa and Chicago are kind of "blue bloods" since they've had recent success.

If you made me attend a hockey game, those are the brand names I would want to see. LA? Tampa? Have they been good? Most Americans have no idea those cities have hockey teams. The Leafs, Canadiens, and Rangers are absolutely blue bloods. The rest can be debated.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

My point is still valid, owning the #1 overall pick in the years Mario and Sid where the pick, will pretty much fuel 2 dynasties- lottery winning for sure. I doubt there was anyone better in all of the years since outside those 2, except maybe Ovie, and we got the 2nd best guy in the Ovie year, Malkin. Can you name anyone in the NHL draft better than Mario or Sid since 1980?

Yes. I always have said this. The Pens have had tremendous luck sucking at the very right moments. Whereas the Pirates when they have had the #1 overall, there was no Bryce Harper or Ken Griffey Jr in that draft.

Luck is part of it. But the Pens have had some really forward thinking from management. They took chances, spent to the cap, they tried and expected to win. Unlike that other franchise. So in that case, luck is also a product of design.

I mean the Pens in the 80's, had a bunch of top 5 picks and players and unlike teams who fall in love with prospects, they flipped those guys for a Paul Coffey, a Tom Barrasso, a Ron Francis and Ulfie. They made a ballsy trade for Rick Tocchet that sent a HOFer to be who was just in his prime. They drafted Jagr when no one thought he would come over the North America right away. Then yeah, they won the lottery for Sid. What people fail to realize, is the year before they LOST the lottery to Washington, and they got Ovy. But that year, the #2 overall pick would have been the slam dunk #1 overall in almost any other year in Geno Malkin. But again, people may also don't realize, they picked Jordan Staal over Jonathan Toews. They could have had Sid, Geno and Toews as their 3 top Centers.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

The NHL really doesn't have "blue bloods", the Leafs haven't won a Cup since 1967 and it's been over 20 years since they've made a Conference Finals, the Habs and Rangers haven't won a Cup since Bill Clinton's first term, the Wings had a great run in the 90's and 2000's but sucked for over a decade and aren't going to be good for a long time, the Bruins are a laughing stock after this season, Old Man Bush was President last time Edmonton won a Cup. The Pens, LA, Tampa and Chicago are kind of "blue bloods" since they've had recent success.

I think what also sets the Pens apart, is aside from having the most cups since expansion not including when Montreal was winning them all in the 70's, but the sheer high profile players and talent they have had for 40 years now. I mean there was a brief dark days of Rico Fata and Dick Tarnstrom but that was a relatively short period comparatively speaking.

 

[jtownknowitall]

The Maple Leafs and Rangers alltime winning percentage is .515. The Penguins are at .522.

The Canadiens are at .583. The Bruins are at .564. The Philadelphia Flyers are at .571.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

The Maple Leafs and Rangers alltime winning percentage is .515. The Penguins are at .522.

The Canadiens are at .583. The Bruins are at .564. The Philadelphia Flyers are at .571.

Championships?? Star Players???

 

[Pitt79]

The Maple Leafs and Rangers alltime winning percentage is .515. The Penguins are at .522.

The Canadiens are at .583. The Bruins are at .564. The Philadelphia Flyers are at .571.

Funny question Mark Madden always asks, "Have you ever SEEN the Flyers win a Stanley Cup?", it's funny because you'd have to be at least 55 years old to remember the Cups they won in the mid 70s, I'll gladly take the Pens history.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

The Pens have had tremendous luck sucking at the very right moments.

I think you are seriously underselling just how hard some people worked to make sure that the Penguins sucked so bad the year that Mario Lemieux was in the draft.

That wasn't luck by any real meaning of the word. That was a well executed plan.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I think you are seriously underselling just how hard some people worked to make sure that the Penguins sucked so bad the year that Mario Lemieux was in the draft.

That wasn't luck by any real meaning of the word. That was a well executed plan.

I get that. But it was not like they took a contender and then rode it to the bottom and synched up with Lemieux and Crosby. They were legit bad at the very right time.

 

[jtownknowitall]

Championships?? Star Players???

The same as the Rangers and Maple Leafs have combined in our lifetime.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

The same as the Rangers and Maple Leafs have combined in our lifetime.

I am somehow missing what you are trying to say. Can you elaborate your point??

 

[jtownknowitall]

I am somehow missing what you are trying to say. Can you elaborate your point??

Someone listed blue blood NHL teams. The Maple Leafs and Rangers made his list. The Flyers did not.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Someone listed blue blood NHL teams. The Maple Leafs and Rangers made his list. The Flyers did not.

Well the NHL expansion from original 6 happened when? 1967 I believe. The first 20-25 years of post expansion the Flyers were definitely the most successful then can the Islanders in 1972 and the Oilers in 1981. But the last 35years now, no franchise, Original 6 or Expansion has been as successful as the Penguins. This kills Flyers fans and the Crosby jealousy etc.....it is so much fun.