Half a century after the NHL awarded a franchise to Pittsburgh, the Penguins unveiled a logo for their 50th anniversary.
It includes the Penguins' traditional “skating” penguins logo along with three Stanley Cup silhouettes to commemorate the franchise's three championships in 1991, 1992 and 2009.
The Penguins plan a season-long celebration in 2016-17 which will begin with a fan festival Aug. 27-28.
While the Penguins did not begin play until the 1967-68 season, the NHL approved expansion to Pittsburgh Feb. 9, 1966. The Penguins were part of a six-team expansion which included the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota North Stars and California Seals.
The Penguins, Flyers, Kings and Blues remain in their original cities. The North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993 and became the Stars. The Seals moved from Oakland, Calif., to Cleveland in 1976 and became the Barons. They folded in 1978.
The Penguins are the NHL's second franchise in Pittsburgh. A team called the Pirates spent five seasons in Pittsburgh from 1925 until 1930 before it moved to Philadelphia and folded.
Seth Rorabaugh: srorabaugh@post-gazette.com and Twitter @emptynetters.
First Published: February 9, 2016, 6:44 p.m.
