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Super Mario: From Prodigy to Legend

  Graphic: Genevive Oliver There have been great players for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and then there has been Mario Lemieux. From the impossible reach of his stick to his effortless, balletic stride, 'Le Magnifique' wasn't just a force of nature—he was a work of art on ice. His time in Pittsburgh wasn't just about piling up goals and assists; it was an incredible journey of dizzying highs, a battle with a life-threatening illness, and then, a truly triumphant comeback that carved his place as an eternal Penguins legend. His story is one of unrivaled greatness on the ice and a fierce, unwavering loyalty to the city that loved him. The Arrival of Le Magnifique: The Savior of a City The hype around Mario Lemieux started almost before he even got here. In the mid-1980s, the Pittsburgh Penguins were a punchline—a franchise teetering on the brink of irrelevance. Their arena was a ghost town, their roster a collection of misfits. Then, on a fateful day in 1984, the draft lotte...
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Penguins Recall Ville Koivunen And Rutger McGroarty

 







With only eight games left in a fading season and the playoff picture growing increasingly distant amidst a frustrating cycle of wins and losses, punctuated by a current three-game skid, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in a move signaling a potential shift towards evaluating their future, recalled a few of their top prospects from the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday, March 28.


Those recalls included forwards Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty.


With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, these call-ups represent a last-ditch effort to inject fresh energy into a struggling lineup.

Pivotal offensive forces within the Penguins' development system, Koivunen and McGroarty, played integral roles in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' offensive surge, securing their Calder Cup playoff berth, before now bringing their talents to Pittsburgh.



In 62 games played with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, during his first season in North America, Koivunen leads the team with 55 points (21 goals, 34 assists). He also has been one of the top scorers in the league, sitting in first place among rookies. With a remarkable 55 points, good for sixth in the AHL, Koivunen brings a significant offensive boost to the Penguins' lineup.

The 21-year-old was officially acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. He was originally a second-round draft pick (51st overall) of the Carolina Hurricanes.



In 60 games played with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, McGroarty has 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists). To kick off the 2024-25 season, he appeared in three NHL games in the Pittsburgh lineup, not scoring a point and was minus-one. Starting on February 15th, McGroarty's production has surpassed all of his WBS teammates, accumulating 18 points, which is two more than Koivunen's total in that span.

The soon-to-be 21-year-old (March 30th) was acquired over the offseason in a deal that sent Brayden Yager to the Winnipeg Jets. He was originally a first-round pick by the Jets in the 2022 NHL Draft and was selected 14th overall. He spent the 2023-24 season finishing his college career with the University of Michigan.






The final chapter of this Penguins' season is now being written, with these new additions playing a key role.

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  1. AnonymousMarch 28, 2025 at 11:17 AM

    You write very well, keep it up. I believe you'll get somewhere one day. 😁

    ReplyDelete

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