Hall of Fame Ceremony (10.25.25) | Pittsburgh Penguins

Hall of Fame Ceremony (10.25.25) | Pittsburgh Penguins

[Music] The original Penguins Hall of Fame ran intermittently between the inaugural 1992 class and the most recent induction in 2013. Tonight, we’re proud to bring this tradition back and celebrate the players and builders who helped transform the Pittsburgh Penguins into one of the National Hockey League’s elite franchises over the past 58 seasons. Last night, inductees received their replica plaques at a private ceremony with Penguins general manager Kyle Dubis and assistant general manager Jason Spencer, as well as current Hall of Fame members Mario Lemieux and Craig Patrick. The new Penguins Hall of Fame located behind sections 111 to 113 officially open for the first time to the incoming class this afternoon. It’s a celebration of passion, pride, and the legacy these four men and those they join have left on this city and the Penguins hockey club. It’s time to meet the inductees for the class of 2025. Please welcome to the ice, former Penguins head coach and general manager Eddie EJ Johnston. Eddie Johnston, who enjoyed a 16-year career as an NHL goalender, would immediately bring an innovative approach as the new bench boss of the Penguins. But EJ’s greatest impact was made when he became the general manager of the team in 1983. He was steadfast in his belief that the Pens would need to build through the draft and stop trading away first round picks. And that philosophy sure paid off as he deafly manipulated his roster to ensure that the Penguins got the first pick overall in 1984. Number Swiss Mario. EJ continued to build through the draft and made two huge trades for Paul Coffee and Kevin Stevens. Players who would play major roles in the Penguin Stanley Cup teams in 91 and 92. EJ is the third winningest coach of the second longest tenur coach in team history. He attends every home game to this day and still offers guidance and moral support to the team’s young goalenders. The beloved character who will be known forever in hockey history for having brought Mario Lemieux to Pittsburgh will now be enshrined forever in the Penguins Hall of Fame. Congratulations Eddie Johnston. Next, please welcome to the ice, former Penguins head coach, Scotty Bowman. On the same day in the summer of 1990 that Craig Patrick hired Badger Bob Johnson as coach, he also hired Scotty Bowman as director of player development and procurement. And his brilliant work behind the scenes helped Badger Bob and the Penguins reach the top of the mountain in 1991. When Johnson was stricken with a brain tumor later that summer, Bowman agreed to be the interim coach for the 199192 season. Bowman’s brilliant work behind the bench guided the Penguins through an 11game winning streak on the way to the 1992 Stanley Cup championship. Thanks to Bob Johnson’s vision, all of this today is possible. Bowen would remain to coach the president’s trophy winning team in 9293 and guided the Penguins to an NHL record 17 straight wins and a franchise record 119 points before moving on to Detroit to coach the Red Wings. You could say that the Stanley Cup follows Scotty Bowman wherever he goes. His name is now inscribed on it a record 14 times, but it’s the two inscriptions in 91 and 92 that permanently mark his legacy as one of the greatest coaches and executives in Penguins history and a 2025 inductee to the Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Scotty Bowman. We’re thrilled to welcome former Penguins forward Kevin Stevens. On September 9th, 1983, Penguins general manager Ed Johnston made what was arguably the most shrewd trade of his Penguins career, sending Swedish left-winger Anders Hawinson to the Los Angeles Kings for a Bostonbased high school prospect. That prospect’s name was Kevin Stevens. Stevens would develop into a star at Boston College, earn a spot on the 1988 US Olympic team, and turn pro with the Penguins late in the 8788 season. It wasn’t long before the 6’3, 225-lb Stevens established himself as one of the premier power forwards of his generation. Kevin Stevens remains one of only four players in league history to score 50 goals and register 200 penalty minutes in a season, hence his distinction as one of the great power left wingers of all time. Stevens was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024. And now we welcome him to the Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Fame, class of 2025. Congratulations, Kevin Stevens. And finally, please welcome former Penguins captain Ron Francis. Penguins GM Craig Patrick engineered what is perhaps the greatest trade in franchise history. And the key player in that deal was hockey hall of famer Ron Francis who instantly became the perfect compliment to Mario Lemieux as the team’s second line center. In his first of seven full seasons with the club, Francis dawned his familiar number 10. And in the 1992 playoffs, his greatness emerged while Lemieux was injured with a broken hand, completing a hat-tick in overtime of game four and propelling the Penguins to a come from behind second round win over the New York Rangers. The Penguins win in overtime. Ronnie Franc. And in his final six seasons with Pittsburgh, he registered a league leading 407 assists and was third with 548 points and served as captain on a line with fellow Hall of Famer Yarimir Joagger in the 9798 season. Francis reached 100 points two times and 90 points four times with the Penguins between 1992 and 1998. And 20 years post retirement, he still ranks fifth all time in NHL scoring with 1798 points. Congratulations, Ron Francis, and welcome to the Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Fame. Just as these men have left a mark on this franchise, they now have a permanent spot in this building, solidifying their legacy in Pittsburgh Penguins hockey history. At this time, we’d like to invite Sydney Crosby of Getty Malcin and Chris Latang to join the class of 2025. [Music] Hockey fans, this is the Penguins Hall of Fame induction class of 2025. Congratulations, gentlemen.

On October 25, 2025 the Penguins organization honored Scotty Bowman, Ron Francis, Eddie Johnston, and Kevin Stevens during the Penguins Hall of Fame Ceremony.