Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
City	Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
League	American Hockey League
Conference	Eastern
Division	Atlantic
Founded	1981
Home arena	Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza
Colors	Black, gold, white, red
Owner(s)	Ronald Burkle Mario Lemieux
General manager	Jason Spezza
Head coach	Kirk MacDonald
Captain	Vacant
Media	Wilkes-Barre Times Leader Scranton Times-Tribune AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh WILK Newsradio AHL.TV (Internet)
Affiliate(s)	Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)
Franchise history
1981–1988	Fredericton Express
1988–1993	Halifax Citadels
1993–1996	Cornwall Aces
1999–present	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Championships
Regular season titles	2: (2010–11, 2016–17)
Division Championships	4: (2005–06, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2016–17)
Conference Championships	3: (2001, 2004, 2008)
Calder Cups	0
Current season

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (often called the WBS Penguins) are a professional ice hockey team. They play in the American Hockey League (AHL). This team is linked to the National Hockey League's (NHL) Pittsburgh Penguins. They play their games at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania. This town is just outside the city of Wilkes-Barre. The WBS Penguins have won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy twice. This award goes to the team with the best record in the regular season.

Team History: How the Penguins Started

In the 1990s, the Pittsburgh Penguins had a main minor league team called the Cleveland Lumberjacks. This team was part of the IHL. But the IHL started to change. It became less about helping young players grow. The Pittsburgh Penguins wanted their minor league team to be in the AHL instead.

So, in 1996, the Penguins bought an AHL team called the Cornwall Aces. This team was not playing at the time. The Penguins kept the team inactive until the 1999–2000 season. This was because their new arena in Wilkes-Barre Township was still being built. Fans lovingly call the team the "Baby Penguins." Their mascot is Tux the penguin. Tux wears jersey number 99, which is a nod to the team's first season in 1999.

Chasing the Calder Cup

The Penguins have played in the Calder Cup finals three times. However, they have not yet won the championship. In their second season, they made it to the finals. They lost to the Saint John Flames in six games.

They returned to the finals in their fifth season. But the Milwaukee Admirals swept them, winning all games. Their most recent trip to the finals was in 2008. They beat the Portland Pirates in a tough seven-game series. Then they played the Chicago Wolves in the final. They lost that series in six games.

Top Seasons and Awards

The WBS Penguins won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy in 2011. This was for having the best regular season finish with 117 points. Their goalie, Brad Thiessen, won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award. This award goes to the AHL's best goalie each season. He had a great record of 35 wins, 8 losses, and 1 overtime loss. His goals-against-average was 1.94, and his save percentage was .922.

The head coach, John Hynes, won the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award. This award is for the most outstanding AHL coach. Even with their best regular season ever, the Penguins were knocked out of the 2011 playoffs. The Charlotte Checkers beat them in the second round.

The Penguins have made the playoffs in almost every season they have played. They had a long streak of 16 playoff appearances. This ran from the 2002–03 season to the 2017–18 season.

Special Games and Youth Teams

Before the 2009–10 season, the team held a special "Black and Gold Game." This was a game between players from both the Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. It was the first time stars like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin played against each other in this type of game. All tickets sold out very quickly. The team held a second Black and Gold Game in September 2010.

In 2009, the Penguins also started a youth hockey group. It is called the Wilkes-Barre Junior Pens. This team practices at the Ice Rink at Coal Street Park. This rink is also used by the WBS Penguins for their practices.

Team Rivals

The Penguins used to have a big rivalry with the Philadelphia Phantoms. This team was linked to the Philadelphia Flyers, another NHL team from Pennsylvania. After the Phantoms moved, the Hershey Bears became the Penguins' main rivals. The Bears are also located in Pennsylvania. They are linked to the Washington Capitals, another rival of the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 2014, the Phantoms moved back to Pennsylvania and became the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Season Highlights

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have played many seasons. They have had some great years and some challenging ones. Here are some highlights from their regular seasons and playoff runs:

• In their second season (2000–01), they reached the Calder Cup Finals.
• They won their division title in 2005–06, 2007–08, 2010–11, and 2016–17.
• The 2010–11 season was their best regular season ever, with 117 points. They won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy that year.
• They made it to the conference finals multiple times, including 2001, 2004, and 2008.
• The team has consistently been strong, making the playoffs in most of their seasons.

Meet the Players

Current Roster

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have a team of talented players. These players work hard to win games. Many of them hope to play for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL one day. The team includes players from different countries, like Sweden, Latvia, Finland, and Russia, as well as Canada and the United States.

Team Captains

A team captain is a leader on the ice. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have had many great captains over the years. Some players have served as captain for multiple seasons. Tom Kostopoulos was a captain for several years, including from 2013 to 2018. The captain position is currently vacant.

Notable Alumni: Players Who Made It Big

Many players have played for the WBS Penguins before moving on to the NHL. These players spent at least 100 games with the Penguins and 100 games in the NHL. Some famous names include:

• Marc-Andre Fleury (a well-known goalie)
• Matt Murray (another successful goalie)
• Brooks Orpik (a strong defenseman)
• Maxime Talbot (a fan favorite forward)
• Tom Kostopoulos (a long-time captain and team leader)

Team Records: Best Performances

The Penguins have set many team records over the years. These show some of the best individual and team performances.

Single Season Records

• Goals: Chris Minard, 34 goals (2008–09 season)
• Assists: Jeff Taffe and Janne Pesonen, 50 assists (2008–09 season)
• Points: Janne Pesonen, 82 points (2008–09 season)
• Penalty minutes: Dennis Bonvie, 431 minutes (2005–06 season)
• Goaltending wins: Brad Thiessen, 35 wins (2010–11 season)
• Goals Against Average (GAA): Jeff Zatkoff, 1.93 (2012–13 season)
• Save Percentage (SV%): Rich Parent (2000–01), Dany Sabourin (2005–06), and Brad Thiessen (2010–11), all with .922

Career Records

• Career goals: Tom Kostopoulos, 181 goals
• Career assists: Tom Kostopoulos, 269 assists
• Career points: Tom Kostopoulos, 450 points
• Career penalty minutes: Dennis Bonvie, 1081 minutes
• Career goaltending wins: John Curry, 103 wins
• Career shutouts: Brad Thiessen, 17 shutouts
• Career games: Tom Kostopoulos, 627 games

AHL Records: Team and Player Achievements

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and their players also hold some records across the entire AHL.

Team Records in the AHL

• Most road wins in an 80-game season: 28 wins (2010–2011), tied with another team.
• Longest road winning streak in one season: 13 games (October 9 – December 3, 2005), tied.
• Longest road winning streak overall: 15 games (April 10 – December 3, 2005).

Player Records in the AHL

• Most points by a defenseman in a career: John Slaney, 486 points.
• Most goals by a defenseman in a career: John Slaney, 157 goals.
• Most goals by a defenseman in a season: John Slaney, 30 goals (1999–2000).
• Most Penalty Minutes (PIM) in a career: Dennis Bonvie, 4,104 minutes.
• Most PIM in one game: Steve Parsons, 64 minutes (March 17, 2002 vs. Syracuse).

AHL Awards and Trophies Won

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and their players have won many important awards from the AHL.

See also

• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights