• Powered by Roundtable
    Kelsey Surmacz
    Kelsey Surmacz
    Oct 8, 2024, 18:03

    Who is the best player in Penguins' history to wear #50?

    Who is the best player in Penguins' history to wear #50?

    © Charles LeClaire - Imagn Images - Best Penguins by Jersey Number: #50

    The Pittsburgh Penguins' organizational history has a plethora of great players, and we've decided to go through the best Penguins' players to wear each jersey number. Today, we continue the list by naming the best #50 in Penguins' history.

    There have only been two players who have worn #50, and one of those players - goaltender Martin Brochu - only played in nine NHL games with meagher results.

    So, this one goes to recent Penguins' defenseman Juuso Riikola.

    Image

    Riikola played in Pittsburgh from 2019-22. Hailing from Joensuu, Finland, Riikola went undrafted and made his NHL debut on October 11, 2018. He ended up playing in 80 games for the Penguins across four seasons, registering a total of three goals and 13 points.

    He scored his first NHL goal against Vancouver in 2018, and his heavy slap shot became a staple for him.

    [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzTyNfT9Ki0[/embed]

    Riikola even spent some time playing as a forward because of injuries in 2019-20. He had some good underlying numbers and was a pretty popular player among the fan base, but he never quite put it all together - or had much of an extended opportunity - at the NHL level.

    Riikola recently signed a long-term extension with the SCL Tigers in Switzerland. His four seasons spent with the Penguins account for his entire NHL career up to this point.