Who are the best American-born players in Pittsburgh Penguins history? Is it Jake Guentzel, Tom Barrasso, Phil Kessel, or someone else?
In 57 seasons, 155 American-born players wore the Pittsburgh Penguins sweater. As the United States celebrates the Fourth of July, this would be the opportune time to discuss who is the best.
Here are our picks for the best American-born players to wear black and gold. If you believe we missed someone or have these skaters ranked in the wrong order, let us know in the comments.
5. Bryan Rust (2014-Present)
Bryan Rust is the only player on this list to have spent his entire career with Pittsburgh (so far). In 10 seasons, he's won two Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017 and collected 372 points in 567 games.
As of 2024, Rust leads all American-born players in games played, and with 28 more points, he'll be one of three to record 400 points. Over the past five seasons, he's netted at least 20 goals and is just 28 shy of 200.
4. Joe Mullen (1990-1995, 1996-97)
Joe Mullen won the Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989 before relocating to the Penguins in June 1990 to partake in the franchise's first titles in 1991 and 1992.
As a member of the 500-goal club, Mullen was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000. During his time with Pittsburgh, which includes two stints, he netted 153 goals and 325 points in 379 games.
3. Jake Guentzel (2017-2023)
Although Jake Guentzel's departure is still an open wound for many Penguins fans, there's no denying his place among the top American-born skaters in franchise history.
As a rookie, he won the Stanley Cup in 2017 and scored 219 goals, 247 assists, and 466 points in 503 games, ranking second in each category.
Additionally, Guentzel was a two-time 40-goal scorer with 34 playoff goals in 58 postseason contests. His regular points-per-game average was .92, which he bumped to 1.00 in the playoffs, making him one of the clutch players in club history.
2. Kevin Stevens (1987-1995, 2000-2002)
Kevin Stevens played 15 seasons in the NHL and eight years in Pittsburgh. He was a back-to-back 50-goal scorer, netting 54 and 55 in 1992 and 1993.
He was also instrumental in the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992, the crowning achievement of his career. Like Guentzal, Stevens' playoffs points-per-game average was 1.02, much higher than his career .83 average.
Despite his well-documented struggles off the ice, Stevens has been a part of the Penguins family for decades and will still be a scout in 2024, a role he's been in since 2005.
1. Tom Barrasso (1988-2000)
Tom Barrasso was arguably the greatest netminder in Penguins history until Marc-Andre Fleury came to town.
Before 2005, the Boston, MA, native was the franchise leader in almost every goalie category and was the only one to lead the team to a Stanley Cup championship.
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Until 2023, Mullen was the only American-born player in the Hockey Hall of Fame until Barrasso earned an induction.
As one of the top U.S. goalies of all time, he is the second-to-last player to win the Vezina Trophy and Calder Trophy in the same season (1984), just months after getting drafted out of high school.
Although all his successes came early in his career with the Buffalo Sabres, he would win 226 games in Pittsburgh, which ranks second behind Fleury's 375.