On this Independence Day weekend, it’s worth pointing out that no team in the NHL has quite the star power of American leaders as the Pittsburgh Penguins have over the years.
Dating back to 1990, seven of the last 13 head coaches to serve for the Pens have been Americans. Of the five Stanley Cups the team has captured in this span of just 31 years, four of those times the bench boss has been an American.
Pittsburgh’s USA coaching turn started when then-newly named general manager Craig Patrick (himself a US hockey legend and also a future Penguin coach) hired the great “Badger” Bob Johnson.