Looking back, 2007 essentially marked the beginning of the new generation for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Mario Lemieux had stepped off the ice and into the owner’s box by January of 2006. And after a shaky “transitioning period” where Lemieux’s ownership group originally had a deal in place to sell the team to Jim Balsillie, Lemieux saw Balsillie unexpectedly pull out at the last minute and went on to retain control of the club.
For the rest of the 2005-06 campaign and the entire 2006-07 season, the Penguins remained without a captain. Enter 19-year-old phenom, Sidney Crosby.