The defending NHL Champions made a number of moves in order to gain more draft picks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. They team ended up with seven picks and used their first round pick (30th overall) on Simon Despres, a member of the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL and acquired a number of free agents, most notably former New Jersey Devil Mike Rupp.

The team has gotten off to a 35-22-2 record and are currently sitting in 4th place in the Eastern Conference with Sidney Crosby leading the way with 39 goals.

After firing Michael Therrien in February of 2009, the Penguins promoted Dan Bylsma to interim head coach. He did not disappoint as he racked up an 18-3-4 record and took his Penguins into the playoffs. In the playoffs the Penguins rolled through Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, beat a tough Washington Capitals team in 7 games in the Conference Semi’s then faced the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals, beating them in a 4-game sweep, emerging as the Eastern Conference Champions. In the NHL Finals, they faced the Detroit Red Wings for the 2nd consecutive season only this time, the Red wings had no answers for Marc-Andre Fleury who had 23-saves in game seven as Max Talbot scored two goals for the victory and the third Stanley Cup in franchise History.

Can the Pittsburgh Penguins, coming off a 3 year absence from the NHL playoffs and a disappointing 23 win season, re-ignite Penguins ticket holders with a trip to the postseason? The answer may lie in Sidney Crosby. Crosby, who's being hailed as the next NHL superstar, has risen through the ranks with superior performances at every level. He'll join Mario Lemieux and forward Mark Recchi to spearhead the Penguins attack. The 18-year old phenom has hockey fans in the steel city drooling over Pittsburgh Penguins tickets.

When the NHL decided to expand in 1967, Pittsburgh was an obvious choice for the league. Pittsburgh's last hockey team, known as the Pirates, was disbanded during the 1920's but a solid demand for ice hockey convinced the NHL to make a move. The new members of the NHL, known as the Pittsburgh Penguins, debuted in the Civic Arena, also known as "The Igloo" on October 11th, 1967, losing to the Montreal Canadiens. While not an overpowering team, the Penguins were competitive and benefited from the NHL's decision to place all six expansion teams in the new Western division. The Penguins finished their initial season at 27-34-13 and narrowly missed a playoff berth.

The Penguins broke the playoff barrier in their 3rd season, finishing the regular campaign at 26-38-12. A first round match up with the California Golden Seals went very well as the Penguins managed a 3 game sweep and advanced to the Western Finals. Losing the first pair of games to the St. Louis Blues put the Penguins in an 0-2 hole. Battling back, Pittsburgh managed to even the series, but eventually got knocked out in a six game series.

Throughout the 1970's and 1980's the Pittsburgh Penguins were an average team, making the playoffs with some regularity but never advancing to a conference final. That changed in 1991 and it changed with a bang. Heading into the 1990-91 season with a new head coach in Bob Johnson, the Penguins relied heavily on right wing Mark Recchi. Recchi, drafted by the Penguins in 1988, had a breakout year, almost doubling his previous year's production of 67 points. Midway through the season, the Penguins reloaded in a 3 player swap with the Hartford Whalers and the new additions pushed the Penguins to the franchise's first division championship with a 41-33-6 record. The Penguins advanced into the playoffs with wins over the New Jersey Devils and the Washington Capitals. A six game series over the Boston Bruins sent the Penguins to their first ever Stanley Cup Finals where they prevailed over the Minnesota North Stars. The momentum carried over to the next season, and the Penguins again brought home the Stanley Cup with a sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Having hit paydirt with the NHL Lottery and their choice of Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins tickets have hockey fans in Pennsylvania dreaming of a return to the NHL playoffs and dare we say it? The Stanley Cup. That's a lot of pressure for a rookie and the fans at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, fondly known as "The Igloo" would do well to be patient. It's been over 10 years since the Penguins have hoisted the Stanley Cup, but things are definitely looking up and the optimism surrounding the NHL's newest wunderkind is making Pittsburgh Penguins tickets one of the hottest tickets in the NHL.