June 12, 2009: The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings, 2-1 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, clinching the Stanley Cup and reversing the result of the previous year's Finals. Sidney Crosby had his 1st Cup.
It should've been his last. It wasn't.
Clarence Campbell, NHL President from 1943 to 1977, had Maurice Richard (not that they got along), Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull and Bobby Orr to grow the League's popularity. His successor, John Ziegler, had Wayne Gretzky. He retired in 1992, handing the presidency to Gil Stein, who, due to a restructuring of League management, held the title for just 1 year, as the new office of Commissioner (to match the other major North American sports leagues) was created in 1993, for Gary Bettman. Bettman wanted his own Orr, his own Gretzky.
In 2005, with the yearlong lockout over, he got his Gretzky: Sidney Patrick Crosby. Born on August 8, 1987 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, his homeland of Canada follows the British custom of writing the date with the day, then the month, then the year: "7 August 1987," or "7/8/87." But since America does the month first, "August 7, 1987" or "8/7/87," Crosby decided that he would wear uniform Number 87.
By the time he was 14, he was already being hailed as Canada's best amateur hockey player. In 2003-04, at 16, he led Rimouski Océanic to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League title. That season, and in 2004-05 -- stuck there by the lockout -- he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Canadian Hockey League, the junior hockey organization that oversees the QMJHL, the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Three straight poor seasons left the Penguins in position to draft Crosby, and to be mentored by their owner and greatest player ever, Mario Lemieux. Between Lemieux and Bettman, Crosby got every advantage imaginable: Though Canadian, he would be a Gretzky for an American team from Day One.
Oddly, in his rookie season of 2005-06, Crosby did not win the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year. It was awarded to Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, who would spend the rest of his career, for the most part, as the 2nd-best player in the League, but in Crosby's shadow. The Penguins did not make the Playoffs that season: As is usually the case with a team having a sensational rookie, they needed more than that one player.
But in 2006-07, he was named to his 1st All-Star Game, and won the following awards: The Art Ross Trophy as leading scorer (goals and assists combined), the Hart Memorial Trophy as Most Valuable Player as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, the Ted Lindsay Award as Most Outstanding Player as voted by the NHL Players' Association, the Mark Messier Leadership Award (at the age of 19), and the ESPN ESPY Award for Best NHL Player. The Penguins made the Playoffs, but lost in the 1st Round.
In 2008, Crosby again won the NHL's ESPY, and led the Pens to the Stanley Cup Finals. In the process, they swept the Ottawa Senators, who had knocked them out of the Playoffs the season before; and then beaten both the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers in 5 games. But the Red Wings, with a veteran-laden lineup, beat them in the Finals in 6 games. It was a moment much like 1983: The New York Islanders were not yet ready to end their dynasty, and the Edmonton Oilers of Gretzky were not quite ready to take the Cup away from them.
In 2008-09, the Penguins finished 2nd in the Atlantic Division. In the Playoffs, they beat their intra-State rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, in 6 games; outfought Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in 7, and then swept the Carolina Hurricanes in 4 straight.
They would have a rematch with the Red Wings, who were not going down without a fight, especially since they would have the home-ice advantage for Games 1 and 2, and, if necessary, 5 and 7. And the Wings won each of the 1st 2 games by a 3-1 score. The series went back to the Mellon Arena (formerly the Civic Arena), and the Pens won Games 3 and 4, both by a 4-2 score.
The Wings won Game 5 at the Joe Louis Arena, 5-0. The Pens won Game 6 at home, 2-1. The home team had won every game. And Game 7 would be in Detroit.
There was no scoring in the 1st period. Just 1:13 into the 2nd, Maxime Talbot put the Penguins on the board. Halfway through, at 10:07, Talbot scored again. The Wings got a goal from Jonathan Ericsson with 6:07 left in regulation, but, as hard as the proud old team with 4 of the last 12 Cups fought, they couldn't find the equalizer. The Penguins won, 2-1.
It was their 1st Stanley Cup since 1992, their 1st without Mario Lemieux playing for them, and the 1st for Sidney Crosby, who, as Captain, was handed it by Commissioner Bettman.
Evgeni Malkin was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Playoffs. He was the 1st Russian-born, and the 1st Russian-trained, player to receive it.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had won Super Bowl XLIII on February 1. So, from June 12, 2009 to February 7, 2010, 250 days, Pittsburgh held the World Championships of both football and hockey.
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June 12, 2009 was a Friday. Football was out of season. The NBA Finals were on a travel day. Two nights later, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Orlando Magic, 99-86 at the Staples Center (now the Crypto.com Arena) in Los Angeles, in Game 5 to clinch the title.
And a full slate of Major League Baseball games was played:
* The New York Yankees beat the New York Mets, 9-8 at the new Yankee Stadium. This dramatic bottom-of-the-9th-inning comeback win is known as the Luis Castillo Game. I have a separate entry for that event.
* The Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-2 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Kyle Kendrick collapsed in the top of the 13th inning, allowing 4 singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly that scored 3 runs.
* The Atlanta Braves beat the Baltimore Orioles, 7-2 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.
* The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Washington Nationals, 4-3 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
* The Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-0 at Rangers Ballpark in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. (It's now named Choctaw Stadium.) The Rangers needed 3 pitchers to complete an 8-hit shutout.
* The Detroit Tigers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-1 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
* The Florida Marlins beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-3 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
* The Cleveland Indians beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-3 at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
* The Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago Cubs, 7-4 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago White Sox, 7-2 at Miller Park in Milwaukee. (It's now named American Family Field.)
* The Kansas City Royals beat the Cincinnati Reds, 4-1 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.
* The Colorado Rockies beat the Seattle Mariners, 6-4 at Coors Field in Denver.
* The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Houston Astros, 8-1 at Chase Field in Phoenix.
* The Los Angeles Angels beat the San Diego Padres, 11-6 at Angel Stadium of Anahiem.
* And the San Francisco Giants beat the Oakland Athletics, 3-0 at AT&T Park in San Francisco. (It's now named Oracle Park.)
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