1967–68 Pittsburgh Penguins season

1967–68 Pittsburgh Penguins
Division	5th West
1967–68 record	27–34–13
Home record	15–12–10
Road record	12–22–3
Goals for	195
Goals against	216
Team information
General Manager	Jack Riley
Coach	Red Sullivan
Captain	Ab McDonald
Alternate captains	Leo Boivin Earl Ingarfield Al MacNeil
Arena	Pittsburgh Civic Arena
Average attendance	7,407
Team leaders
Goals	Ab McDonald (22)
Assists	Andy Bathgate (39)
Points	Andy Bathgate (59)
Penalties in minutes	Leo Boivin (74)
Wins	Les Binkley (20)
Goals against average	Hank Bassen (2.86)

	1968–69>

The 1967–68 Pittsburgh Penguins season was their first in the NHL. Pittsburgh was one of six cities awarded an expansion team during the 1967 NHL expansion.

After deciding on the "Penguin" nickname (which was inspired by the fact that the team was going to play in an "Igloo", the nickname of the Pittsburgh Civic Center)^[1], a logo was chosen, that had a penguin in front of a triangle, which is thought to be in tribute to the "Golden Triangle."^[2]

1 Offseason
2 Regular season
- 2.1 Final standings
- 2.2 Game log
3 Playoffs
4 Player stats
5 Awards and records
6 Transactions
- 6.1 Trades
- 6.2 Additions and subtractions
7 Roster
8 Draft picks
9 References

Offseason

On February 8, 1966 the NHL awarded a franchise to the Hockey Club of Pittsburgh, Incorporated: a partnership of several investors headed by Pennsylvania State Senator Jack McGregor and his friend and business associate Peter Block. McGregor became the public face of the ownership, as President and Chief Executive Officer, and representing the club at Board of Governors meetings.

Later that year McGregor and Block began assembling their new hockey team. American Hockey League executive Jack Riley was named the club's general manager, and began immediately acquiring the services of players. He signed minor-leaguers Les Binkley, Ted Lanyon, Dick Mattiussi and Bill Speer to contracts before the club had ever taken to the ice.

The name of the new team was chosen by a contest in a local newspaper: on February 10, 1967 the new team became known as the Penguins.

In the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft Riley chose experienced players, particularly former New York Rangers players. Coincidentally Penguins head coach Red Sullivan was a former Ranger player and head coach. Earl Ingarfield, Ken Schinkel, Val Fonteyne, Mel Pearson, Al MacNeil, Noel Price, Billy Dea and Art Stratton had each spent time in their careers with the Rangers, but the Penguins' most prized acquisition was former Rangers star Andy Bathgate. Bathgate, then 34 years old, was near the end of his career and deemed expendable by the Red Wings, who had previously acquired his rights.

The rest of the roster was filled with minor-leaguers, particularly members of the Pittsburgh Hornets, the American Hockey League club which had served the Pittsburgh market since the late 1930s.

Regular season

The Penguins' first general manager was Jack Riley. His team (along with the other expansion teams) was hampered by restrictive rules that kept most major talent with the "Original Six." Beyond aging sniper Andy Bathgate and tough defenceman Leo Boivin, the first Penguins team was manned by a cast of former minor-leaguers. The club missed the playoffs, but were a mere six points out of 1st place in the close-fought West Division.

October 11, 1967 – Andy Bathgate of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores a goal in a 2–1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. It was the first goal ever scored by a player for an expansion team.

Final standings

West Division
	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	PTS
Philadelphia Flyers	74	31	32	11	173	179	73
Los Angeles Kings	74	31	33	10	200	224	72
St. Louis Blues	74	27	31	16	177	191	70
Minnesota North Stars	74	27	32	15	191	226	69
Pittsburgh Penguins	74	27	34	13	195	216	67
Oakland Seals	74	15	42	17	153	219	47

Game log

Win (2 points) Loss (0 points) Tie (1 point)

1967–68 Game log

October: 3–6–1 (Home: 2–3–1; Road: 1–3–0)
#	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Decision	Attendance	Record	Pts
1	October 11	Canadiens	2 – 1	Penguins			0–1–0	0
2	October 13	Penguins	3 – 1	Blues			1–1–0	2
3	October 14	Blues	2 – 4	Penguins			1–2–0	2
4	October 18	North Stars	3 – 3	Penguins			1–2–1	3
5	October 19	Penguins	0 – 1	Flyers			1–3–1	3
6	October 21	Black Hawks	2 – 4	Penguins			2–3–1	5
7	October 22	Penguins	4 – 6	Rangers			2–4–1	5
8	October 25	Seals	1 – 4	Penguins			3–4–1	7
9	October 28	Kings	5 – 3	Penguins			3–5–1	7
10	October 29	Penguins	2 – 4	Bruins			3–6–1	7

November: 6–3–2 (Home: 3–1–1; Road: 3–2–1)
#	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Decision	Attendance	Record	Pts
11	November 1	Penguins	4 – 1	North Stars			4–6–1	9
12	November 4	Penguins	1 – 0	Seals			5–6–1	11
13	November 8	Flyers	1 – 1	Penguins			5–6–2	12
14	November 9	Penguins	1 – 5	Red Wings			5–7–2	12
15	November 11	Blues	5 – 1	Penguins			5–8–2	12
16	November 15	Flyers	0 – 5	Penguins			6–8–2	14
17	November 18	Penguins	5 – 3	Blues			7–8–2	16
18	November 22	Bruins	1 – 4	Penguins			8–8–2	18
19	November 24	Penguins	3 – 5	Kings			8–9–2	18
20	November 25	Penguins	2 – 2	Seals			8–9–3	19
21	November 29	Seals	1 – 6	Penguins			9–9–3	21

December: 4–8–2 (Home: 2–3–2; Road: 2–5–0)
#	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Decision	Attendance	Record	Pts
22	December 2	Rangers	4 – 1	Penguins			9–10–3	21
23	December 3	Penguins	1 – 6	Red Wings			9–11–3	21
24	December 6	Penguins	2 – 7	Black Hawks			9–12–3	21
25	December 9	Penguins	3 – 2	North Stars			10–12–3	23
26	December 10	North Stars	7 – 4	Penguins			10–13–3	23
27	December 13	Penguins	2 – 1	Maple Leafs			11–13–3	25
28	December 16	Black Hawks	1 – 1	Penguins			11–13–4	26
29	December 17	Penguins	1 – 2	Flyers			11–14–4	26
30	December 21	Penguins	1 – 4	Kings			11–15–4	26
31	December 23	North Stars	0 – 4	Penguins			12–15–4	28
32	December 25	Kings	3 – 4	Penguins			13–15–4	30
33	December 27	Seals	0 – 0	Penguins			13–15–5	31
34	December 29	Penguins	1 – 2	Blues			13–16–5	31
35	December 30	Red Wings	5 – 2	Penguins			13–17–5	31

January: 4–7–2 (Home: 3–2–1; Road: 1–5–1)
#	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Decision	Attendance	Record	Pts
36	January 4	Kings	3 – 4	Penguins			14–17–5	33
37	January 6	Flyers	2 – 2	Penguins			14–17–6	34
38	January 7	Penguins	1 – 3	Flyers			14–18–6	34
39	January 10	Canadiens	4 – 3	Penguins			14–19–6	34
40	January 12	Maple Leafs	3 – 4	Penguins			15–19–6	36
41	January 13	Penguins	0 – 7	Maple Leafs			15–20–6	36
42	January 17	Penguins	1 – 1	Seals			15–20–7	37
43	January 18	Penguins	2 – 3	Kings			15–21–7	37
44	January 20	Red Wings	5 – 8	Penguins			16–21–7	39
45	January 21	Penguins	3 – 4	North Stars			16–22–7	39
46	January 27	Kings	5 – 3	Penguins			16–23–7	39
47	January 28	Penguins	1 – 0	Bruins			17–23–7	41
48	January 31	Penguins	4 – 9	Blues			17–24–7	41

February: 4–5–3 (Home: 2–3–3; Road: 2–2–0)
#	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Decision	Attendance	Record	Pts
49	February 1	Blues	0 – 2	Penguins			18–24–7	43
50	February 3	Maple Leafs	3 – 3	Penguins			18–24–8	44
51	February 7	Penguins	4 – 1	Seals			19–24–8	46
52	February 8	Penguins	1 – 3	Kings			19–25–8	46
53	February 10	Rangers	2 – 2	Rangers			19–25–9	47
54	February 14	North Stars	3 – 6	Penguins			20–25–9	49
55	February 16	Blues	3 – 1	Penguins			20–26–9	49
56	February 17	Penguins	3 – 4	Canadiens			20–27–9	49
57	February 21	Flyers	1 – 1	Penguins			20–27–10	50
58	February 24	Seals	3 – 1	Penguins			20–28–10	50
59	February 25	Penguins	2 – 1	Flyers			21–28–10	52
60	February 27	Bruins	3 – 5	Penguins			21–29–10	52

March: 6–5–3 (Home: 3–0–2; Road: 3–5–1)
#	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	Decision	Attendance	Record	Pts
61	March 2	Seals	6 – 6	Penguins			21–29–11	53
62	March 6	Penguins	2 – 4	Blues			21–30–11	53
63	March 7	Penguins	2 – 2	North Stars			21–30–12	54
64	March 9	Kings	1 – 3	Penguins			22–30–12	56
65	March 13	Penguins	3 – 4	Black Hawks			22–31–12	56
66	March 16	Penguins	4 – 6	Canadiens			22–32–12	56
67	March 17	Penguins	0 – 3	Rangers			22–33–12	56
68	March 20	Blues	2 – 4	Penguins			23–33–12	58
69	March 23	Penguins	0 – 3	North Stars			23–34–12	58
70	March 24	North Stars	4 – 4	Penguins			23–34–13	59
71	March 26	Penguins	2 – 1	Kings			24–34–13	61
72	March 27	Penguins	7 – 4	Seals			25–34–13	63
73	March 30	Penguins	2 – 0	Flyers			26–34–13	65
74	March 31	Flyers	1 – 5	Penguins			27–34–13	67

Playoffs

Player stats

Forwards

Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points

Player	GP	G	AST	PTS	PIM
Wayne Hicks	15	4	7	11	2
Paul Andrea	65	11	21	32	2
Ken Schinkel	57	14	25	39	19
George Konik	52	7	8	15	26
Keith McCreary	70	14	12	26	44
Gene Ubriaco	65	18	15	33	16
Val Fonteyne	69	6	28	34	0
Ab McDonald	74	22	21	43	38
Mel Pearson	2	0	1	1	0
Bobby Rivard	27	5	12	17	4
Bob Dillabough	47	7	12	19	18
Billy Dea	73	16	12	28	6
Earl Ingarfield	50	15	22	37	12
Art Stratton	58	16	21	37	16
Andy Bathgate	74	20	39	59	55

Defencemen

Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points

Player	GP	G	AST	PTS	PIM
Ted Lanyon	5	0	0	0	4
Dunc McCallum	32	0	2	2	36
Dick Mattiussi	32	0	2	2	18
Al MacNeil	74	2	10	12	58
Bill Speer	68	3	13	16	44
Leo Boivin	73	9	13	22	74
Noel Price	70	6	27	33	48

Goaltending

Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; W= Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against

Player	GP	MIN	W	L	T	SO	GAA
Hank Bassen	25	1299	7	10	3	1	2.86
Les Binkley	54	3141	20	24	10	6	2.88

Awards and records

Transactions

The Penguins were involved in the following transactions during the 1967–68 season:

Trades

June 6, 1967	To Pittsburgh Penguins Paul Andrea George Konik Dunc McCallum Frank Francis	To New York Rangers Larry Jeffrey
September 7, 1967	To Pittsburgh Penguins Hank Bassen	To Detroit Red Wings Roy Edwards
October, 1967	To Pittsburgh Penguins Gene Ubriaco	To Hershey Bears (AHL) Jeannot Gilbert
February 27, 1968	To Pittsburgh Penguins Wayne Hicks cash	To Philadelphia Flyers Art Stratton

Additions and subtractions

Additions
Player	Former team	Via
Bill LeCaine	Port Huron Flags (IHL)	free agency (1967–08)
Marv Edwards	Nashville Dixie Flyers (EHL)	free agency (1967–09)

Subtractions
Player	New team	Via

Roster

Draft picks

Amateur Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Nationality	Position
1	2	Steve Rexe	Canada	Goaltender
1	11	Bob Smith	Canada	Center

Expansion Draft

#	Player	Drafted From
1.	Joe Daley (G)	Detroit Red Wings
2.	Roy Edwards (G)	Chicago Black Hawks
3.	Earl Ingarfield (C)	New York Rangers
4.	Al MacNeil (D)	New York Rangers
5.	Larry Jeffrey (LW)	Toronto Maple Leafs
6.	Ab McDonald (LW)	Detroit Red Wings
7.	Leo Boivin (D)	Detroit Red Wings
8.	Noel Price (D)	Montreal Canadiens
9.	Keith McCreary (RW)	Montreal Canadiens
10.	Ken Schinkel (RW)	New York Rangers
11.	Bob Dillabough (C)	Boston Bruins
12.	Art Stratton (C)	Chicago Black Hawks
13.	Val Fonteyne (LW)	Detroit Red Wings
14.	Jeannot Gilbert (C)	Boston Bruins
15.	Tom McCarthy (LW)	Montreal Canadiens
16.	Billy Dea (LW)	Chicago Black Hawks
17.	Bob Rivard (C)	Montreal Canadiens
18.	Mel Pearson (LW)	Chicago Black Hawks
19.	Andy Bathgate (RW)	Detroit Red Wings
20.	Les Hunt (D)	New York Rangers

Notes

References

Player stats on Hockey Database
Game log on NHL Reference
"1967–68 Pittsburgh Penguins Games". Hockey-reference.com. http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/PIT/1968_games.html. Retrieved 2009-05-06.

Pittsburgh Penguins seasons

1960s	1967–68 • 1968–69 • 1969–70

1970s	1970–71 • 1971–72 • 1972–73 • 1973–74 • 1974–75 • 1975–76 • 1976–77 • 1977–78 • 1978–79 • 1979–80

1980s	1980–81 • 1981–82 • 1982–83 • 1983–84 • 1984–85 • 1985–86 • 1986–87 • 1987–88 • 1988–89 • 1989–90

1990s	1990–91 • 1991–92 • 1992–93 • 1993–94 • 1994–95 • 1995–96 • 1996–97 • 1997–98 • 1998–99 • 1999–00

2000s	2000–01 • 2001–02 • 2002–03 • 2003–04 • 2004–05 • 2005–06 • 2006–07 • 2007–08 • 2008–09 • 2009–10

2010s	2010–11 • 2011–12

Highlighted seasons indicate Stanley Cup championship

Pittsburgh Penguins

The franchise	Seasons · Draft picks · General managers · Head coaches · Team MVPs · Owners · Players · Records

Arenas	Mellon Arena · Consol Energy Center Training Facilities: Rostraver Ice Garden · Island Sports Center · IceoPlex at Southpointe

Personnel	Mario Lemieux (Owner, Chairman and Governor) • Ron Burkle (Owner) • David Morehouse (President) • Ray Shero (General Manager) • Dan Bylsma (Head Coach) • Sidney Crosby (Team Captain)

Culture / Lore	1967 Expansion · Expansion Draft · 2008 NHL Winter Classic · 2011 NHL Winter Classic · Battle of Pennsylvania · Penguins–Islanders brawl · Bob Gessner · Iceburgh · Jeff Jimerson · Vince Lascheid · Penguin Pete · "The Save"

Affiliates	AHL: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins · ECHL: Wheeling Nailers

Media	Root Sports Pittsburgh (Paul Steigerwald · Bob Errey · Jay Caufield · Dan Potash) · Radio Network WXDX-FM (Mike Lange · Phil Bourque) · Dave Molinari

1967–68 NHL season by team

East	Boston • Chicago • Detroit • Montreal • New York • Toronto

West	Los Angeles • Minnesota • Oakland • Philadelphia • Pittsburgh • St. Louis

See also	1967 NHL Amateur Draft • 1967 NHL Expansion Draft • All-Star Game • 1968 Stanley Cup Finals