The year 2025 presented ample change for the Penguins on so many fronts, forcing them to move on from a proud past and further into an uncertain future.
That was represented in a most doleful fashion Feb. 19 when iconic play-by-play broadcaster Mike Lange — perhaps the most beloved member of the franchise — died at age 76.
His passing silenced a voice that was essentially the soundtrack for the exploits of luminaries such as Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, Jaromir Jagr and Evgeni Malkin.
There was further grief for the franchise’s extended family following the deaths of former goaltender Greg Millen on April 7 and Ray Shero, the general manager who guided the franchise to the 2009 Stanley Cup title, on April 8.
On the ice, the final months of the Penguins’ 2024-25 season were marked by transactions that jettisoned long-standing members of the roster.
Most prominently, two-time All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry was waived and then assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Jan. 16 with no set date of return.
Perhaps the most triumphant moment of the season came one day later when goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic became the second goaltender in franchise history — Jarry being the first — to score a goal when he buried an empty netter during a 5-2 road win against the Buffalo Sabres.
Two weeks later, on Jan. 31, the Penguins dealt away sturdy defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor to the Vancouver Canucks for a bundle of assets, including a first-round selection in June’s NHL Draft.
On March 5, forward Michael Bunting — who was acquired in the highly scrutinized trade of All-Star forward Jake Guentzel approximately one year earlier — was dealt to the Nashville Predators. Then two days later, middle-six wingers Anthony Beauvillier (Washington Capitals) and Cody Glass (New Jersey Devils) were also traded.
Jarry was recalled and back in the Penguins’ lineup by March 9 and cobbled together a solid run to complete the season, going 8-4-2 in the final weeks of the regular season.
Following the conclusion of the Penguins’ season, coach Mike Sullivan — typically the subject of speculation as to his employment status — proclaimed on April 18, “My intentions are to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.”
Only 10 days later, the team announced it had agreed to part ways with Sullivan, ending what was the most successful tenure by a head coach in Penguins history. Upon his departure, Sullivan held the franchise record for coaching wins (409) and as well as a pair of Stanley Cup rings from 2016 and 2017.
Roughly five weeks after Sullivan’s departure, Dan Muse was hired as his replacement.
By late June, the Penguins wound up with three first-round draft picks and selected forwards Ben Kindel (No. 11 overall), Bill Zonnon (No. 22) and Will Horcoff (No. 24).
As far as offseason additions to the NHL roster were concerned, the Penguins largely stuck with under-the-radar moves such as trading for defensemen Connor Clifton and Matt Dumba, along with goaltender Artus Silovs, then signing low-risk veterans like forwards Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha as well as defenseman Parker Wotherspoon.
During the preseason, the Penguins did have one familiar face return, but for one night.
Iconic goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury emerged from his recent retirement and suited up for the Penguins, skating in a single period during a 4-1 preseason win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sept. 27.
Once the regular season opened, the Penguins raced out to a surprising 8-2-2 mark through October. But by the time the calendar flipped to November, injuries began to become a factor and the Penguins’ record reflected that reality. Since Nov. 1, they compiled a 7-10-7 record through the NHL’s holiday break on Dec. 23.
Through the team’s success and struggles, Jarry had managed to get his career back on track and started the season with a 9-3-1 mark. That stability allowed the Penguins to deal him and forward Sam Poulin, a first-round draft pick (No. 21 overall) in 2019, to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 12.
A week later, a much-speculated sale of the franchise from Fenway Sports Group to the Hoffmann Family of Companies was officially announced. Pending formal approval by the NHL, the Hoffmann group will become the franchise’s third different principal owner since 1999.
The Penguins stumbled throughout most of December and even endured an eight-game losing streak (0-4-4) between Dec. 7 and 20. But they managed to break that skid in a remarkable fashion.
With a 4-3 home shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens, Crosby potted a regulation goal and an assist, allowing him to become the Penguins’ all-time leading scorer with 1,724 points, surpassing the magnificent Lemieux.