The Penguins are adding three more names to their Hall of Fame, and this class carries a little bit of everything: a franchise icon in Marc-Andre Fleury, a front-office architect in Jim Rutherford, and a steady two-way defenseman in Larry Murphy.
The team announced that the trio will be honored in a pregame ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 14, when Pittsburgh hosts the Ottawa Senators. It’s the latest step in the Penguins’ renewed Hall of Fame push, following last season’s inductions of Ron Francis, Kevin Stevens, Scotty Bowman, and Eddie Johnston.
Fleury figures to be the emotional centerpiece. The longtime fan favorite signed a ceremonial PTO last fall so he could play one period in a preseason game and retire as a Penguin. Pittsburgh made him the first overall pick in 2003 after Craig Patrick traded up from No. 3 to No. 1 to take him.
Fleury debuted in the NHL at 18 and had the usual bumps that come with a young goalie learning on the fly, but the raw tools were obvious right away. He played 21 NHL games in the 2003-04 season and quickly showed the athleticism that would define his career. Over 13 seasons with the Penguins, he won 375 games, became the franchise’s all-time leader in shootout wins, and helped deliver three Stanley Cups.
His most iconic moment in Pittsburgh still comes from Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final, when he made the diving “Oh Sh-t” save on Niklas Lidstrom in the closing seconds to protect the Penguins’ third championship.
Fleury was then claimed - technically traded - in the 2017 Vegas expansion draft and went on to win the 2018 Vezina Award. He played 1,051 games and finished with the second-most wins in NHL history at 575.
Murphy’s Penguins résumé is quieter, but it is every bit as decorated. The 65-year-old is already on the team’s Ring of Honor mural, which debuted in 2003, and he entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. Acquired from the Minnesota North Stars in one of Patrick’s lopsided trades, Murphy became the kind of offensive defenseman every contender wants: dependable, productive, and never flashy about it.
From 1991 through 1995, he served as a true No. 1 on the blue line. He still leads all Penguins defensemen with a plus-102 during his time in Pittsburgh.
He was a major part of the back-to-back titles in 1991 and 1992, putting up points in eight of 10 Stanley Cup Final games and finishing with 13 points in the Final, trailing only Mario Lemieux. Murphy was twice named to the NHL Second All-Star Team and led Penguins defensemen in scoring four times across the regular season and playoffs.
Rutherford’s path to the Hall of Fame came through the front office, where he helped reshape the Penguins after taking over as general manager in 2014. At the time, the job was considered radioactive in hockey circles, but Rutherford left his president role in Carolina and quickly turned Pittsburgh back into a contender.
His first move was to send James Neal to Nashville for Patric Hornqvist. From there, he kept stacking the roster with a mix of sharp bargain adds and bigger swings: Rob Scuderi to Chicago for Trevor Daley, Matt Cullen on a value free-agent deal, David Perron for Carl Hagelin, and then the biggest splash of all, landing Phil Kessel on July 1, 2015.
Rutherford stayed in the GM chair until his surprise resignation in January 2021. He later served as president of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks before stepping down from that role last May.
With this class, the Penguins’ Hall of Fame now includes a deep list of players, builders, and contributors. The player group features Syl Apps Jr., Les Binkley, Dave Burrows, Paul Coffey, Ron Francis, Rick Kehoe, Mario Lemieux, Joe Mullen, Jean Pronovost, Mark Recchi, Ulf Samuelsson, and Kevin Stevens.
The builders include Scotty Bowman, “Badger” Bob Johnson, Eddie Johnston, Craig Patrick, and Jack Riley. The contributors are Dr.
Charles Burke, A.T. Caggiano, Edward J.
DeBartolo Sr., Elaine Heufelder, Mike Lange, Vince Lascheid, and Frank Sciulli.
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