Penguins Reunite with 2016 Stanley Cup Team in Emotional Night at PPG Paints Arena
There are regular-season games, and then there are nights that mean a little more. Friday in Pittsburgh was one of those nights.
Before the puck dropped against the Rangers, the Penguins took a heartfelt detour down memory lane, welcoming back a large portion of their 2016 Stanley Cup-winning roster. The reunion was more than just a ceremonial nod-it was a celebration of a championship bond that still runs deep a decade later.
Sidney Crosby, the heartbeat of that team and still the captain today, was visibly moved during the tribute. As highlights from that unforgettable run played across the jumbotron, Crosby stood on the ice, eyes misty, soaking in the moment.
“You forget some of those big moments as your career goes on,” Crosby told Kevin Weekes in a post-ceremony interview. “But seeing everyone back here, seeing those clips-it hits you.
That group was special. That bond doesn’t go away.”
Crosby’s words carried the weight of a leader who’s seen it all and still cherishes the roots of that championship journey. It wasn’t just about the Cup-it was about the people who helped raise it.
Bryan Rust echoed that sentiment. A key contributor during that run, Rust reflected on the emotional flood that comes with reliving those moments.
“We were hockey players, and that’s our goal, to win Stanley Cups,” Rust said. “To do that with that group, with all the memories we made-it brings back so many smiles. It brings back happy tears.”
Patric Hornqvist, whose net-front presence and relentless energy were vital to that 2016 squad, made the trip not just for the ceremony, but to reconnect with the city and the life he once lived there.
“We rented a car yesterday and just drove around-saw our old houses, where our kids went to school, the grocery stores,” Hornqvist said. “It felt like we lived our old life for a day.
Then that night, you see these guys who are like family. When you win together, that’s the kind of bond you create.”
And while the night was heavy on nostalgia, the current Penguins made sure to deliver on the ice too. In a wild, back-and-forth affair, Pittsburgh edged out the Rangers in a 6-5 thriller-capping the night with a fitting reminder that this team still has plenty of fight left.
The win marked the Penguins’ sixth straight and extended their point streak to nine games (7-0-2), a surge that’s put them back in the playoff picture. Their last regulation loss?
January 11. Since then, it’s been a team playing with urgency, cohesion, and a little bit of that vintage Penguins flair.
Pittsburgh will look to keep the momentum rolling Monday night at home against the Ottawa Senators, before heading out on the road to face the Islanders and Sabres ahead of the NHL’s Olympic break.
But no matter what happens the rest of this season, Friday night was a reminder of what this franchise has built-and the championship DNA that still pulses through the locker room.