The Penguins had their final media availability of the season this morning and I was on the scene. Nothing earth shattering came out of the session, but it was great to see the guys so relaxed and soaking it all in.

Even coming off of a Stanley Cup winning season, it is always tough knowing it is the last day of the season. The arena was empty, the ice was melted and the players were cleaning out their lockers --some of them maybe for the last time.


By bmetzer66, shot with iPhone at 2009-06-14

I had a chance to speak with Sergei Gonchar, Pascal Dupuis, Bill Guerin, Hal Gill, Sidney Crosby and Dan Bylsma. All were still trying to come to terms with what happened this weekend, as the victory had yet to set in. They were also preparing to attend this afternoon’s Pirate game with a special guest: The Stanley Cup.

It was revealed that Gonchar played through a partially torn MCL since his knee on knee collision with Alex Ovechkin and that Kris Letang had a significant injury of some kind. They did not elaborate on the nature of the injury...

Here is a sampling of everything else that was talked about today...

Sergei Gonchar

On how the last couple of days have been for him...

“Obviously, I was close a couple of times and I’ve been in the league for a while. Since I started playing I realized how huge a thing it is to win the cup and now when you got it, its kind of... on one hand you’re probably not realizing fully what you’ve just done. Like yesterday at this time I was sitting with the cup at one of those team parties and it was right in front of me and I just looked at it. I was thinking like you have seen it so many times on TV and now it’s in front of you...it’s yours. It’s a great feeling.”

On the possibility of bringing the Cup to Russia...

“We’re not traveling back home this summer because of the new born. Its going to be tough for us...so we going to stay here in the States and will spend time with the cup with my family.”

On how great this group has been to play with and the possibility of some guys not returning...

“You know, there’s a few guys obviously who are up for a contract so I don’t know who’s going to come back and what’s going to happen. I mean I hope that they all going to come back and we going to have the same team. Obviously we have a good chemistry going and you can see it on the ice. A good group of guys who’s playing for each other and helping each other and it’s very important to win a cup. So I wish everybody would come back, but obviously in the new world of the salary cap its going to be tough.”

On the emergence of Geno Malkin as one of the best players in the league and being the Conn Smythe winner...

“You know I played with him during lock out so I seen him way before he came here...so I know how talented the guy is. To me there was no question that he would be there and he would play at the level he is playing. What I can see in him now is that he has more confidence. He’s more comfortable...he’s much more comfortable right now. His English is a little bit better, mom and dad move in, has his own house, because of it the guy is much more comfortable. As you can see he is doing things that he never done before. You know I could see it coming and I knew its going to be there, but obviously he probably surprised every body by how quickly he developed himself in to one of the best players in the league.”

On the possibility of signing an extension this summer...

“I never talked to my agent or anybody yet...we were focused on playing hockey.”

Pascal Dupuis

On what he is planning for the Cup...

“I don’t know, I didn’t plan anything yet, I am just celebrating right now and living in the moment.”

On what he felt was the turning point of the season...

“Maybe changing the coach...the fact that we kind of realized ourselves that ok, were going to miss the boat if we don’t change the way we are playing. The new coach came in, guys started believing in themselves and we win the Cup.”

On whether this team can win it again...

“Hopefully... you get a taste of it. You know, right now were so happy...everybody. We achieved our goal. Just the moment, living this, you want to do it again.”

On he and his teammates shaving the beards...

“We are all here with white faces here. No sun on our faces...”

On some guys maybe not returning for next year...

“You know, it’s the business side of hockey that you can’t control. Obviously we will have the same core...the same young all star core that we have right now and when you switch a couple of guys here and there...hopefully the guys who are gonna come in are going to do the same job as the guys who were here. “

On the fact that some many different guys stepped up during their run to the final...

“You win the cup with 25 guys...not 20 guys. Players are going to get hurt, guys are going to come in and out of the line-up and it’s everybody’s role to win the cup.”

On whether he had ever been in a parade before...

“Never, no parade...I don’t what to expect for tomorrow, but it should be fun.”

Bill Guerin

On how marketable this makes the team around the league to free agents etc...

“I think it’s huge...you know now a days everything is so tight moneywise with the salary cap. Guys have to put themselves in situations where they’re going to succeed the way that they want... Some guys want to play for the cup, some guys like playing in the nice weather climate, you know the place is important to them. Some guys want the opportunity to play more. Everybody’s got a different agenda...but for me, the opportunity to keep winning and the opportunity to win this year is everything. I think when free agents are looking at possible places to go, everybody’s going to look at Pittsburgh because of the players that they have here and the opportunity to win the Cup.”

On whether he hopes to be back in Pittsburgh...

“You know, I’m hopefully going to talk to Ray sometime in the near future and like I said, I enjoyed playing in Pittsburgh. I like it here. I have to see what Ray is thinking. Those are decisions that he’s gotta make. I love playing here...it’s a great spot.”

On whether he considered retirement after this win...

“Not at all, not at all...”

On whether this group can stay hungry after having achieved this goal...

“Absolutely...absolutely I do. The one thing about winning once is you want to do it again right away. Hopefully...I am sure the guys will stay hungry. Look at the team like Detroit they’ve won a lot of cups, because they have players that stay hungry and they want to keep winning championships.”

Hal Gill

On how this team will be able to compete year to year...

“It’s going to be a good team for a long time...when you are surrounded by great players -- I think winning is going to be something that happens here a lot.”

On thoughts of coming back to Pittsburgh next season...

“I haven’t talked about it, so I don’t know. Of course I’d love to stay.”

On how this group turned things around...

“We have a lot of guys that just love playing hockey. It’s not a job for a lot of these guys. Sometimes a season can wear on ya, but these guys come to the rink and want to play. They love to play and that’s what makes it fun. Midway through the season it looked like things were pretty down and out and we changed our attitude and found a way to enjoy the game and it paid off.”

On the reaction in the city...

“It’s crazy! It’s a different city... we were out on the street last night and people were going crazy. Its kind of a close knit unit of people and they really rally around their teams and it fun to be a part of that.”

On whether he is looking forward to the parade tomorrow...

“It will be great! My daughter is really excited about it. I think that is the only thing that she really wanted...it was like the cup is great, but I want to be in the parade dad! I think it is a great opportunity to get out and share it with the fans. I am not sure what to expect, but I am sure its going to be fun.”

Sidney Crosby

Additional thoughts on not playing in the third period of game seven and having to watch...

“I didn’t have a choice, I couldn’t really do anything. It’s really difficult. It’s not easy watching at that point of the season. I tried everything... there was nothing I could do. I tried to get out there and play, but I just couldn’t.”

On whether he already knew he would be unable to play coming into the third period...

“Yeah, I had a good idea that I wasn’t going to be able too, but I wouldn’t have been satisfied in my mind if I didn’t try it out there.”

On what his plans are for the summer...

“I have no idea of what my plans are for the summer. I’ve got lots of ideas of what to do with the cup, but nothing is set. It is something that I’ve always dreamed about and I have lots of family at home, so I will bring it home and hopefully share it with a lot of people back there and spend as much time with it as I can.”

On the city’s reaction to the Cup win...

“I expected it to be big, but it has been more than I thought. People have been unbelievable. It has been amazing to see the response. You know it was funny, when the Steelers won the Super Bowl we were all together watching it and we able to see the streets and the reaction. It was hard because we were almost looking back thinking what it could have been like for us the year before, but now we’ve got our chance here and the people have been amazing.”

Dan Bylsma


By bmetzer66 at 2009-06-14

On the magnitude of winning the Stanley Cup and the feelings it brings...

“I think there are things in sports that mean something right from the very beginning when you are young...a golfer can talk about the masters...and there are other things that are talked about and dreamed about the same way...but the Stanley Cup is one of those things for a young kid. When you move up the ranks, something you dream about it and a possibility and it seems like only a dream until you actually get the chance to compete for it. It means a whole heck of a lot to a team and the players to be able to compete for the Stanley Cup. More than what pro sports seems to be about at times. It’s something totally different and guys can do some extraordinary things pain-wise and injury-wise. We talk about upper body injuries when we’re in the lower body. Just for a chance to touch it, to have it, to hold it above your head. Its emotional, it’s very emotional.”

On the experience that was gained during last year’s loss in the final...

“Now I can safely tell you that it was very important. Experience is only...you have to make it work to gain experience. I do believe our guys, whether it was the disappointment of getting to the finals and losing -- there were times in the playoffs when we were tested and we had our backs against the wall or we had to deal with a tough loss and our guys were very level headed and focused on playing the way we needed to play regardless of the situation, that’s the tough test of the playoffs. The emotional roller coaster when you get down by two games or you get down by two goals or you have to deal with an injury or those situations that come up when going into road buildings and the team that can play their game and be focused on playing that regardless of the situation, regardless of the score has a great chance at having success and our guys were very very good at that in these playoffs. You can look back to last year and say that they probably gained that through that experience.”

On his storybook ride from losing game seven as a player, to coach in the AHL, to Stanley Cup Champion...

“You know, I said it numerous times and I still feel it. I can’t believe that is me in the picture in the paper and that’s me holding the Stanley Cup. I don’t wake up and see myself as the coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. I see myself as much younger... It is so surreal and a little bit out of body, but this is what I hoped to do some day. I didn’t think that it would come this quick, but I had a great opportunity and these guys did a great job and took advantage of a situation and rode it in the playoffs to a win. Someday I may see myself as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins but right now I am just walking around with this cup and soaking it all in.”

Here is a shot of Coach Bylsma with the Cup... that is a local television anchor standing next to him...

By bmetzer66, shot with iPhone at 2009-06-14

This has been the ultimate season...covering the Penguins as they rode into history was a dreamlike! Thanks for coming back each day and allowing me to be a source for your Penguins news and information!

More tomorrow following the victory parade...hard to believe that we are rolling right into the awards ceremony this week, the draft next week and free agency the week after that! No rest for the wicked, but it should be a fun summer!

2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs Montage from CBC - Thanks to Leahy over at Puck Daddy for posting...


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