Why “Pittsburgh Penguins” Took the last place in the NHL?

At 1983-84 season in the NHL, “Pittsburgh Penguins” did just 38 points.The season became  the worst in the season of NHL history. The group had serious financial problems and the managers and coaches of the club constantly made strange decisions on the composition and tactics. Later they admitted that the staff especially made any moves to lower the place. The last place gives the right to the first draft pick. There they waited for the hockey player in the promising young (Mario Lemieux). He immediately became the leader of “penguins” and led the team to win the Stanley Cup championship at the seasons 1990-1991 and 1991-92.Right now the first choice in the NHL raffled between all the teams that were not went to the playoffs.

Кубок Стэнли

Sorry, this entry is only available in Russian.

Недавно прочитал серию интересных статей о хоккее, и на основе их я задумал написать серию об истории Кубка Стэнли начиная с далёкого 1892 года. А так-же написать, что же такое кубок Стэнли в широком смысле этого слова.

Невыполнимость данной задачи в том, что для канадцев кубок Стэнли (несмотря на то что он принадлежит и США) без преувеличений является эдаким “священным Граалем” (это даже одно из официальных прозвищ трофея). И если хоккей безоговорочно вид спорта № 1 в стране, то кубок Стэнли – один из двух главных канадских символов. Второй – изображённый на государственном флаге кленовый лист.
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Happy birthday ice hockey!

First organized game was played 140 years ago in Montreal

Exactly 140 years ago, on 3rd March 1875, the first organized ice hockey game was played in Montreal at the Victoria Skating Rink.
McGill defeated Victoria 2-1 in that game that the IIHF in 2002 formally recognized as the first organized ice hockey game played between two teams with a set of rules and a referee, although earlier references to forms of the game exist but not in form of an organized game.
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