CITY OF CHAMPYINZ

Increasingly, hockey has become an international sport, growing in popularity outside of traditional icy, northern climates. For Pittsburgh, hockey was a footnote in the civic sporting landscape. Though American success at the international level during the 1980s grew the sport nationally, it was not until the Penguins won the Stanley Cup Championship in 1991 and 1992 that Pittsburgh celebrated hockey. Pittsburgh hockey has lived and died on the success of its international superstars, whether Canadian, Russian, or Czech. Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby, both Canadian, have invested heavily in Pittsburgh youth hockey development. Because of the investments these players have made in the city, now young hockey players are coming from around the world to compete in Pittsburgh.