who was the all-time Pens worst player who lasted 100 games or more.

[Penguinator]

Some others that need to be mentioned are... Jocelyn TBo, Gord Dineen, Janne Laukkenen, Smoke, Chris Wells, Andy McBain

I didn't think Laukanen was that bad.

Smoke?

 

[Whale Mingo]

Smoke?

I'm assuming he meant Brian Smolinski. If that isn't who he meant, he should be on the list. He was terrible at just about ever facet of the game.


I'm a bit older than you guys and many of you probably don't know Gary Rissiling, but the guy could barely skate and once came out for a face off without a stick. He averaged just short of 5 penalty minutes a game over his 221 game NHL career. He was a side show back when the team was awful in the early 80's. Spent most of his time in Baltimore where he would actually score goals, but he was just a side show in the NHL.

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

It's sickening that McKenna wore the C. Even if it was just for a jersey giveaway game, he's the one you give it to?

 

[Liquid Gel]

I'm assuming he meant Brian Smolinski. If that isn't who he meant, he should be on the list. He was terrible at just about ever facet of the game.


I'm a bit older than you guys and many of you probably don't know Gary Rissiling, but the guy could barely skate and once came out for a face off without a stick. He averaged just short of 5 penalty minutes a game over his 221 game NHL career. He was a side show back when the team was awful in the early 80's. Spent most of his time in Baltimore where he would actually score goals, but he was just a side show in the NHL.

Smolinski was terribbad for the Penguins. My least favorite Penguin All-time

Rissling was not a bad skater. He is a very small guy who was trying be an enforcer. I played in a Penguin Fantasy camp with and against him. He could skate and could even handle the stick quite well, but he was very small compared to the rest of the Pengins there. I was shocked at how small he was. He was on the older side of the guys, but honestly he did not stand out as being less talented.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I'm assuming he meant Brian Smolinski. If that isn't who he meant, he should be on the list. He was terrible at just about ever facet of the game.


I'm a bit older than you guys and many of you probably don't know Gary Rissiling, but the guy could barely skate and once came out for a face off without a stick. He averaged just short of 5 penalty minutes a game over his 221 game NHL career. He was a side show back when the team was awful in the early 80's. Spent most of his time in Baltimore where he would actually score goals, but he was just a side show in the NHL.

But damn he could sell cars.

 

[ColePens]

I know this is hard to believe but Moran was a favorite player of mine when he played here. No reason ... I even knew he sucked .... but still I could tear myself away.

But in the grand scheme of things, I think it is okay. If deardiary can like Adams ... someone had to be a little off kilter to like moran back then too.

The way our announcers talked about him drove me insane much like the Craig Adams era. Ian Moran... given the most credit because he played both positions. Always credited as the best teammate.

That was like Errey going nuts for Adams the other night. Letang does all the work and Adams stands there and gets credit.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

Glass and Adams are easily the worst in recent memory.

Other notables were Moran and McKenna.

 

[Shady Machine]

Has one hell of a case of arrogance for a guy who sucked at his job then and now as well. I cringe at Jay's telestrations with his arrogance added.

Beyond him are the usual suspects. One who didn't make it to 100 games is Dan Focht.

Oh yeah Jay can barely talk. I hate Steiggy's announcing, but Jay is the worst.

 

[Shwag33]

Can't believe Josef Melichar hasn't been brought up.


He was the worst as far as someone who played a regular role. Not an enforcer type.

 

[PaulieWalnuts]

Dan Focht

 

[cassius]

Caufield.. he was awful at playing hockey.

As far as the > 25GP and < 100GP... I'd put my money on Shane Endicott. God he was awful lol

 

[billybudd]

I didn't think Laukanen was that bad.

Smoke?

Laukannen was really good for us (for a relatively short period of time). He was a wall holding the line on the PP. Like, a dude could take a full power slapshot to clear the zone and Laukannen would somehow knock it down--100% of the time--and get it back to Jagr or Kovalev in one motion.

Larry Murphy's the only other guy I can recall who was as good at that one particular thing.

Smolinski was aggravating to watch, but he produced just fine for what he was supposed to do. I'd take him over Sutter, certainly.

 

[Ogelthorpe]

Can't believe Josef Melichar hasn't been brought up.


He was the worst as far as someone who played a regular role. Not an enforcer type.

Oh, read the thread again....he was brought up a few times.....and I totally agree!

 

[lastcupever75]

sorry people its not adams.

he was pretty decent when he first came here.
likely saved us the cup by going down trying to block the last second shot detroit got. forced the shot to go high, unless you all trusted MAF there, lol


someone on the first page said it. zemlak was terrible, even as a fighter

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

He's probably not the worst player ever to play for the Pens, but I can't help but put Craig Adams as my choice because the guy has infected this team the past half dozen seasons and doesn't seem to go away.

It's sort of a "what have you done for me lately" mentality in reverse. I couldn't give a damn *today* what those other players were like, because it doesn't affect my ability to enjoy my team *today*. Adams does.

 

[Whale Mingo]

Smolinski was terribbad for the Penguins. My least favorite Penguin All-time

Rissling was not a bad skater. He is a very small guy who was trying be an enforcer. I played in a Penguin Fantasy camp with and against him. He could skate and could even handle the stick quite well, but he was very small compared to the rest of the Pengins there. I was shocked at how small he was. He was on the older side of the guys, but honestly he did not stand out as being less talented.

Rissling was really a great guy, but my hope is he got better skating as he got older because I saw him play and skating was not his strong suit.

 

[Goalie Ledoux]

Rico Fata

 

[deczola]

rico fata

bingo

 

[deczola]

This is a fun topic.

Absolute worse Penguin was Rico Fata. I'm a believer that you can suck in two zones but be semi-decent in the final zone, you at least have some type of service for a team.

Rico Fata was the absolute worse defensive forward I ever witnesses in NHL history. He was also a top 20 all-time turnover machine.

Not many players in the NHL can singlehandedly lose a game (discounting goalies).....Fata had that in him.

 

[deczola]

Just looked his stats up......had a nice minus 46 one year

 

[Burgs]

How has nobody mentioned Tanner Glass (115 games) yet?
Edit: Oh he was mentioned, missed it the first time.

And yeah, it's probably McKenna. At least Leroux, while skating like he had no knees, was a tough fighter and had the occasional big hit. McKenna was freakishly tall but had no on-ice skills at all, not even toughness.

The only thing I remember Jay Caufield for is him being Mario's personal fitness trainer before and during his last comeback.

Some others that need to be mentioned are... Jocelyn TBo, Gord Dineen, Janne Laukkenen, Smoke, Chris Wells, Andy McBain

Only Dineen and Laukkanen played 100+ games for us though. Laukkanen would've been a decent PMD after 2005 but was worth much less in the clutch & grab league before that. Poor Thibault was simply done after his hip surgeries, I don't think he was ever healthy in his time as a Pen. Smolinski was a lazy waste of considerable talent. And 6'6 no-skiller Wells somehow got us Stu Barnes and Jason Woolley from the Panthers.

A full skater list can be found here, and the goalie list here.

 

[Skk82]

Kris Beech played exactly 100 games as a Penguin, he should be mentioned.

And since Focht has gotten some (deserved) mentioning despite not playing 100 games as a Penguin, then I gotta throw Kelly Buchberger out there. By the time he made it to Pittsburgh he was just a sad, pathetic old player who was just getting beaten up every night. I looked at his hockeyfights page and they don't have total records but just going on the descriptions I would put him at 1-12-3 in 15 fights.

I mean, I guess good for him for being so willing to fight, but he was just a terrible player, worse fighter and really summed up just how bad that team was that they had to keep trotting him out night after night.

 

[td_ice]

Kris Beech played exactly 100 games as a Penguin, he should be mentioned.

And since Focht has gotten some (deserved) mentioning despite not playing 100 games as a Penguin, then I gotta throw Kelly Buchberger out there. By the time he made it to Pittsburgh he was just a sad, pathetic old player who was just getting beaten up every night. I looked at his hockeyfights page and they don't have total records but just going on the descriptions I would put him at 1-12-3 in 15 fights.

I mean, I guess good for him for being so willing to fight, but he was just a terrible player, worse fighter and really summed up just how bad that team was that they had to keep trotting him out night after night.

Kris Beech, yeah that's a good pick for sure.

 

[Burgs]

And since Focht has gotten some (deserved) mentioning despite not playing 100 games as a Penguin, then I gotta throw Kelly Buchberger out there. By the time he made it to Pittsburgh he was just a sad, pathetic old player who was just getting beaten up every night. I looked at his hockeyfights page and they don't have total records but just going on the descriptions I would put him at 1-12-3 in 15 fights.

I mean, I guess good for him for being so willing to fight, but he was just a terrible player, worse fighter and really summed up just how bad that team was that they had to keep trotting him out night after night.

Yeah he looked awful but at least he tried every game. Buchberger was on his last legs but he still brought spirit and a sense of duty. A 37 year old veteran in his 17th season, with over 1,200 games played and 2 Cup rings to his name. He didn't really need the job but still worked his ass off on our last place team, making 550k. He kept getting beaten up (dropyourgloves.com lists his fight record that season as 1-10-4) and run over, and never complained once. He scored his only goal of the season in the second to last game of the year, and looked so deliriously happy on the bench, you couldn't help but go "Awww". The guy showed a lot of heart which you can't say about every 37 year old, 2-time Cup winning 4th liner...

 

[Master Shake*]

I went on a road trip with the Pens in 93 to Long Island and we were snowed in with team for three days. Nicest group of guys you would ever want to meet and Jay Caufield was nicest. He spent and afternoon with me in an event room showing me tips with shooting a slapshot.
Maybe he couldn't skate, but the guy would kill for a teammate. Unlike Adams who said Sid was on his own last playoffs.

Yeah **** Adams.

There were alot of awful years around the team in the 80s and post Jagr trade