Why are the Penguins disliked by a majority of the NHL community?

DeadPuckEra

Registered User
Dec 19, 2014
1,298
670
The Penguins were not “hated” prior to Crosby.

Crosby’s early days coupled with the non-stop onslaught of Crosby’s face on anything NHL related caused annoyance that led to hate when the team started winning, and making championship rounds. Then you just have your flat out resentment and jealousy that Pittsburgh has had multiple generations of hall of fame players.

Then the narrative of the NHL gifting Crosby to Pittsburgh started, coupled with the NHL wanting Crosby to win championships.

The NHL was really trying to bury Crosby down everyone’s throats coming out of a lock out.

Seems like they learned their lesson with Mcdavid. While he’s promoted, so are a couple handfuls of other players around the league.
 
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Pengu

Registered User
Jun 24, 2016
1,170
610
It's the mixed cocktail of being bad at the "right" time so we could get Malkin and then "steal" Crosby unfairly. From that we experienced success with 3 cups and the longest active playoff streak.
That playoff success has made us expecially hated by our division rivals as I think cbj, wsh, phi and probably more sees us as the most hated team. And it got worse with back to back cups as now everyone wants us to lose for a decade.
 
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ColePens

RIP Fugu Buffaloed & parabola
Mar 27, 2008
107,022
67,647
Pittsburgh
Capitals and blues are nearly universally celebrated for their success.

Toronto and Vancouver succeed at nothing in over a half century and they’re just absolutely ****ing hated here and in general.

I don’t think it’s as simple as success bringing hate.

I vastly disagree. Caps/Blues went through hell just to get 1. Pens have FIVE. They got Mario. They got Sid. People are so crazy over the fact that the Pens got this lucky. People hate success. Pens have success.

Toronto? They get hate because they havent won anything and act like they own the NHL. Vancouver? I don't think they are universally hated. Not even close. Just your typical teams hate them.
 

PensPlz

Registered User
Dec 23, 2009
11,252
5,544
Pittsburgh
I didn't realize people disliked us.

giphy.gif
 
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Jaded-Fan

Registered User
Mar 18, 2004
52,446
14,304
Pittsburgh
I vastly disagree. Caps/Blues went through hell just to get 1. Pens have FIVE. They got Mario. They got Sid. People are so crazy over the fact that the Pens got this lucky. People hate success. Pens have success.

Toronto? They get hate because they havent won anything and act like they own the NHL. Vancouver? I don't think they are universally hated. Not even close. Just your typical teams hate them.

It was even more than that though.

It was a decade and a half ago, but the strike was very traumatic for those who love the sport. The payoff was an almost even chance for everyone at the generational talent that was Crosby. Yes, Pittsburgh was one of four with the best chance but it still was only something like 3% or 4%. So everyone was invested.

Winning the lottery upset everyone else. Especially since Mario was still on the team and the Pens just drafted Malkin, the best player in the world not in the NHL. And had had Jagr not that long before.

It was more than just getting another generational player, it was the entire league feeling that they had a legit shot at him.

That more than anything caused the rabid instant hatred for the Pens, and for Crosby, one of the more likable players the sport had seen.

Screw all the whining talk early on, that was an excuse. How can anyone dislike the most talented grinder the league had ever seen, as he has been called, combined with how great he is off the ice? Because he chirped some on the ice now and then? Please.
 
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Terrapin

Registered User
Mar 6, 2007
9,361
1,382
Who cares? Some of you guys, especially the ones that post on the main boards, care waaaay too much if you/we're liked or not.
 
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KIRK

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
109,700
51,216
IMO, the following reasons include:

1. Crosby
2. 2009, 2016, & 2017 Stanley Cup Champions
3. The overall attitude/culture that comes from Pittsburgh.

Now, hatred towards any sports' team is natural, but some people think the NHL is "rigged" each time the Penguins win the cup or when they receive so called "special treatment" from the refs. Furthermore, Crosby is a player that you either love or hate, but you got to respect him for the way he impacted the NHL.

So, is it jealously or something else?

4. We have Tupperware parties.

It's Sid, more specifically jealousy in response to Sid being pushed from a PR perspective coming out of the lockout, coupled with the BS whiner narrative.
 

Sidney the Kidney

One last time
Jun 29, 2009
55,519
46,239
Some of it has to do with the smug and spoiled fan base. At least from what I've seen, experienced and heard. It could be worse though, we could be leaf fans.

I actually don't get this excuse. When I browse the main threads on here, I don't see a bunch of chest thumping from Pens fans. They'll argue strenuously in threads pertaining to the Penguins, but they don't go around creating drama by bragging about super awesome the Pens are.

The Leaf fanbase, for instant, can come across as incredibly smug despite the fact they haven't won a thing. I don't see Pens fans doing the same stuff that some of them do.
 
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Sidney the Kidney

One last time
Jun 29, 2009
55,519
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Im convinced that if lottery fixing were a thing, Eichel or McDavid would be in Arizona. The league really wants the market to work and theyve had nothing go their way. Getting McDavid would immediately give them a fanbase.

I don't even understand why if there was draft fixing involved, it would be to allow Pittsburgh to get Crosby. From a marketing standpoint, if the league wanted to generate interest after coming back from a year-long missed season, wouldn't they "fix" it so a big market team got him? "The next big thing" playing in New York or Chicago probably would do a lot more for the popularity of the league country-wide than him being gifted to a relatively small market team.
 
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KIRK

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
109,700
51,216
Im convinced that if lottery fixing were a thing, Eichel or McDavid would be in Arizona. The league really wants the market to work and theyve had nothing go their way. Getting McDavid would immediately give them a fanbase.

Actually, if lottery fixings were a thing, Arizona native Austin Matthews certainly would've gone to the Coyotes. But, yes, you're point is spot on.
 

Malkinstheman

Registered User
Aug 12, 2012
9,270
8,033
Actually, if lottery fixings were a thing, Arizona native Austin Matthews certainly would've gone to the Coyotes. But, yes, you're point is spot on.

Yeah forgot about that one. Plus can anyone really think the league wanted Mcdavid to go to Edmonton? 4 1st overalls in 6 years is f***ing disgraceful.
 
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Allie Kitsune

...and the Brawla Brawla Sewitt
Jan 7, 2006
9,948
2,324
Pennsylvania
It seems like after the Islanders Brawl and Mario's "Garage League" (he should have said "Garbage League") comments, there was a corner turned, and Torts' "Arrogant Organization" comment made it evident, a lot of people in the league itself seem to have a hate-on for this team.

I'm not sure about arrogance, but they seem prone to complacency at times.
 
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412 Others

5Cups beats 2Cups
Mar 24, 2009
3,177
564
Black + Gold = Pittsburgh
It's jealousy due well timed luck and tanking in '84 (which i fully endorse), which brought multiple decades of team success, as well as having arguably the best player in the league for most years since 1989.

Being hated is what makes it fun. Following the last 3 cup runs I can tell you I had zero interest in hearing 'Congrats'. Instead, I hit the schadenfreude buffet and lurked the following message boards:

Caps
Flyers
Rangers
Bruins
Wings

I always came away full and satisfied.
 

Le Magnifique 66

Let's Go Pens
Jun 9, 2006
23,618
3,246
Montreal
I think the Sid lottery bothered a lot of people. Everyone was certain the Pens would have been on the move.
People think Bettman rigged the lottery and that was it. Since then I think people dislike us and to be honest better like that
People don't usually dislike "bad teams" :popcorn:
 
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Pengwins

Registered User
Jun 13, 2017
2,785
1,780
Mainly because we were lucky to get Lemieux (top 2 player all time), Crosby (top 5 player all time) and Jagr (top 10 player all time)
 

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