The Pittsburgh Penguins’ organizational history has a plethora of great players, and we’ve decided to go through the best Penguins’ players to wear each jersey number. Today, we continue the list by naming the best #48 in Penguins’ history.
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Only four players have worn #48 for the Penguins, and the first two to do it were defenseman Jeff Serowik and forward Konstantin Koltzov. Currently, forward Valtteri Puustinen wears the number.
The only one remaining was a key role player during the Penguins’ 2009 Stanley Cup run. And that player is Tyler Kennedy (…Kennedy..!)
Kennedy was drafted by the Penguins in the fourth round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He debuted in the 2008-09 season, and he grew into a third line role alongside center Jordan Staal and winger Matt Cooke.
He was a crucial role player during the team’s 2009 Cup run. Kennedy was a great penalty killer and took the ice in critical defensive situations, and he also registered five goals and nine points during the playoffs, including this iconic tic-tac-toe goal from Game 4 of the Final against the Detroit Red Wings:
Kennedy was a versatile forward who moved up and down the lineup, playing on that third line with Staal (and, later, Brandon Sutter) but also seeing some time on the second line with Evgeni Malkin. During his six-season tenure with the team, he recorded 76 goals and 168 points in 372 games.
Kennedy, a pending restriced free agent, was traded to the San Jose Sharks in the summer of 2013 for a second-round pick. He spent parts of two seasons there before being dealt to the New York Islanders at the 2015 trade deadline.
He spent his final NHL season in 2015-16 with the New Jersey Devils, registering three goals and 16 points in 50 games. Over the course of his NHL career, he put up 89 goals and 215 points in 527 games.
Kennedy now runs the Tyler Kennedy Hockey School in Pittsburgh as a popular youth hockey growth initiative.
