Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builders category. Rutherford has been the Penguins GM since June 2014. He is the only general manager in the NHL’s post-expansion era to win a Stanley Cup with multiple teams. The 70-year old Rutherford won the Cup with Carolina in 2006 and won two in a row with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
The Pens received their 2019-2020 schedule Tuesday. They will open with a four-game homestand Thursday, October 3rd against Buffalo. Games against Columbus, Winnipeg and Anaheim will follow at PPG Paints Arena before a two-game road trip. The Pens will face 13 back-to-back games next season.
The Pens offered qualifying contracts to five restricted free agents Tuesday. They include Zach Aston-Reese, Teddy Blueger and defenseman Marcus Pettersson.
Former Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik retired Tuesday after 15 NHL seasons. Orpik was the Pens first-round draft pick in 2000, and made his NHL debut in December 2002. He went on to play 703 games with the Pens before leaving for Washington as a free agent.