1984–85 Pittsburgh Penguins season
| 1984–85 Pittsburgh Penguins | |
|---|---|
| Division | 6th Patrick |
| Conference | 11th Wales |
| 1984–85 record | 24–51–5 |
| Goals for | 276 |
| Goals against | 385 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Eddie Johnston |
| Coach | Bob Berry |
| Captain | Mike Bullard |
| Alternate captains | None |
| Arena | Pittsburgh Civic Arena |
| Average attendance | 10,018 |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Mario Lemieux (43) |
| Assists | Mario Lemieux (57) |
| Points | Mario Lemieux (100) |
| Penalties in minutes | Gary Rissling (209) |
| Wins | Denis Herron (10) |
| Goals against average | Roberto Romano (4.42) |
The 1984–85 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the team's 18th in the National Hockey League. It marked the debut of Mario Lemieux for the Penguins. Lemieux debuted on October 11, 1984, against the Boston Bruins and scored a goal with his very first NHL shot, on his first shift. Later that season, Lemieux played in the NHL All-Star Game and became the first rookie to be named the All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player. Despite missing seven games during the season, Lemieux scored 100 points and won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the rookie of the year.
Before the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, Lemieux announced he wanted to play for whoever drafted him. He and his agent were deadlocked with the Penguins and could not negotiate a contract. Because of this, when the Penguins called his name as the first overall draft pick, he did not shake general manager Eddie Johnston's hand or don the Penguins jersey, as is NHL tradition. He claimed he was upset about the contract negotiation, and said that "Pittsburgh doesn't want [him] bad enough." Even though the draft was held in Montreal, over 3,000 fans viewed a broadcast in Pittsburgh's Civic Arena — a typical Penguins game drew less than 7,000 fans at the time. Lemieux's actions upset many fans and led to accusations of arrogance and aloofness. After the draft, Johnston signed Lemieux to a two-year contract for $600,000, plus a $150,000 bonus for signing. Although Lemieux wore the jersey #27 during his time with the Laval Voisins, he wanted to adopt Wayne Gretzky's #99 when he entered the NHL. However, his agent advised him to create his own identity; thus, Lemieux turned #99 upside down and landed on #66, which stuck with him throughout his career.
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