The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Tuesday the first four members who will be inducted into their newly relaunched Hall of Fame.
Scotty Bowman, Ron Francis, Eddie Johnston and Kevin Stevens will represent
the Hall’s class of 2025. The group is part of a three-year rollout that will eventually include the 10 total, previously announced inductees, the team said.
The honorees, along with previously recognized members, will be featured in a permanent Hall of Fame space on the FedEx concourse at PPG Paints Arena.
Bowman, 92, joined the Penguins in 1990 as director of player personnel before moving behind the bench. He guided Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992 and a Presidents’ Trophy in 1993.
Francis, acquired from the Hartford Whalers in 1991 in what became known as “The Trade,” scored 164 goals and 449 assists in 533 games with Pittsburgh. He added 100 points in 97 playoff appearances while helping the Penguins to two Stanley Cup championships.
Johnston, 89, spent nearly five decades with the organization. As general manager from 1980-88, he drafted Mario Lemieux and traded for franchise legends Paul Coffey and Stevens. He later coached the Penguins from 1993-97, finishing as the third-winningest coach in franchise history.
Stevens, 60, played in Pittsburgh from 1987-95 and again from 2000-02. A two-time Stanley Cup champion, he remains the franchise leader among left wings in goals, assists and points in both the regular season and playoffs.
The remaining six inductees — Tom Barrasso, Jaromir Jagr, Chris Kunitz, Larry Murphy, Jim Rutherford and the late Ray Shero — will be honored over the next two years.
Twenty members of the team’s original Hall of Fame, including Lemieux, Mike Lange, Paul Coffey, Mark Recchi and Rick Kehoe, will also be recognized in the new space.
The 2025 class will be celebrated with an on-ice ceremony before the Oct. 25 game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
