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 #19 in Penguins’ history.
Even though 22 total players in Penguins’ history have worn #19 – and several talented players – there is really only one answer for this one.
He was the best and most consistent player for the Penguins throughout the 1970s, and his name was Jean Pronovost.
Pronovost signed with the Penguins undrafted in 1968, and he remained with the team until 1978. During that time, he had some special seasons and was one of the league’s premier goal scorers.
Over his 10 seasons with the team, there was only one time – his rookie season – in which he did not register at least 20 goals. He reached at least 30 goals six times, 40-plus goals three times, and 50-plus goals once with the Penguins, and it was only in his first and last NHL seasons that he didn’t reach 20-plus goals.
In fact, Pronovost was the first player in Penguins’ history to score 50 goals in one season, when he registered 52 goals and 104 points in 1975-76 as part of the famous “Century Line” with Syl Apps, Jr. and Lowell MacDonald.
After the days of The Century Line – and for his last two seasons in a Penguins’ uniform – he often shared the ice with Pierre Larouche. They also put up good numbers together and produced some memorable moments, such as this goal in the 1977 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs:
#ClipTrips
1977 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Preliminary Round. Game 2. Best of 3. Pittsburgh (0) @ Toronto (1).1st period action – 4 on 4. That gives Pierre Larouche and Jean Pronovost a little extra room. Two guys who don’t need it. pic.twitter.com/xFGIaQfTSS
— The Hockey Samurai 侍 (@hockey_samurai) December 18, 2022
Pronovost also scored his 50th goal in 1976 on the same day that Larouche became the first Penguins’ player to register 100 points:
On this day in 1976, Jean Pronovost became the first Penguins player to score 50 goals in a season and Pierre Larouche became the first Penguin to record 100 points in one season. pic.twitter.com/yCWw5SecW6
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 24, 2023
Pronovost played four more NHL seasons after leaving the Penguins in 1978 – two with the Atlanta Flames, and two with the Washington Capitals. He registered three more 20-plus goal seasons, and he finished his 14-year NHL career with 391 goals and 774 points in 998 games.
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