Scotty Bowman and Ron Francis headline the Penguins’ 2025 Hall of Fame class
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced their Hall of Fame class for 2025, highlighting key figures in the team’s history.
Scotty Bowman, the coach with the most wins in NHL history, and Ron Francis, the fifth all-time leading scorer in the league, lead the list.
Both were fundamental pillars on the Pittsburgh teams that conquered the franchise’s first two Stanley Cups in the early 1990s.
Along with Bowman and Francis, both already members of the Hockey Hall of Fame, forward Kevin Stevens and former coach and general manager Eddie Johnston will join in an on-ice ceremony during the game against Columbus on October 25.
The four honorees played a crucial role in transforming Pittsburgh into one of the league’s most attractive franchises in the late 80s and early 90s.
Johnston was the general manager when the Penguins selected Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux with the first overall pick in 1984. He later served as the club’s head coach from 1993 to 1997.
Bowman served as Pittsburgh’s director of player personnel during the 1990-91 season, where he helped the team incorporate a number of veterans, including Francis, to complete a roster ready to compete for a title. Bowman took over as head coach in 1991 after Bob Johnson was forced to resign due to a diagnosis of brain cancer, shortly after leading the Penguins to a championship.
Pittsburgh won its second consecutive Stanley Cup in 1992 with Bowman at the helm. He then guided the Penguins to the Presidents’ Trophy in the 1992-93 season, but left in the following offseason due to a contract dispute.
Francis spent eight seasons in Pittsburgh after arriving in a trade with the Hartford Whalers. He scored 164 goals and added 449 assists with the Penguins, adding another 100 points in the playoffs.
Stevens was a three-time All-Star during his two stints in Pittsburgh, scoring 260 goals and adding 295 assists in 522 games with the club.
