Penguin Pete
Encyclopedia
Penguin Pete was the Pittsburgh Penguins
’ first mascot
. He was an Ecuador
ian-born penguin
on loan from the Pittsburgh Zoo. Penguins officials even had special ice skates made for Pete by CCM in Canada
. A skater from the University of Pittsburgh
taught Pete at the arena how to ice skate.
Pete made his first appearance during the second intermission of a game against the Boston Bruins
on February 21, 1968 http://pittsburghhockey.net/PensPages/Mascots/mascots.html. Pete made a six more appearances. His last appearance was on November 16 of the same year during a game against the New York Rangers
. He died of pneumonia
on November 23, 1968. It is believed that his death was due to the ice crew at the Civic Arena keeping his nesting area too warm.
After his death Pete was sent to an area taxidermist. He was later displayed in the lobby of the Penguins team offices at the arena. However, the stuffed Pete was later removed from the lobby after a few concerned callers objected to its presence there, according to then-Penguins owner Jack McGregor
.
A second penguin mascot, dubbed "Re-Pete", was later loaned to the team and made it through the 1971–72 NHL season.
The team later adopted Iceburgh, a more traditional mascot, for the 1993–94 NHL season. While Iceburgh's name is a play on both iceburg and Pittsburgh, not reviving the Penguin Pete name was likely done to avoid confusion with the mascot of the same name
at Youngstown State University
in nearby Youngstown, Ohio
.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
’ first mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
. He was an Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian-born penguin
Penguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
on loan from the Pittsburgh Zoo. Penguins officials even had special ice skates made for Pete by CCM in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. A skater from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
taught Pete at the arena how to ice skate.
Pete made his first appearance during the second intermission of a game against the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
on February 21, 1968 http://pittsburghhockey.net/PensPages/Mascots/mascots.html. Pete made a six more appearances. His last appearance was on November 16 of the same year during a game against the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. He died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on November 23, 1968. It is believed that his death was due to the ice crew at the Civic Arena keeping his nesting area too warm.
After his death Pete was sent to an area taxidermist. He was later displayed in the lobby of the Penguins team offices at the arena. However, the stuffed Pete was later removed from the lobby after a few concerned callers objected to its presence there, according to then-Penguins owner Jack McGregor
Jack McGregor
Jack Edwin McGregor is a former Pennsylvania State Senator from Pittsburgh and the founder of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins. He currently resides in Bridgeport, Connecticut where he serves as counsel to Cohen and Wolf, P.C. where he serves as an advisor to companies looking to...
.
A second penguin mascot, dubbed "Re-Pete", was later loaned to the team and made it through the 1971–72 NHL season.
The team later adopted Iceburgh, a more traditional mascot, for the 1993–94 NHL season. While Iceburgh's name is a play on both iceburg and Pittsburgh, not reviving the Penguin Pete name was likely done to avoid confusion with the mascot of the same name
Youngstown State Penguins
Youngstown State University is in NCAA Division I. Nicknamed the Penguins, they play in the Horizon League and Missouri Valley Football Conference, and compete in the following sports:*Baseball *Basketball *Cross Country...
at Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League...
in nearby Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
.