During the spring of 1991, when the Pittsburgh Penguins defied the NHL betting sites and won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, two netminders of Italian descent were unsung heroes of the victory. Yes, Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Paul Coffey were the leaders of that Cup run, but without the goaltending of Tom Barrasso and the pinch hit appearance of back-up Frank Pietrangelo, the Penguins never win that Stanley Cup. 

Pittsburgh lists a rich history of prominent athletes with Italian heritage. Let’s take a look at some of the Italian-Americans and Italian-Canadians who’ve played starring roles with Pittsburgh’s sports teams.