1997–98 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 1997–98 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the team's 31st in the National Hockey League. It was their first season under Head Coach Kevin Constantine and first after the initial retirement of Mario Lemieux.
Offseason
Following the 1996–97 season which saw their Hall of Fame star Mario Lemieux retire, the Penguins attempted to continue keeping their recent success. Over the previous nine seasons, no NHL team had been more successful than Pittsburgh in terms of regular season points, although the team had not won a Stanley Cup since 1992. Former San Jose Sharks Head Coach Kevin Constantine was hired as Johnston's successor, promising to replace his predecessor's free-form style of play with a more disciplined approach. Additionally, Ron Francis was named captain in Lemieux's absence, and the team acquired center Martin Straka via free agency to add offense. The team also acquired the rights to defensive-defenseman Jiri Slegr, who had spent the 1996–97 season playing for Sodertalje SK in Sweden.Regular season
The Penguins tied the Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers and New York Islanders for most short-handed goals allowed, with 16.Final standings
Schedule and results
Playoffs
Player statistics
;Skaters;Goaltenders
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
Awards and records
Transactions
The Penguins have been involved in the following transactions during the 1997–98 season:Trades
| August 12, 1997 | To Edmonton Oilers ---- 1998 3rd round pick | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Jiri Slegr |
| September 24, 1997 | To Buffalo Sabres ---- Jason Woolley | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- 1998 5th round pick |
| September 28, 1997 | To Colorado Avalanche ---- Francois Leroux | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- 1998 3rd round pick |
| October 27, 1997 | To Chicago Blackhawks ---- Greg Johnson | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Tuomas Gronman |
| March 24, 1998 | To Anaheim Ducks ---- rights to Patrick Lalime | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Sean Pronger |
| June 16, 1998 | To Edmonton Oilers ---- rights to Josef Beranek | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Bobby Dollas Tony Hrkac |
| June 17, 1998 | To Calgary Flames ---- David Roche Ken Wregget | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Todd Hlushko German Titov |
Free agents lost
Claimed via waivers
Lost via waivers
Player signings
| Player | Date |
| Brad Werenka | July 31, 1997 |
| Ian Moran | August 1, 1997 |
| Martin Straka | August 6, 1997 |
| Robert Lang | September 2, 1997 |
| Joe Dziedzic | September 10, 1997 |
| Alexei Morozov | September 24, 1997 |
| Peter Skudra | September 25, 1997 |
| Rob Brown | October 1, 1997 |
| Jaromir Jagr | January 27, 1998 |
| Peter Skudra | June 17, 1998 |
Roster
Draft picks
The Penguins drafted the following players at the 1997 NHL Entry Draft at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh:| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team |
| 1 | 17 | Robert Dome | Left Wing | Las Vegas Thunder | |
| 2 | 44 | Brian Gaffaney | Defense | North Iowa Huskies | |
| 3 | 71 | Josef Melichar | Defense | HC Ceske Budejovice | |
| 4 | 97 | Alexandre Mathieu | Center | Halifax Mooseheads | |
| 5 | 124 | Harlan Pratt | Defense | Prince Albert Raiders | |
| 6 | 152 | Petr Havelka | Left Wing | Sparta Prague | |
| 7 | 179 | Mark Moore | Defense | Harvard University | |
| 8 | 208 | Andrew Ference | Defense | Portland Winter Hawks | |
| 9 | 234 | Eric Lind | Defense | Avon Old Farms |
Farm teams
The Johnstown Chiefs of the East Coast Hockey League finished last overall in the Northern Conference with a record of 23–41–6.The American Hockey League 's Syracuse Crunch finished in third place in the Empire State Division with a record of 35–32–11–2 record. They were eliminated by the Hamilton Bulldogs in the first round of the playoffs.