Penguins Quarter-Century Second Team: Chris Kunitz

The NHL announced the Pittsburgh Penguins Quarter-Century team on Jan. 9, featuring several memorable names in franchise history.

Today, we want to examine Chris Kunitz’s tenure with the club and his credentials for being honored on the Penguins’ second team.

Kunitz was a Hobey Baker Finalist in 2003. In April 2003, he became an undrafted free agent signed by the Anaheim Ducks. He played part of five seasons with the organization, winning the Stanley Cup in 2007.

On Feb. 26, 2009, Kunitz was traded to the Penguins with Eric Tangradi for Ryan Whitney. Within a few months, he helped the club win the Stanley Cup, defeating the Detroit Red Wings.

As a two-time 20-goal scorer with the Ducks, Kunitz became a 30-goal scorer with Pittsburgh, developing chemistry with Sidney Crosby. Together, the pair helped Canada win the Gold Medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

May 25, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz (14) and center Sidney Crosby (87) and center Evgeni Malkin (71) hold the Prince of Wales trophy as as champions of the Eastern Conference after the Pens defeated the Ottawa Senators in double overtime of game seven of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the PPG PAINTS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

© Charles LeClaire

During the shortened 2012-13 season, Kunitz scored a personal best of 1.08 points per game, collecting 52 points in 48 games. The following season, he scored a career-best 35 goals with 68 points in 78 games.

Kunitz would win two more Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017, scoring 23 points in 44 playoff games over those campaigns. Overall, he collected 76 postseason points in 126 games, never missing the playoffs during his time with the club.

During Kunitz’s nine-and-half seasons with Pittsburgh, these were his totals and ranks among players over the past 25 years:

Games Played: 569 (6th)
Goals: 169 (6th)
Assists: 219 (5th)
Points: 388 (6th)
Plus/Minus: Plus-126 (2nd)
Penalty Minutes: 389 (6th)
Points-Per-Game: 0.68 (26th)
Power-play Goals: 51 (4th)
Power-play Points: 109 (8th)
Game-Winning Goals: 28 (6th)
Hat tricks: Three

Awards: None
All-Star Games: None
Honors: NHL All-Star Team (1st Team) 2013
Stanley Cup Wins: 2009, 2016, 2017

As a free agent in 2017, Kunitz signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning, finishing his career with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018-19.

In only 569 games, Kunitz became the Penguins’ 12th-highest goal-scorer with 169 lamplighters. Moreover, he is among only seven skaters to play in over 100 playoff games with the franchise, ranking fifth with 126.