Free Republic

Hosting the reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins at the White House on Tuesday, U.S. president Donald Trump lauded the team as role models on and off the ice, touting the Pens' chance at a three-peat in 2017-18 and calling the group "incredible patriots." "You are true champions and incredible patriots," Trump told the team, as seen on CBS News. President Donald Trump addresses the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins at the White House. CBS News

While the sports world focused Sunday on the NFL and its reaction to incendiary recent statements by President Trump, the Pittsburgh Penguins inserted themselves into the sporting world’s ongoing political discussion by issuing a statement that the team would visit the White House as part of their Stanley Cup celebration. The Penguins, on the heels of their second consecutive Stanley Cup win this past June, still plan to visit President Trump, though a date has not yet been confirmed. The Penguins released the statement at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, right as a handful of professional athletes and owners continue to...

A man struck his wife in the head with a hammer at least 10 times and stabbed her before starting a fire in his South Fayette home this morning in what police said was an attempt to conceal evidence of the killing. Robert Abrams, 40, was charged with homicide, arson and abuse of a corpse in the death of his wife, Jeannette, 44. The two quarreled, in part because Mr. Abrams had stayed up late to watch the Penguins' game, which went into three overtimes, before he killed her, Allegheny County Police Superintendent Charles Moffatt said.

PITTSBURGH -- They chugged Labatt Blue and shared man hugs at Happy Hour just down from 66 Mario Lemieux Place on Tuesday night because the planets aligned and the politicians agreed and hockey was staying in Pittsburgh. Lemieux was nowhere to be found. He slipped out of a press conference a mile across town, shielded in a herd of dark power suits, away from the handshakes and backslaps. The job was done, Lemieux saved hockey in Pittsburgh a third time, and the quiet Canadian who has somehow become the face of a blue-collar American city was tired. "In the deal...

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Rookie forward Evgeni Malkin dislocated his left shoulder during his first pre-season game with the Pittsburgh Penguins and will be evaluated next week. Malkin attended practice Thursday but did not take part, and teammates said he looked much better than he did after getting hurt Wednesday night. The Penguins did not say how long they expect Malkin to be out or if he will be ready for their Oct. 5 opener. Malkin, who had made several excellent passes earlier in the game, skated off the ice during the second period of a 5-4 victory over Philadelphia in...