Andy Bathgate, the Hockey Hall of Fame winger who scored the first goal in Penguins history, died Friday at age 83.
Bathgate, who scored 349 goals in his 1,069-game NHL career, won a Hart Trophy as league MVP with the Rangers in 1959 and a Stanley Cup with the Maple Leafs in 1964. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978 and had his No. 9 retired by the Rangers in 2009.
The Penguins picked Bathgate in the 19th round of the 1967 expansion draft. By then, he was about to turn 35 after scoring only eight goals the previous season with the Red Wings.
He bounced back to lead the Penguins in scoring during their inaugural season, recording 20 goals and 59 points. On Oct. 11, 1967, he scored in the third period of a 2-1 loss to the Canadiens, recording the first goal in franchise history.
In 2009, the Penguins picked Bathgate's grandson, also named Andy, in the fifth round of the NHL Draft. He played briefly in the team's minor league system.
Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jbombulie@tribweb.com or via Twitter at @BombulieTrib.
