Pen Zen: Top 20 Most Memorable Pens: #15 Bill Guerin

As the season looms, it comes time to dust off the cobwebs on your overpriced Malkin jersey. It's almost

hockey season, and I think everyone is embracing the fall and getting ready to greet the Pens in the new arena. We have had some wonderful times in Mellon Arena, but we are ready for the future as well.

The Pens have a completely different look from last year, and one thing is for certain, the Penguins will be a stronger and more physical team. Although we are excited about greeting our new friends, we are also in angst to see what happens to our old roster. Which brings me to #15 on our list.

We are still impatiently awaiting Bill Guerin's plans to choose where he will be next season. One thing is for sure, if he chooses to join another team, or retire, he will be missed by the Penguins and their fans greatly. As some fans have called him, "Big Bill" or "Dad", it is certain that he brings a role of leadership, experience, and heart.

Bill Guerin brings to the Pittsburgh Penguin roster, heart and intensity. It was his second fight in the previous two games, which seems odd because Bill Guerin is 39 years of age. However, as Mark Twain used to insinuate, Guerin is 36 years young...

Notably, Bill Guerin was the Penguins winner of the NHL Masterson "Comeback Player" Award, yesterday. As the Official Pittsburgh Penguin website states, "Masterton candidate is nominated as the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." In the short span that Bill Guerin has laced up for the Penguins, he has exhibited these qualities, and then some...

Perhaps the greatest example of his "dedication to hockey" was after game 5 in Stanley Cup Finals. After losing 5-0 to the Wings in the Joe Louis Arena, most players would be dejected and have very little confidence about their chances winning the cup. The day after game 5, the Penguins held a practice that was different from most practices, especially after a 5-0 loss. There was no anger, anxiety, or angst in the locker room or on the ice. Bill Guerin kept the atmosphere light and fun, cracking jokes on Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, encouring role players like Pascal Dupuis, and Phillipe Boucher, Guerin made hockey what it should be, fun. We all know what happened afterwards, The Pens won game 6 and 7 to win the Stanley Cup, and although Bill Guerin didn't score any goals, his demeaner in the locker room was perhaps his greatest contribution.

So... In light of this tribute to Guerin, I would like to post a song (again) inspired by the man himself (and from the movie Super Troopers). It is a song I partially wrote myself, and I hope if nothing else, you might have this song stuck in your head when Bill Guerin scores. I hope you enjoy it.

(Chorus)
Big Bill, He’s Iron Tough
Big Bill, He’s got a chest like a rug
Big Bill, He don’t take no guff
He’s Big Bill

(Verse)
Goin’ down the ice, got fella’s on his back
Pens logo in the front and got a jersey in black
By sam a drink and get one for his dog
You know he’s gonna score when he skates from the fog

(Chorus)
Looking over their shoulder, but they’re never gonna find
Big Bill’s got a hit that will knock you unaligned
13 in Black’s gonna knock ‘em out of sight
Never gonna catch him and you never wanna fight ole’…

(Chorus)

Oh, Big Bill (x6)

(Chorus)

(Verse)
So remember if you can, when you’re traveling down the road
Be careful there’s a man who pulls a heavy load
He’s hotter than the sun with a team that’s going up
With a slapshot from the slot, he’s gonna win another cup

(Last Chours)
Big Bill, He’s Iron Tough
Big Bill, He’s got a chest like a rug
Big Bill, He don’t take no guff
Big Bill
C’mon give ole’ Bill the cup!