NEWS AND MEDIA

Crosby and Fleury Lead Penguins to First Stanley Cup Since 1992

15 Jun 2009

Montreal, June 12, 2009 – Despite falling behind 2-0 and 3-2 in the series, the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame the odds tonight, defeating the Red Wings 2-1 in Detroit to capture their first Stanley Cup championship since 1992. With Reebok endorsees Sidney Crosby and Marc-André Fleury leading the way, the Pens shocked the Wings, becoming just the third team in Cup history to clinch the series in Game 7 on the road.

For Crosby, hoisting the Cup is the culmination of the hard work, sacrifice and dedication to winning he has brought to the Penguins and the city of Pittsburgh since the day he was drafted in 2005, immediately being anointed the savior of the franchise. The painful memories of losing in the Finals last year only drove Crosby even more during the 2009 playoffs – he finished the playoffs as the NHL's leading goal scorer with 15 playoff goals, and second in points with 31.

Goalie Marc-André Fleury was tremendous throughout the playoffs and Friday night’s Cup-clinching game was no exception. He made 23 saves, providing the Penguins with the confidence they needed on the back end to go on the attack. As every hockey fan knows, great goaltending is always key in winning in the playoffs, and this year, Fleury certainly rose to the occasion with a 2.61 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.

On the other side, for Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk, it was a tough way to end another great season. The Reebok endorsee scored 32 goals and 65 assists for 97 points in the regular season, good for fourth in the NHL. Despite missing the first four games of the Finals due to injury, he was a key part of the Red Wings’ second-straight Western Conference championship team. One of the league’s most complete two-way players, he was named a finalist for the 2008-09 Hart Trophy as the league’s top player. He is also up for the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward, both of which he won last year.

Fleury has been wearing Reebok’s new Premier III goalie pads, catch glove and blocker, and has been using the new Premier III composite stick. He also uses Reebok’s Pro Spec pants and chest protector. Crosby, Fleury and Datsyuk all wear Reebok 9K Pump skates. Datsyuk was one of a number of players in the Stanley Cup playoffs using Reebok's new 10K Sickick II stick, which combines the fast release of the original Sickick with a new matrix fiber construction for increased stability, control and precision.

Reebok-CCM Hockey, a subsidiary of the adidas Group, is headquartered in Montreal. With operations in Canada, the United States and Europe, the Company is the world's largest designer, manufacturer and marketer of hockey equipment and related apparel under two of the most recognized hockey brand names: Reebok Hockey and CCM Hockey. Reebok-CCM Hockey equips more professional hockey players than any other company, including superstars like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. Reebok-CCM Hockey is also the official outfitter of the National Hockey League, the Champions Hockey League, the American Hockey League, the Canadian Hockey League, and several NCAA and national teams.

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