I'm from Pittsburgh, too. I love my hometown teams, and just because I live in NJ now doesn't mean that I will switch to the Flyers. Mario Lemieux is my forever favorite player. LoneUS asks why Jagr left; one reason: money. Unfortunately, the city of Pittsburgh is not wealthy, as New York is. (Maybe that explains why the Rangers' roster looks like an All-Star team?) Thanks to Mario, the team is still in Pittsburgh and is in the rebuilding stage. I am thankful to him for this, & it just so happens that I started watching hockey the year that the Pens won their first Stanley Cup in 90-91. I can look back over the years and see the absence of many players who played for the Penguins. Some retired, some moved on to bigger bucks. Because of this factor, a lot of the less-wealthy teams cannot afford to have such high-priced players on their payroll. Just recently I saw Marty Straka who I loved go to the LA Kings. I was very disappointed but that's the way it is. Some want to leave on their own accord; some don't want to leave but are cut or traded to save money. I wear my Pittsburgh apparel proudly and always will. The Pittsburgh Penguins have given me much to smile about, and I will never stop cheering for them. Sure, I wish Jagr, Straka, Kovalev, Stevens, Recchi and the rest were still here, but that was then, this is now. Go Pens!
