2001–02 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 2001–02 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the team's 35th year in the National Hockey League. The team played 82 games.
Off-season
On July 11, 2001, the Penguins traded star right winger Jaromír Jágr, along with journeyman defenseman Frantisek Kucera, to the Washington Capitals. In return, the Penguins received Kris Beech, Michal Sivek, Ross Lupaschuk, and future considerations. The New York Rangers also made an offer for Jagr, consisting of Kim Johnsson and Mike York. The Rangers maintain that Patrick traded Jagr to the Capitals because he was angry with their general manager, Glen Sather. The trade still ranks as the fifth-worst trade in team history.Regular season
Final standings
Schedule and results
Playoffs
The Penguins failed to make the playoffs, which snapped their 11 season playoff streak.Player statistics
;Skaters;Goaltenders
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
Awards and records
Transactions
The Penguins were involved in the following transactions during the 2001–02 season:Trades
| July 11, 2001 | To Washington Capitals ---- Jaromir Jagr Frantisek Kucera | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Kris Beech Ross Lupaschuk Michal Sivek future considerations |
| March 8, 2002 | To Anaheim Ducks ---- Mark Moore | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Bert Robertsson |
| March 15, 2002 | To Columbus Blue Jackets ---- 2003 4th round pick | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Jamie Pushor |
| March 17, 2002 | To Philadelphia Flyers ---- Bill Tibbetts | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Kent Manderville |
| March 19, 2002 | To New Jersey Devils ---- Stephane Richer | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- 2003 7th round pick |
| March 19, 2002 | To Colorado Avalanche ---- Darius Kasparaitis | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Rick Berry Ville Nieminen |
| May 15, 2002 | To Nashville Predators ---- Steve Parsons | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- future considerations |
Free agents acquired
Claimed via waivers
Player signings
| Player | Date |
| Mike Wilson | July 5, 2001 |
| Robert Dome | July 10, 2001 |
| Eric Meloche | July 13, 2001 |
| Hans Jonsson | July 13, 2001 |
| Billy Tibbetts | July 24, 2001 |
| Dan LaCouture | July 24, 2001 |
| Ian Moran | July 24, 2001 |
| Alexei Morozov | July 31, 2001 |
| Jean-Sebastien Aubin | July 31, 2001 |
| Martin Straka | August 10, 2001 |
| Jan Hrdina | August 13, 2001 |
| Robert Lang | August 13, 2001 |
| Peter Ratchuk | August 14, 2001 |
| Alexei Kovalev | August 15, 2001 |
| Darius Kasparaitis | August 20, 2001 |
| Mario Lemieux | August 20, 2001 |
| Wayne Primeau | August 30, 2001 |
| Johan Hedberg | September 5, 2001 |
| Michal Roszival | September 6, 2001 |
| Shane Endicott | October 5, 2001 |
| Michel Ouellet | June 1, 2002 |
| Steven Crampton | June 1, 2002 |
Other
| Name | Date | Notes |
| Ivan Hlinka | October 14, 2001 | Fired as head coach |
| Rick Kehoe | October 14, 2001 | Hired as head coach |
Personnel
Draft picks
The Penguins selected the following players in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida:| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/junior/club team |
| 1 | 21 | Colby Armstrong | RW | Canada | Red Deer Rebels |
| 2 | 54 | Noah Welch | D | United States | Saint Sebastian's School |
| 3 | 86 | Drew Fata | D | Canada | Toronto St. Michael's Majors |
| 3 | 96 | Alexandre Rouleau | D | Canada | Val-d'Or Foreurs |
| 4 | 120 | Tomas Surovy | LW | HK Poprad | |
| 4 | 131 | Ben Eaves | C | United States | Boston College |
| 5 | 156 | Andy Schneider | D | United States | Lincoln Stars |
| 7 | 217 | Tomas Duba | G | Sparta Prague | |
| 8 | 250 | Brandon Crawford-West | G | United States | Texas Tornado |
;Draft notes
- Compensatory pick received from NHL as compensation for free agent Ron Tugnutt.
- Compensatory pick received from NHL as compensation for free agent Peter Popovic.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins' sixth-round pick went to the Columbus Blue Jackets as the result of a March 13, 2001, trade that sent Frantisek Kucera to the Penguins in exchange for this pick.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins' ninth-round pick went to the New York Islanders as the result of a November 14, 2000, trade that sent Dan Trebil to the Penguins in exchange for this pick.
Farm teams
The ECHL's Wheeling Nailers finished fifth in the Northern Conference's Northwest Division with a 36–32–4 record. It was their first year under John Brophy.