Vacation post - 09-09-12

-Happy 46th birthday to former Penguins all-star defenseman Kevin Hatcher (right). Acquired in the 1996 offseason in a deal which sent Sergei Zubov to the Stars, Hatcher spent three seasons with the Penguins. In 1996-97, Hatcher he appeared in 80 games, led the team's defensemen with 54 points and was selected to the fifth all-star game of his career. In that spring's postseason,  Hatcher appeared in five games and contributed two points. Hatcher played in 74 games in 1997-98 and once again led the team's blueliners with 48 points. He also tied a team record for power-play goals by a defenseman with 13. He saw action in six postseason games that season and scored one goal. His final season with the Penguins was 1998-99. He played in 66 games and scored again led the team's defensemen with 38 points. In the playoffs, Hatcher appeared in 13 games and netted five points. In the 1999 offseason, Hatcher was traded to the Rangers in exchange for Peter Popovic. In 220 regular season games with the Penguins, Hatcher scored 140 points, 59th-most in franchise history. In 24 postseason contest, Hatcher recorded eight points.

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(Photo: Ken White/Getty Images)