Who wore it best: No. 5, Ulf Samuelsson taken at Highmark Stadium (Penguins)

Welcome to the fifth part of a series on who wore each number best for the Penguins.

The idea is being openly borrowed from our new hockey writer, Cody Tucker, and his project at the Lansing State Journal covering all the uniform numbers worn through Michigan State football history, one that’s been well received by their readers and prompted heavy discussion and debate.

Under my organization, and following the voting of a big chunk of our staff, we’ll publish one new one each day until completion, which should be right around the start of training camp.

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Name: Ulf Samuelsson

Number: 5

Position: Defenseman

Born: March 26, 1964 in Fagersta, Sweden

Seasons with Penguins: 1990-95

Statistics with Penguins: 277 games, 11 goals, 83 assists, 804 penalty minutes in regular season, 66 games, 4 goals, 12 assists in playoffs

1992 Stanley Cup celebration. -- PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

WHY SAMUELSSON?

The trade that brought Samuelsson, Ron Francis and Grant Jennings to Pittsburgh propelled the Penguins to their first Stanley Cup championship, and they repeated the feat the following season. Samuelsson also has the distinction of scoring the Penguins' first Cup-clinching goal, a power play tally just two minutes into the Game 6 blowout of Minnesota.

 

Samuelsson racked up 804 penalty minutes in his five seasons in Pittsburgh, the ninth-most career penalty minutes of any Penguin. His physical play earned him hero status in Pittsburgh, and he's still a fan favorite today.

WHAT'S HE DOING NOW?

Samuelsson retired from professional hockey in 2000, and transitioned to coaching a few years later. He took his first professional coaching job in 2005 as an assistant coach with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, a position he held for one season before being named an assistant coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. Over the next few years he was the head coach of Modo Hockey in Sweden, assistant coach for the New York Rangers, and head coach of the AHL's Charlotte Checkers before landing an assistant coaching position with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017, a position he still holds.

Samuelsson's four children all play hockey. His oldest son, Philip, 26, played three and a half seasons in the Penguins organization, and most recently played for the Charlotte Checkers. Henrik, 24, plays for the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. Victoria, 21, plays for Penn State. Adam, 18, was projected to be a mid-round pick in 2018, but went undrafted and will attend Boston College in the fall.

IT WAS SPOKEN

"Even my mother says I’m a dirty player.” -- Samuelsson after re-signing with the Penguins in 1991.

HONORABLE MENTIONS AT NO. 5:

Bryan Watson

Ville Siren

ANY DEBATE?

Hard to disagree with Samuelsson as our pick for No. 5. (unless you're Cam Neely, maybe).

Watson played in Pittsburgh for six years, and led the Penguins in penalty minutes in three of his four full seasons, taking on the role of an antagonizer. There's nobody like Ulf, though.

Tomorrow: Matt Sunday has No. 6.

Yesterday: Dave Burrows

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