# 2001–02 Pittsburgh Penguins season

The 2001–02 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the team's 35th year in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Penguins finished the year with a sub-.500 points percentage and failed to qualify for the playoffs, both for the first time since 1989–90. This was the Penguins' last season with the "RoboPenguin" logo introduced during the 1992–93 Pittsburgh Penguins season. The Penguins reverted to using their original skating penguin logo afterwards.

## Off-season

On July 11, 2001, the Penguins shipped star right winger Jaromir Jagr, along with journeyman defenseman Frantisek Kucera, off to play for 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

After an 0–4 start, head coach Ivan Hlinka was relieved of his duties and replaced by Rick Kehoe.

### Final standings

Atlantic Division :
| No. | CR | | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | 2 | Philadelphia Flyers | 82 | 42 | 27 | 10 | 3 | 234 | 192 | 97 |
| 2 | 5 | New York Islanders | 82 | 42 | 28 | 8 | 4 | 239 | 220 | 96 |
| 3 | 6 | New Jersey Devils | 82 | 41 | 28 | 9 | 4 | 205 | 187 | 95 |
| 4 | 11 | New York Rangers | 82 | 36 | 38 | 4 | 4 | 227 | 258 | 80 |
| 5 | 12 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 82 | 28 | 41 | 8 | 5 | 198 | 249 | 69 |
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.
Eastern Conference :
| R | | Div | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | Z- Boston Bruins | NE | 82 | 43 | 24 | 6 | 9 | 236 | 201 | 101 |
| 2 | Y- Philadelphia Flyers | AT | 82 | 42 | 27 | 10 | 3 | 234 | 192 | 97 |
| 3 | Y- Carolina Hurricanes | SE | 82 | 35 | 26 | 16 | 5 | 217 | 217 | 91 |
| 4 | X- Toronto Maple Leafs | NE | 82 | 43 | 25 | 10 | 4 | 249 | 207 | 100 |
| 5 | X- New York Islanders | AT | 82 | 42 | 28 | 8 | 4 | 239 | 220 | 96 |
| 6 | X- New Jersey Devils | AT | 82 | 41 | 28 | 9 | 4 | 205 | 187 | 95 |
| 7 | X- Ottawa Senators | NE | 82 | 39 | 27 | 9 | 7 | 243 | 208 | 94 |
| 8 | X- Montreal Canadiens | NE | 82 | 36 | 31 | 12 | 3 | 207 | 209 | 87 |
| 8.5 |||||||||||
| 9 | Washington Capitals | SE | 82 | 36 | 33 | 11 | 2 | 228 | 240 | 85 |
| 10 | Buffalo Sabres | NE | 82 | 35 | 35 | 11 | 1 | 213 | 200 | 82 |
| 11 | New York Rangers | AT | 82 | 36 | 38 | 4 | 4 | 227 | 258 | 80 |
| 12 | Pittsburgh Penguins | AT | 82 | 28 | 41 | 8 | 5 | 198 | 249 | 69 |
| 13 | Tampa Bay Lightning | SE | 82 | 27 | 40 | 11 | 4 | 178 | 219 | 69 |
| 14 | Florida Panthers | SE | 82 | 22 | 44 | 10 | 6 | 180 | 250 | 60 |
| 15 | Atlanta Thrashers | SE | 82 | 19 | 47 | 11 | 5 | 187 | 288 | 54 |
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast
Z – Clinched Conference; Y – Clinched Division; X – Clinched Playoff spot

## Schedule and results

2001–02 regular season :
October: 4–6–1–1 (home: 2–3–1–0; road: 2–3–0–1), 10 Points
#OctVisitorScoreHomeLocation/AttendanceRecordPointsRecap
13Colorado Avalanche3–1Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (17,148)0–1–0–00Recap
26Mighty Ducks of Anaheim4–2Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (15,411)0–2–0–00Recap
310New York Islanders6–3Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (14,038)0–3–0–00Recap
414Pittsburgh Penguins4–1Buffalo SabresHSBC Arena (15,815)0–4–0–00Recap
516Ottawa Senators2–5Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (14,907)1–4–0–02Recap
618Pittsburgh Penguins0–3Ottawa SenatorsCorel Centre (15,521)2–4–0–04Recap
720Pittsburgh Penguins2–1 OTSt. Louis BluesSavvis Center (18,854)2–4–0–15Recap
823Pittsburgh Penguins2–4Atlanta ThrashersPhilips Arena (13,281)3–4–0–17Recap
924Dallas Stars2–3Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (16,958)4–4–0–19Recap
1027Pittsburgh Penguins4–0Toronto Maple LeafsAir Canada Centre (19,166)4–5–0–19Recap
1128Florida Panthers2–2Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (16,449)4–5–1–110Recap
1231Pittsburgh Penguins3–0Philadelphia FlyersFirst Union Center (19,365)4–6–1–110Recap :
November: 6–4–1–2 (home: 5–1–1–0; road: 1–3–1–1), 15 Points
#NovVisitorScoreHomeLocation/AttendanceRecordPointsRecap
131Toronto Maple Leafs1–3Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (14,763)5–6–1–112Recap
143Tampa Bay Lightning1–2 OTPittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (17,148)6–6–1–114Recap
156Pittsburgh Penguins2–2Carolina HurricanesRaleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena (15,938)6–6–2–115Recap
167Pittsburgh Penguins2–0Florida PanthersNational Car Rental Center (16,164)6–7–2–115Recap
1710Pittsburgh Penguins3–2 OTTampa Bay LightningIce Palace Arena (18,812)6–7–2–216Recap
1813Pittsburgh Penguins1–5New Jersey DevilsContinental Airlines Arena (12,480)7–7–2–218Recap
1914New York Islanders3–3Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (15,466)7–7–3–219Recap
2017New York Rangers0–1 OTPittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (17,027)8–7–3–221Recap
2121Vancouver Canucks4–1Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (16,980)8–8–3–221Recap
2223Pittsburgh Penguins5–0Nashville PredatorsGaylord Entertainment Center (16,717)8–9–3–221Recap
2324Buffalo Sabres1–3Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (16,958)9–9–3–223Recap
2427New Jersey Devils0–6Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (13,410)10–9–3–225Recap
2529Pittsburgh Penguins5–0San Jose SharksCompaq Center (17,496)10–10–3–225Recap :
December: 4–7–0–2 (home: 2–5–0–0; road: 2–2–2–0), 10 Points
#DecVisitorScoreHomeLocation/AttendanceRecordPointsRecap
261Pittsburgh Penguins5–2Phoenix CoyotesAmerica West Arena (14,109)10–11–3–225Recap
274Pittsburgh Penguins0–1Toronto Maple LeafsAir Canada Centre (19,271)11–11–3–227Recap
286Pittsburgh Penguins1–4Boston BruinsFleetCenter (14,125)12–11–3–229Recap
298Atlanta Thrashers3–6Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (14,917)13–11–3–231Recap
3011Pittsburgh Penguins2–2Washington CapitalsMCI Center (18,672)13–11–4–232Recap
3112Boston Bruins4–2Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (13,397)13–12–4–232Recap
3214Minnesota Wild5–2Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (13,378)13–13–4–232Recap
3316Carolina Hurricanes7–0Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (14,226)13–14–4–232Recap
3419Montreal Canadiens3–1Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (17,148)13–15–4–232Recap
3521Washington Capitals3–4Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (17,148)14–15–4–234Recap
3622Pittsburgh Penguins4–4Washington CapitalsMCI Center (18,672)14–15–5–235Recap
3726Pittsburgh Penguins4–0New Jersey DevilsContinental Airlines Arena (19,040)14–16–5–235Recap
3829Ottawa Senators5–2Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (17,148)14–17–5–235Recap :
January: 8–6–1–0 (home: 4–3–0–0; road: 4–3–0–1), 17 Points
#JanVisitorScoreHomeLocation/AttendanceRecordPointsRecap
393Pittsburgh Penguins4–2New York IslandersNassau Coliseum (16,234)14–18–5–235Recap
405New York Rangers1–4Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (16,305)15–18–5–237Recap
416Pittsburgh Penguins2–0Chicago BlackhawksUnited Center (16,537)15–19–5–237Recap
428Boston Bruins3–2Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (15,897)15–20–5–237Recap
4310Pittsburgh Penguins0–2Buffalo SabresHSBC Arena (16,151)16–20–5–239Recap
4412St. Louis Blues4–1Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (16,958)16–21–5–239Recap
4515Pittsburgh Penguins5–2Vancouver CanucksGeneral Motors Place (18,422)16–22–5–239Recap
4617Pittsburgh Penguins4–6Calgary FlamesPengrowth Saddledome (15,437)17–22–5–241Recap
4719Pittsburgh Penguins0–1Edmonton OilersSkyreach Centre (16,839)18–22–5–243Recap
4821Philadelphia Flyers2–5Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (16,958)19–22–5–245Recap
4923Tampa Bay Lightning1–5Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (15,127)20–22–5–247Recap
5024Pittsburgh Penguins4–5 OTNew York IslandersNassau Coliseum (16,234)21–22–5–249Recap
5126Atlanta Thrashers2–3 OTPittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (17,021)22–22–5–251Recap
5229Pittsburgh Penguins3–2 OTPhiladelphia FlyersFirst Union Center (19,634)22–22–5–352Recap
5330San Jose Sharks6–3Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (15,152)22–23–5–352Recap :
February: 1–4–1–1 (home: 0–1–0–1; road: 1–3–1–0), 4 Points
#FebVisitorScoreHomeLocation/AttendanceRecordPointsRecap
545Pittsburgh Penguins3–3Carolina HurricanesRaleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena (18,730)22–23–6–353Recap
557Pittsburgh Penguins1–0Montreal CanadiensMolson Centre (21,191)22–24–6–353Recap
569New Jersey Devils2–1 OTPittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (17,021)22–24–6–454Recap
5710Pittsburgh Penguins4–3New York RangersMadison Square Garden (IV) (18,200)22–25–6–454Recap
5812Pittsburgh Penguins5–1Ottawa SenatorsCorel Centre (17,332)22–26–6–454Recap
5927Los Angeles Kings5–4Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (16,134)22–27–6–454Recap
6028Pittsburgh Penguins3–4 OTColumbus Blue JacketsNationwide Arena (18,136)23–27–6–456Recap :
March: 5–7–1–1 (home: 3–5–1–0; road: 2–2–0–1), 12 Points
#MarVisitorScoreHomeLocation/AttendanceRecordPointsRecap
612Detroit Red Wings4–2Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (17,148)23–28–6–456Recap
624Pittsburgh Penguins2–4New York IslandersNassau Coliseum (13,277)24–28–6–458Recap
635Florida Panthers5–6 OTPittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (12,652)25–28–6–460Recap
647Carolina Hurricanes3–1Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (15,111)25–29–6–460Recap
659New York Rangers2–3 OTPittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (16,958)26–29–6–462Recap
6611Columbus Blue Jackets4–2Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (13,422)26–30–6–462Recap
6713Pittsburgh Penguins4–2Mighty Ducks of AnaheimArrowhead Pond of Anaheim (12,536)26–31–6–462Recap
6816Pittsburgh Penguins4–3Los Angeles KingsStaples Center (18,118)26–32–6–462Recap
6918Pittsburgh Penguins2–4Atlanta ThrashersPhilips Arena (12,305)27–32–6–464Recap
7020Phoenix Coyotes3–1Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (12,851)27–33–6–464Recap
7123Philadelphia Flyers4–4Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (17,148)27–33–7–465Recap
7224Washington Capitals2–6Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (16,971)28–33–7–467Recap
7327New Jersey Devils4–3Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (15,106)28–34–7–467Recap
7430Pittsburgh Penguins2–1 OTMontreal CanadiensMolson Centre (21,273)28–34–7–568Recap :
April: 0–7–0–1 (home: 0–2–1–0; road: 0–5–0–0), 1 Points
#AprVisitorScoreHomeLocation/AttendanceRecordPointsRecap
751Montreal Canadiens3–0Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (14,110)28–35–7–568Recap
763Pittsburgh Penguins3–2Florida PanthersNational Car Rental Center (15,614)28–36–7–568Recap
774Pittsburgh Penguins4–2Tampa Bay LightningAmalie Arena (15,454)28–37–7–568Recap
786Pittsburgh Penguins3–1Philadelphia FlyersFirst Union Center (19,750)28–38–7–568Recap
798Pittsburgh Penguins3–2New York RangersMadison Square Garden (IV) (18,200)28–39–7–568Recap
8010Buffalo Sabres4–4Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (12,724)28–39–8–569Recap
8112Toronto Maple Leafs5–2Pittsburgh PenguinsMellon Arena (16,816)28–40–8–569Recap
8213Pittsburgh Penguins7–1Boston BruinsFleetCenter (17,565)28–41–8–569Recap :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Tie (1 point)
  Overtime loss (1 point) :

## Player statistics
### Skaters

Regular Season :
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM |
| Alex Kovalev | 67 | 32 | 44 | 76 | 2 | 80 |
| Jan Hrdina | 79 | 24 | 33 | 57 | -7 | 50 |
| Robert Lang | 62 | 18 | 32 | 50 | 9 | 16 |
| Aleksey Morozov | 72 | 20 | 29 | 49 | -7 | 16 |
| Mario Lemieux | 24 | 6 | 25 | 31 | 0 | 14 |
| Randy Robitaille$^†$ | 40 | 10 | 20 | 30 | -14 | 16 |
| Michal Rozsival | 79 | 9 | 20 | 29 | -6 | 47 |
| Stephane Richer$^‡$ | 58 | 13 | 12 | 25 | -8 | 14 |
| Kris Beech | 79 | 10 | 15 | 25 | -25 | 45 |
| Toby Petersen | 79 | 8 | 10 | 18 | -15 | 4 |
| Dan Lacouture | 82 | 6 | 11 | 17 | -19 | 71 |
| Milan Kraft | 68 | 8 | 8 | 16 | -9 | 16 |
| Darius Kasparaitis$^‡$ | 69 | 2 | 12 | 14 | -1 | 123 |
| Janne Laukkanen | 47 | 6 | 7 | 13 | -18 | 28 |
| Andrew Ference | 75 | 4 | 7 | 11 | -12 | 73 |
| Wayne Primeau | 33 | 3 | 7 | 10 | -1 | 18 |
| Ian Moran | 64 | 2 | 8 | 10 | -11 | 54 |
| Martin Straka | 13 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Hans Jonsson | 53 | 2 | 5 | 7 | -12 | 22 |
| Billy Tibbetts$^‡$ | 33 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -13 | 109 |
| Kevin Stevens | 32 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -9 | 25 |
| John Jakopin | 19 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 42 |
| Jeff Toms$^†$ | 14 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -5 | 4 |
| Shean Donovan$^†$ | 13 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -5 | 4 |
| Ville Nieminen$^†$ | 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -2 | 8 |
| Tom Kostopoulos | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 9 |
| Josef Melichar | 60 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -1 | 68 |
| Mike Wilson | 21 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -12 | 17 |
| Jamie Pushor$^†$ | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -3 | 30 |
| Krzysztof Oliwa | 57 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -5 | 150 |
| Rick Berry$^†$ | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -4 | 21 |
| Kent Manderville$^†$ | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Eric Meloche | 23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -7 | 8 |
| Shane Endicott | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 4 |
| Total | Total | 198 | 340 | 538 | — | 1,210 |

### Goaltenders

Regular Season :
| Player | GP | GS | TOI | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SA | SV% | SO | G | A | PIM |
| Johan Hedberg | 66 | 64 | 3876:33 | 25 | 34 | 7 | 178 | 2.76 | 1851 | 0.904 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 22 |
| Jean-Sebastien Aubin | 21 | 18 | 1094:18 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 65 | 3.56 | 537 | 0.879 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 82 | 4970:51 | 28 | 46 | 8 | 243 | 2.93 | 2388 | 0.898 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 22 |
$^†$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

* Mario Lemieux became the first person to score 1600 points for the Penguins. He did so in a 4–5 Loss to Los Angeles on February 27.
* Kevin Stevens ended his career as the franchise record holder for penalty minutes (1048). He had set the record the year before.

### Awards

| Type | Award/honor | Recipient |
| League (in-season) | NHL All-Star Game selection | Mario Lemieux |
| League (in-season) | NHL YoungStars Game selection | Andrew Ference |
| Team | A. T. Caggiano Memorial Booster Club Award | Alexei Kovalev |
| Team | Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Good Guy Award | Johan Hedberg |
| Team | Bob Johnson Memorial Badger Bob Award | Ian Moran |
| Team | Leading Scorer Award | Alexei Kovalev |
| Team | Michel Briere Memorial Rookie of the Year Trophy | Johan Hedberg |
| Team | Most Valuable Player Award | Alexei Kovalev |
| Team | Players' Player Award | Alexei Kovalev |
| Team | Players' Player Award | Ian Moran |
| Team | The Edward J. DeBartolo Community Service Award | Andrew Ference |

### Milestones

| Milestone | Player | Date |
| 1,000th game played | Stephane Richer | November 3, 2001 |
| First game | Tom Kostopoulos | December 29, 2001 |
| First game | Eric Meloche | January 15, 2002 |
| First game | Shane Endicott | January 29, 2002 |

## Transactions

The Penguins were involved in the following transactions from June 10, 2001, the day after the deciding game of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 13, 2002, the day of the deciding game of the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals.

### Trades

| Date | Details | Details |
| July 11, 2001 (2001-07-11) | To Washington Capitals Jaromir JagrFrantisek Kucera | To Pittsburgh Penguins Kris BeechRoss LupaschukMichal SivekFuture considerations |
| March 8, 2002 (2002-03-08) | To Anaheim Mighty Ducks Mark Moore | To Pittsburgh Penguins Bert Robertsson |
| March 15, 2002 (2002-03-15) | To Columbus Blue Jackets 4th-round pick in 2003 | To Pittsburgh Penguins Jamie Pushor |
| March 17, 2002 (2002-03-17) | To Philadelphia Flyers Billy Tibbetts | To Pittsburgh Penguins Kent Manderville |
| March 19, 2002 (2002-03-19) | To New Jersey Devils Stephane Richer | To Pittsburgh Penguins 7th-round pick in 2003 |
| March 19, 2002 (2002-03-19) | To Colorado Avalanche Darius Kasparaitis | To Pittsburgh Penguins Rick BerryVille Nieminen |
| May 15, 2002 (2002-05-15) | To Nashville Predators Steve Parsons | To Pittsburgh Penguins Future considerations |

### Players acquired

| Date | Player | Former team | Term | Via |
| July 5, 2001 (2001-07-05) | Mike Wilson | Florida Panthers | 3-year | Free agency |
| July 30, 2001 (2001-07-30) | Steve Parsons | Hershey Bears (AHL) | | Free agency |
| August 14, 2001 (2001-08-14) | Peter Ratchuk | Florida Panthers | | Free agency |
| August 14, 2001 (2001-08-14) | Rob Tallas | Chicago Blackhawks | | Free agency |
| October 2, 2001 (2001-10-02) | John Jakopin | Florida Panthers | | Waivers |
| October 2, 2001 (2001-10-02) | Stephane Richer | Washington Capitals | | Free agency |
| January 4, 2002 (2002-01-04) | Randy Robitaille | Los Angeles Kings | | Waivers |
| March 15, 2002 (2002-03-15) | Shean Donovan | Atlanta Thrashers | | Waivers |
| March 16, 2002 (2002-03-16) | Jeff Toms | New York Rangers | | Waivers |

### Players lost

| Date | Player | New team | Via |
| N/A | Boris Protsenko | Amur Khabarovsk (RSL) | Free agency (UFA) |
| July 1, 2001 (2001-07-01) | Craig Hillier | | Contract expiration (UFA) |
| July 1, 2001 (2001-07-01) | Garth Snow | New York Islanders | Free agency (III) |
| July 2, 2001 (2001-07-02) | Bob Boughner | Calgary Flames | Free agency (UFA) |
| July 12, 2001 (2001-07-12) | Rich Parent | Iserlohn Roosters (DEL) | Free agency (UFA) |
| July 13, 2001 (2001-07-13) | Trent Cull | Minnesota Wild | Free agency (VI) |
| July 23, 2001 (2001-07-23) | Chris Kelleher | Boston Bruins | Free agency (VI) |
| July 31, 2001 (2001-07-31) | Kip Miller | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) | Free agency (III) |
| August 8, 2001 (2001-08-08) | Greg Crozier | Boston Bruins | Free agency (UFA) |
| August 28, 2001 (2001-08-28) | Steve McKenna | New York Rangers | Free agency (UFA) |
| September 10, 2001 (2001-09-10) | Josef Beranek | HC Slavia Praha (ELH) | Free agency (III) |
| October 5, 2001 (2001-10-05) | Dennis Bonvie | Boston Bruins | Free agency (VI) |
| November 5, 2001 (2001-11-05) | Rene Corbet | Adler Mannheim (DEL) | Free agency (UFA) |
| November 6, 2001 (2001-11-06) | Marc Bergevin | St. Louis Blues | Free agency (III) |
| January 22, 2002 (2002-01-22) | Bobby Dollas | Laval Chiefs (QSPHL) | Free agency (III) |

### Signings

| Date | Player | Term | Contract type |
| June 11, 2001 (2001-06-11) | Kevin Stevens | | Re-signing |
| June 14, 2001 (2001-06-14) | Rob Scuderi | | Entry-level |
| July 10, 2001 (2001-07-10) | Robert Dome | | Re-signing |
| July 13, 2001 (2001-07-13) | Hans Jonsson | | Re-signing |
| July 13, 2001 (2001-07-13) | Eric Meloche | | Re-signing |
| July 16, 2001 (2001-07-16) | David Koci | | Entry-level |
| July 16, 2001 (2001-07-16) | Tomas Surovy | | Entry-level |
| July 18, 2001 (2001-07-18) | Jason MacDonald | | Re-signing |
| July 24, 2001 (2001-07-24) | Dan LaCouture | 1-year | Re-signing |
| July 24, 2001 (2001-07-24) | Ian Moran | 2-year | Re-signing |
| July 24, 2001 (2001-07-24) | Billy Tibbetts | 1-year | Re-signing |
| July 31, 2001 (2001-07-31) | Jean-Sebastien Aubin | | Re-signing |
| July 31, 2001 (2001-07-31) | Alexei Morozov | | Re-signing |
| August 10, 2001 (2001-08-10) | Martin Straka | 2-year | Arbitration award |
| August 11, 2001 (2001-08-11) | Jan Hrdina | 2-year | Arbitration award |
| August 13, 2001 (2001-08-13) | Robert Lang | 1-year | Arbitration award |
| August 14, 2001 (2001-08-14) | Brooks Orpik | | Entry-level |
| August 15, 2001 (2001-08-15) | Alexei Kovalev | 2-year | Arbitration award |
| August 20, 2001 (2001-08-20) | Darius Kasparaitis | 2-year | Re-signing |
| August 21, 2001 (2001-08-21) | Mario Lemieux | 1-year | Re-signing |
| August 29, 2001 (2001-08-29) | Wayne Primeau | | Re-signing |
| September 6, 2001 (2001-09-06) | Johan Hedberg | multi-year | Re-signing |
| September 6, 2001 (2001-09-06) | Martin Straka | multi-year | Re-signing |
| September 8, 2001 (2001-09-08) | Michal Roszival | | Re-signing |
| October 5, 2001 (2001-10-05) | Shane Endicott | | Entry-level |
| June 3, 2002 (2002-06-03) | Steven Crampton | | Entry-level |
| June 3, 2002 (2002-06-03) | Michel Ouellet | | Entry-level |

### Other

| Name | Date | Notes |
| Ivan Hlinka | October 14, 2001 | Fired as head coach |
| Rick Kehoe | October 14, 2001 | Hired as head coach |

## 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 (league) |
| 1 | 21 | Colby Armstrong | RW | Canada | Red Deer Rebels (WHL) |
| 2 | 54 | Noah Welch | D | United States | Saint Sebastian's School (USHS-MA) |
| 3 | 86 | Drew Fata | D | Canada | Toronto St. Michael's Majors (OHL) |
| 3 | 96 | Alexandre Rouleau | D | Canada | Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL) |
| 4 | 120 | Tomas Surovy | LW | Slovakia | HK Poprad (Slovakia) |
| 4 | 131 | Ben Eaves | C | United States | Boston College (Hockey East) |
| 5 | 156 | Andy Schneider | D | United States | Lincoln Stars (USHL) |
| 7 | 217 | Tomas Duba | G | Czech Republic | Sparta Prague (Czech Extraliga) |
| 8 | 250 | Brandon Crawford-West | G | United States | Texas Tornado (NAHL) |

### Draft notes

* $^a$ Compensatory pick received from NHL as compensation for free agent Ron Tugnutt.
* $^b$ 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 American Hockey League's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, after losing in the Calder Cup Finals the previous season, finished last overall in the Western Conference with a 20–44–13–3 record.
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.