The list of great Slovakian players is long and profound and the Penguins were lucky enough to have 3 of the top 10 all-time Slovakian players to wear the black and gold.
The task was to find the best Slovakian player to ever don the Pittsburgh crest and I considered a few players before making my decision.
Miroslav Satan who won a Cup with the Penguins in 2009 is the 5th highest scoring Slovakian player of all-time but his regular season with the team was unremarkable, to say the least. Not far behind was the enigmatic Ziggy Palffy, who scored at a point-per-game pace before his sudden retirement in 2006. Both players are arguably some of the best Slovakia had to offer but my pick had to be Marian Hossa.
Hossa's time with the Penguins was short and could be considered controversial but he is without a doubt one of the most gifted players to pass through the 412 area code.
Hossa's arrival was the final transition for the Penguins from "young upstart team" to "Cup contenders" as they battled to the Stanley Cup Final with Hossa's 26 points in 20 games leading the team with 12 goals in the post-season.
Hossa's departure was not ideal from Pittsburgh but he matured into one of the most complete players in the NHL winning two Cups with the Blackhawks. Hossa is now only behind the legendary Peter Stastny in all -time scoring from the Slovakian nation cementing his legacy not only for his country but for the entire NHL.
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