Kunitz has won before, and he plans to win again
Penguins forward has three rings, and ‘not by accident’
Three is not enough: That has been the mantra Chris Kunitz has carried with him into these playoffs.
The Pittsburgh Penguins veteran, who is coming off the worst season of his career in what is the final year of his contract, has won more championships than any other player remaining in the post-season. But he’s hungry for more. He wants one ring for every finger on his right hand, and then some.
The three Kunitz has already won (with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and Pittsburgh in 2009 and 2016) are not enough. The question is whether winning a fourth will be — at least when it comes to gaining entry into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The answer is probably no, but it’s an interesting question.
No current player has won four Stanley Cups. The last two to do it, Nicklas Lidstrom and Patrick Roy, are in the Hall of Fame.
Kunitz, a Regina native who went undrafted and was twice claimed off waivers, has scored 250 goals and 580 points in 884 career games. He has never won a major individual trophy. He hasn’t even been a finalist. But when it comes to the playoffs, few have a better resume than the 37-year-old.
In Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final, Kunitz picked up a pair of assists in a 5-3 win against the Nashville Predators. In the process, he moved into 14th place on the active scoring list with 27 goals and 88 points in 156 games.
“I think it’s not by accident that he has the amount of Stanley Cup rings that he has,” Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s a high-stakes player.”
In Game 1, Kunitz took a pass from Sidney Crosby and, while looking in one direction, slid a pass the opposite way to Conor Sheary for a one-timer.
The bigger assist might have come in the final minute of the third period. With Nashville down a goal, it was Kunitz who won a puck battle and then found Nick Bonino for an outlet pass on an empty-net goal.
“How do you not love a guy like that?” Penguins defenceman Trevor Daley asked. “He’s going for his fourth Cup. Guys like that — I played against him for years, and he’s a tough guy to play against.”
As for Kunitz, his motivation is not to sign another contract. He’s not thinking about the Hall of Fame or his legacy. He just wants another story to tell.
“We had a conversation after Game 6 (of the Eastern Conference final) that you don’t get this opportunity (often),” Kunitz said earlier this week. “The accomplishment of winning is the bond (that you form with your teammates). Not a day goes by when you don’t get a text message from someone you won with.
“That’s something that drives you to want to do it again.”