Mellon Arena Memories - Randy Carlyle - 11-18-09

"Mellon Arena Memories" is a semi-regular feature that will appear in this forum from time to time during the remainder of the Penguins' final season at Mellon Arena. We will attempt to interview several individuals inside and outside the Penguins about the arena which has served as the franchise's home facility since the its inception. Today's subject is Randy Carlyle.

Carlyle is currently his his fifth season as head coach of the Anaheim Ducks. He spent parts of six seasons with the Penguins as a defenseman in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He came to Pittsburgh along with forward George Ferguson in a 1978 trade that send all-star defenseman Dave Burrows to the Maple Leafs. During his time with the Penguins, Carlyle developed into one of the best and productive defensemen in franchise history. He would appear in two all-star games while with the franchise and would become the only Penguin to win the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's top defenseman in 1980-81 when he had 83 points. Additionally in 1981, Carlyle became the first Penguin to be named a first-team NHL all-star.

Serving as the team's captain from 1981 until 1984, Carlyle is the 19th leading scorer in team history with 323 points. He also owns the distinction of having scored the first regular season overtime goal in franchise history when he netted the game-winner in a 6-5 win at New Jersey, Dec. 23, 1983. (Note: Prior to 1983-84, the NHL had not used overtime periods in the regular season since World War II.)

In March of 1984, the Penguins dealt Carlyle to the Winnipeg Jets for a first-round pick in that offseason's draft that would be used to select defenseman Doug Bodger and a future consideration that ended up being defenseman Moe Mantha. Carlyle would play nine more seasons - all with the Jets - before retiring following the 1992-93 season.

Following his career as a player, Carlyle served various coaching positions with the Jets, the Washington Capitals and the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. He became the head coach of the Ducks in August of 2005 and has led the team to the playoffs each of his first four seasons. In 2007, he led the Ducks to their first and only Stanley Cup title. He joined Tom Johnson and Larry Robinson as the only individuals to win the Stanley Cup as a coach and the Norris Trophy.

On the infamous visitors locker room at Mellon Arena, which used to serve as the Penguins' locker room:

"The dressing room that’s in there, there’s an oil drip. That used to be my stall. I had to watch it. I couldn’t lean up against the back of the wall because my sweater would have oil on it. "

On Pittsburgh:

"It’s always special, this community. It’s nice to see they got a new building and the success the organization has enjoyed. "

First memory of Civic/Mellon Arena:

"I remember my first training camp coming from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Coming here in 1978, the city has changed to some degree but in some other ways, it hasn’t changed."

On his time with the Penguins:

"I think I was fortunate enough to play for this hockey club. It was a transition club changing hands to the DeBartolo Corporation at that time. So there was a lot of turmoil off the ice. It’s not like we had a lot of people in the building but our teams, we played hard. We had a good time doing it. It was a lot of fun to play hockey in Pittsburgh. I just wish we had more success."

Favorite coaches with the Penguins:

"Johnny Wilson, Lou Agnotti, Eddie Johnston."

Favorite teammates with the Penguins:

"Rick Kehoe, Russ Anderson, George Ferguson Greg Malone. We had lots of characters. Brian 'Spinner' Spencer, Michel Dion. I got traded for Dave Burrows and he ended up coming back here a year and a half later so I played with him. Ron Stackhouse. "

(Photo: First-Post-Gazette archives; Second-Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)