‘Burgh’s best to wear it, No. 77: The Penguins found somebody worthy in Paul Coffey

The Tribune-Review sports staff is conducting a daily countdown of the best 100 players in Pittsburgh pro and college sports history to wear each jersey number.

Roughly two decades before finding a “winger for Sid” became a prevailing pursuit, finding anyone for Mario Lemieux to play with was the clarion call of Penguins management.

In his first three seasons in the NHL, Lemieux’s nonpareil abilities enabled teammates with AHL-worthy skills to become NHL first liners.

But Lemieux could only carry the likes of Moe Mantha, Terry Ruskowski and Warren Young so far. In 1987-88, Lemieux’s fourth NHL season, the Penguins got serious about finding someone truly worthy of playing with their franchise center.

After three Stanley Cup titles and winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy, All-Star defenseman Paul Coffey was embroiled in a contract holdout with Edmonton Oilers management. A vital component to the Oilers’ Stanley Cup dynasty, Coffey’s ability to move the puck with speed helped Wayne Gretzky obliterate NHL scoring records.

So it wasn’t a coincidence the first time Lemieux won the Hart Memorial Trophy as MVP and the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion came in that 1987-88 campaign when Coffey arrived following a seven-player blockbuster trade.

Lemieux’s signature 1988-89 season, in which he set franchise records for goals (85), assists (114) and points (199), was directly influenced by Coffey who had a hand in 76 of those points.

Having worn No. 7 in Edmonton, Coffey adopted No. 77 upon arrival in Pittsburgh as defenseman Rod Buskas was already wearing No. 7. That allowed the Penguins to utilize a popular “double trouble” promotion in the late 1980s which included forward John Cullen (No. 11), defenseman Zarley Zalapaski (No. 33), forward Rob Brown (No. 44), Lemieux (No. 66) and Coffey.

A four-time All-Star in his five seasons with the Penguins, Coffey was a member of the 1991 Stanley Cup championship team, albeit in a limited role because of an eye injury. After surpassing New York Islanders great Denis Potvin to become the NHL’s all-time leader in scoring among defensemen in October 1991, Coffey, who had some friction with interim coach Scotty Bowman, was traded to the Los Angeles Kings at the 1992 trade deadline.

Still the only defenseman in franchise history to score 30 goals or 100 points in a single season, Coffey’s greatest impact on the franchise remains his influence on Lemieux.

Other No. 77s of note:

• As a fifth-round pick in 1977, Steve Courson was a right guard for the Steelers in the late 1970s and early 1980s. A member of the Super Bowl XII and XIV teams, Courson retired in 1985 and was one of the first NFL players to publicly speak about his use of steroids following his career.

• Marvel Smith was a staple on the offensive line in the 2000s, serving most prominently as left tackle for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s blindside. A member of the Super Bowl XL and XLIII teams, Smith was selected for a Pro Bowl in 2005.

• Marcus Gilbert was the team’s starting right tackle for parts of eight seasons during the 2010s before injuries began to take a toll in 2017 and ‘18.

• Mark Stepnoski was one of Pitt’s greatest offensive linemen in the 1980s. Recruited out of Erie, Stepnoski was a four-year starter as a guard and became a two-time All-American, including first team in 1988. A third-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, Stepnoski became a Pro Bowl center in the NFL.

Check out the entire ’Burgh’s Best to Wear It series here.