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"Twenty Years Later" is a segment, with a highly unimaginative name, which will appear on Empty Netters throughout the 2011-12 season. We will examine the Penguins' 1991-92 season which led to the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history. We will look back on games on a particular date and catch up with former players, coaches, executives and media members who were a part or around that team.

Today, we talk with former Penguins center Jiri Hrdina.

In addition to being a third or fourth-line center, Hrdina had one of the more unique roles in the history of the Penguins. He had to be a substitute big brother to a teenager named Jaromir Jagr.

As a rookie in 1990-91, Jagr made the jump from Czechoslovakia, still a communist country at the time, to the NHL and Pittsburgh. The combination of a wildly different culture off the ice and the adjustment to playing a North American style of game wore on Jagr. In order to help Jagr cope, general manager Craig Patrick acquired veteran center Jiri Hrdina, a fellow Czech, from the Flames.

Hrdina helped Jagr grow accustomed to life on and off the ice and played a role in the franchise's first two Stanley Cup titles in 1991 and 1992.

As Jagr became more comfortable in his sophomore season, Hrdina contributed 16 points in 56 games during the 1992-92 campaign. During that postseason, he recorded two assists in 16 games.

Following the season, Hrdina retired as a player. He currently serves as a European scout for the Dallas Stars based out of Prauge.

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How difficult was it dealing with "Badger" Bob Johnson's death and transitioning to Scotty Bowman as the interim head coach? 

"It was a great shock for everybody when we got the news about Bob. So sad. But we got lucky to have Scotty on the bench. It was a little tough in the beginning. It was a little different style with Scotty Bowman practices and a little different style of coaching."

What was it like being a center on a team which had future hall-of-fame centers such as Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis and Bryan Trottier?

"It always tough when you have such superstars. But I knew my role on the team. I also played on the wing. I had no problem to play on the wing. I didn’t get that much ice time like I was hoping for. But being almost 36 years old at the time, I accepted that role and it was good for me to be on that team."

What was different with Jagr from his rookie season to his sophomore campaign?

"When I got there to Pittsburgh in December the year before, he was pretty down mentally. He was homesick. He was missing a friend and a guy on the team he could to talk to. He didn’t know how to ask for things. I got there. He got more comfortable towards the end of the year. He was a like a different person the year after. He started doing the radio. He was feeling more comfortable with his English. I thought the second year, he was a different player and a different person off the ice too."

What was it like bringing in players such as Rich Tocchet, Kjell Samuelsson and Ken Wregget from a rival team such as the Flyers through a trade?

"I think Craig knew we needed a little bit more toughness on the team and that’s why he got Rick Tocchet. He was a real competitor. We got really good players. The team got tougher. It really helped to win the Stanley Cup."

How do you compare your Staney Cup win with the Flames in 1989 to the two championships you won with the Penguins?

"The first one is always the one you remember the most. Calgary and Pittsburgh was totally different situations. I think Calgary, we had a really hard working team. In Pittsburgh, we had so many superstars on the team. So it like more individual efforts in each series, each game."

(Photo: Penguins Hockey Cards)

Penguins

-What says Jordan Staal (above) has to be traded? (PG+)

-The Penguins local ratings were the highest for any United States-based NHL or NBA franchise this past season.

-Craig Adams is good people:

-"It's like a treadmill's going and it stops. Then you quickly say goodbye and everyone goes off on their own for the summer." - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coach John Hynes on the end of his team's season.

-Jonathan Bombulie of th eWIlkes-Barre Citizens Voice has a breakdown of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' contract situations.

IIHF World Championships

-An assist by Evgeni Malkin helped Russia shut out Italy, 4-0.

-Malkin battled Italy's Diego Iori for this puck:

-Red Wings forward Valtteri Filppula collected two goals and two assists for Finland which defeated Kazakhstan, 4-1.

-An assist by Canadiens forward Lars Eller helped Denmark shut out Lativa, 2-0.

-Former Capitals/Kings/Blackhawks/Canadiens goaltender Cristobal Huet made 21 saves for France which edged Belarus, 2-1.

-Finland defenseman and former Thrasher/Devil Anssi Salmelaa was given a three-game suspension for a dangerous hit from behind against United States/Stars defenseman and former Penguin Alex Goligoski Sunday:

Playoff Stuff

Rangers - Devils

-Henrik Lundqvist made 21 saves for the Rangers in a 3-0 shutout of the Devils in Game 1. Artem Anisimov, Dan Girardi and Chris Kreider each collected a goal and an assist for New York which has a 3-0 series lead.

-Save of the Night: New Jersey's Martin Brodeur against New York's Marc Staal:

-Cool Photo of the Night: Brodeur taking the ice at Madison Square Garden:

-New Jersey's David Clarkson put a little too much on this stick:

-Lundqvist went post to post here:

-Playoff time at Madison Square Garden:

-Painful times for New Jersey's Patrik Elias:

-“We didn’t score any goals. We need to score obviously to win a hockey game.” - Devils forward Patrik Elias with some of the most indepth analysis we've ever encountered.

-"They're blocking pucks. Hopefully we'll be able to hurt a few guys getting one-timers in the foot or their head or something. Right now they're paying the price to win and that's what playoff hockey is all about." - Brodeur on the Rangers' defense.

-Lundqvist stopped 21 shots while his teammates blocked 26 shots.

-Rangers coach John Tortorella finally opened up in a postgame new conference only to tormented by an errant cell phone ringer (Note: This clip contains vulgarity):

-The Rangers recalled forwards J.T. Miller, Casey Wellman, Kris Newbury, Chad Kolarik, Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, Marek Hrivik, defensemen Dylan McIlrath, Tim Erixon and goaltender goaltender Cam Talbot from Connecticut of the AHL. Miller is a Pittsburgh-area native and was the Rangers' first-round pick in last year's draft.

-Hockey Night in Canada's pregame montage was pretty awesome:

Coyotes - Kings

-Kings forward Simon Gagne was given medical clearance to resume practicing. He has been sidlined since Dec. 26 due to a concussion.

-The Staples Center is pretty busy with the Kings as well as the NBA's Lakers and Clippers still active in the postseason.

-Coyotes fans have endured a lot over the past 15 years.

Non-Playoff Stuff

Northeast Division

-Former Senators forward Nikita Filatov has joined Salavat Yulaev of Russia's KHL. Spending most of the season with Binghamton of the AHL, Filatov saw action in nine NHL games last season and recorded one assist. The Blue Jackets made him the sixth overall pick in the 2006 draft.

Southeast Divison

-Citing family reasons, Dale Hunter (right, with captain Alex Ovechkin) resigned as the Capitals' head coach. Hunter took over as head coach early in 2011-12 and led the club to a 30-23-7 record and a playoff appearance. The Capitals advanced to the second round under Hunter.

-EN Says: While the considerable strain a coaching position places on a family can not be underestimated, it was no secret Hunter and Ovechkin didn't exactly have a harmonious relationship. The Capitals have built this franchise around Ovechkin and anyone who will coach this team must deal with him. Any coach is disposable in the NHL. A player who is signed through 2021 is less so.

-“It doesn’t matter if I like it or not, because he’s my coach and I have to listen." - Ovechkin on his relationship with Hunter.

-"I guess we’re all fathers and sons and husbands first before anything else, and if we have our priorities right in this life, family comes first. And Dale needs to go home.” - Capitals general manager George McPhee on Hunter.

-“If they need Alex we’ll talk. If they don’t need Alex, as they did not need him this year, then there’s no reason to be together. Then they won’t be paying a lot of money and Alex won’t be wasting his career.” - Mark Gandler, agent for Capitals forward Alexander Semin (right) on his client's future with the team. Semin is scheduled to become an unrestriced free agent this summer.

-The Capitals revealed forward Jay Beagle finished the postseason with a broken right foot.

Central Division

-The Blue Jackets removed the interim tag from Todd Richards and made him their full-time head coach. Richards, the former head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, took over the Blue Jackets at mid-season in 2011-12 and led the team to a record of 18-21-2 in 41 games.

-EN Says: Richards (right) washed out as the Wild's head coach when he had meager talent to work with in Minnesota. What's he going to do with an even bigger mess in Columubus?

-“(Richards) gets you to work hard but you don’t realize you are working hard because you’re having so much fun doing it. That’s a key difference.” - Blue Jackets forward R.J. Umberger.

Pacific Division

-Former Ducks goaltender Iiro Tarkki has joined Salavat Yulaev Ufa of Russia's KHL.

(Photos: Staal-Jamie Sabau/Getty Images; IIHF World Championships-Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images; Devils/Rangers-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images, Paul Bereswill/Getty Images and Kathy Willens/Associated Press; Hunter/Ovechkin-Rob Carr/Getty Images; Semin-Marianne Helm/Getty Images; Richards-Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

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(1) Rangers vs. (6) Devils

Rangers Leading Posteason Scorer: Brad Richards, 14 points (6 goals, 5 assists).

Devils Leading Regular Season Scorer: Ilya Kovalchuk (below), 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists).

Rangers Expected Starting Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist (right), 8-6, 1.68 GAA, .937 SV%.

Devils Expected Starting Goaltender: Martin Brodeur, 8-3, 2.05 GAA, .920 SV%.

Rangers Regular Season Statistics

Devils Regular Season Statistics

Rangers Injuries: Center Brandon Dubinsky (right foot) and left winger Mats Zuccarello (wrist) are out. Defenseman Michael Sauer (concussion) is on injured reserve.

Devils Injuries: Defensemen Anton Volchenkov (undisclosed) and Marek Zidlicky (undisclosed) are probable. Center Jacob Josefsen (wrist) is out. Defenseman Henrik Tallinder (blood clot - leg) is on injured reserve.

Rangers with Stanley Cup bling: Ruslan Fedotenko, LW; Brad Richards, C; Mike Rupp, C.

Devils with Stanley Cup bling: Ryan Carter, C; Martin Brodeur, G; Patrik Elias, C; Petr Sykora, RW.

Something worthwhile about the Rangers: The Rangers have seven wins when the score first in a game, most in the playoffs.

Something worthwhile about the Devils: The Devils have scored the most five-on-five goals in the playoffs with 24.

Something useless about the Rangers that is vaguely connected to the Penguins: The Rangers' career leader in postseason points per game among defensemen is former Penguin Sergei Zubov.

Something useless about the Devils that is vaguely connected to the Penguins: Former Penguins center (and current Ranger) Mike Rupp holds the Devils postseason record for points in a game by a rookie. He had three in a 3-0 win in Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup final against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

Former Penguins on the Rangers: Ruslan Fedotenko, LW; Rick Kehoe, professional scout; Mike Rupp, C; Glen Sather, general manager.

Former Penguins on the Devils: Johan Hedberg, G; Alexei Ponikarovsky, LW; Petr Sykora, RW.

Who needs to be the difference for the Rangers: Richards, Marian Gaborik, Derek Stepan, Artem Anisimov, etc. The Rangers know they're going to get a strong defensive effort and a strong effort from Lundqvist. They need their limited offensive resources to come through.

Who needs to be the difference for the Devils: Brodeur. Brodeur has been very good these playoffs. But he hasn't been as good as the likes of Lundqvist, Phoenix's Mike Smith or Los Angeles' Jonathan Quick. Lundqvist won't make too many mistakes in this series. Brodeur needs to tight things up a bit in order to outduel Lundqvist.

Best Rangers YouTube Video We Could Find: Defenseman Marian Gaborik's goal in the third overtime of a 2-1 win against the Capitals in Game 2 of this season's Eastern Conference semifinal series :

Best Devils YouTube Video We Could Find: Adam Henrique's series-clinching goal in second overtime of a 3-2 win against the Panters in Game 7 of this season's Eastern Conference quarterfinal series:

EN Prediction: As brilliant as the Rangers' defense is, their offense has struggled quite a bit in this postseason. The Devils have found a good balance between offense and defense and have had the luxury of resting some bumps and bruises unlike the Rangers. Devils 4-2.

(Photos: Lundqvist-Christian Petersen/Getty Images; Kovalchuk-Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)

Penguins

-Happy 44th birthday to former Penguins defenseman and EN patron saint Peter Ahola (right). Acquired early in the 1992-93 season in a trade which sent Jeff Chychrun to the Kings, Ahola's Penguins career amounted to 22 magnificient games and one epic assist that campaign. In February of that season, he was traded to the Sharks for future considerations. He is presumably doing something completely awesome with his life at the moment.

IIHF World Championships

-Evgeni Malkin had a goal for Russia which shut out the Czech Republic, 2-0.

-Malkin's goal:

-Steely glare times for Malkin:

-Capitals forwards Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin will join Team Russia.

-Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard made 19 saves for the United States in a 5-0 shutout of Finland.

-United States/Stars defenseman and former Penguin Alex Goligoski managed to avoid injury after this violent hit from behind into the boards from Finland defenseman and former Devils/Thrasher Anssi Salmela:

-Finland/Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen left the game due to an apparently leg injury.

-Red Wings forward prospect Tomas Tatar scored the lone goal in Slovakia's 1-0 shutout of Switzerland.

-Former Oilers/Flyers forward Patrick Thoresen collected a hat trick and three assists for Norway which routed Germany 12-4.

Playoff Stuff

Rangers - Devils

-“They pack it in pretty tight and if you get down at the top of the circles all the sudden instead of being 25 feet away from them, you’re five, 10 feet away from them and they’re right in the (shooting) lane. If you’re higher (in the zone) you can have more room to go either way and it’s going to change the shooting lane too.” - Devils defenseman Andy Greene on the Rangers' defensive scheme.

-“To me, it’s to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. That’s all I care about. I don’t care about the rivalry. I don’t care about anything else. I just want to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. That’s all that matters to me.” - Devils forward and former Penguin Petr Sykora (right) on facing the rival Rangers.

-“I think I always love playing these guys because during a regular season game, sometimes it feels like a playoff game when you play them. So it should be that much more (intense), going on to a bigger stage like this.” - Rangers defenseman Marc Staal on the Devils.

-“I don't think you'll see five guys fighting off the opening faceoff. But it’s going to be intense. They’ve been chippy games every time we’ve played in the regular season. I don’t see that changing.” - Rangers captain Ryan Callahan on the Devils.

Coyotes - Kings

-Two goals by Dwight King led the Kings to a 4-2 win against the Coyotes in Game 1. Captain Dustin Brown added a goal and an assist for Los Angeles while teammate Trevor Lewis recorded two assists. Jonathan Quick made 27 saves in the victory which gave the Kings a 1-0 series lead. Derek Morris netted a goal and an assist for Phoenix.

-Ugly Goal of the Night: Derek Morris air-mailed this goal from center ice against Quick:

-A couple of good looks at the goal:

-Defensive Play of the Night: Check out this strong forecheck by Phoenix's Antoine Vermette which forced a turnover by Los Angeles' Drew Doughty and led to a goal by Mikkel Boedker:

-Phoenix's Mike Smith had his own issues here:

-Everyone had issues here:

-Happy times for King. Not so much for Smith:

-We're not goaltending experts or anything, but Quick looks a bit off his angle here:

-"That's one of the things that makes him such a great goaltender. A lot of goalies give up a bad one and as much of a competitor as you might be and you don't want to give up a bad one, you have to be able to get past it. He's got that type of mentality and he's had it the whole time, and tonight was no different." - Kings defenseman and former Penguin Rob Scuderi on Quick.

-"I thought their whole team was better than our team. We weren't close in that game. We got beat in every facet of that game." - Coyotes coach and former Penguins forward Dave Tippett.

-The Kings' penalty kill has successfuly defended 24 consecutive power plays.

Non-Playoff Stuff

Central Division

-Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane has a little too much free time on his hands.

(Photos: Ahola-Penguins Hockey Cards; IIHF World Championships-Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images; Sykora-Jim McIsaac/Getty Images; Kings/Coyotes-Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press, Jeff Gross/Getty Images and Christian Petersen/Getty Images)