1981–82 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 1981–82 Pittsburgh Penguins season was their 15th in the National Hockey League. The qualified for the playoffs for the fourth straight year, but lost in the opening round to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders three games to two. This would be the Penguins last playoff appearance until 1989.
Regular season
Final standings
Schedule and results
Playoffs
The Penguins lost in the division semi-final round versus the New York Islanders.Player statistics
;Skaters;Goaltenders
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.
Awards and records
- Paul Baxter became the first Penguins player to receive 400 penalty minutes in a season. He did so in a 7–2 loss to New York on April 4th, finishing the season with 409 PIMs.
- Mike Bullard established a new franchise rookie record for goals with 36. He topped the previous high of 31 held by Pierre Larouche.
- Ron Stackhouse established a franchise record for goals, assists and points by a defenseman. He had led in all categories since the mid-1970s.
Transactions
Trades
| September 11, 1981 | To Toronto Maple Leafs ---- 1982 4th round pick | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Paul Harrison |
| September 28, 1981 | To New York Islanders ---- Rob Holland | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- future considerations |
| December 29, 1981 | To Hartford Whalers ---- Russ Anderson 1983 8th round pick | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Rick MacLeish |
| February 3, 1982 | To Toronto Maple Leafs ---- 1983 5th round pick future considerations | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- Greg Hotham |
| February 14, 1982 | To St. Louis Blues ---- 1984 8th round pick | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- right to claim Gary Edwards off waivers from Blues without having to pay a cash waiver price |
| March 2, 1982 | To Minnesota North Stars ---- Mark Johnson | To Pittsburgh Penguins ---- 1982 2nd round pick |
Additions and subtractions
Roster
Draft picks
The 1981 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 10, 1981 in Montreal, Quebec.| Round | # | Player | Pos | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team |
| 2 | 28 | Steve Gatzos | Right Wing | Canada | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds |
| 3 | 49 | Tom Thornbury | Right Wing | Canada | Niagara Falls Flyers |
| 4 | 70 | Norm Schmidt | Defense | Canada | Oshawa Generals |
| 6 | 109 | Paul Edwards | Defense | Canada | Oshawa Generals |
| 6 | 112 | Rod Buskas | Defense | Canada | Medicine Hat Tigers |
| 7 | 133 | Geoff Wilson | Left Wing | Canada | Winnipeg Warriors |
| 8 | 154 | Mitch Lamoureux | Center | Canada | Oshawa Generals |
| 9 | 175 | Dean DeFazio | Left Wing | Canada | Brantford Alexanders |
| 10 | 196 | David Hannan | Center | Canada | Brantford Alexanders |