First of two parts:
It was demolished years ago, replaced -- at least for now -- by a parking lot. But the Civic Arena left an indelible mark on the city because of the concerts and ice shows and graduations that took place there. Especially because of the teams that played there. The Pipers. The Condors. Duquesne University. The Triangles. The Spirit. The Phantoms. The Stingers.
And, of course, the Penguins, who were the arena's most celebrated -- and ultimately successful -- tenant. The franchise was based there from 1967 until 2010, and won three Stanley Cups during that span.
And created an awful lot of memories in the process.
What follows is very much a personal list, and far from a comprehensive one. Games that appear on it are those that the writer attended and, in many cases, covered. (With one exception, which will be mentioned at the end of Part 2.) Non-playing people mentioned include some who were met while attending games as a fan and others whose paths were crossed in a professional capacity. Most are identified only by their first name in order to preserve their privacy, or that of their families.
The recollections below appear in no particular order, because simply being chosen for inclusion shows that all made a lasting impression. Here is Part 1 in this look back at the building that used to be across Centre Avenue from PPG Paints Arena:
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