This is, of course, the final season of hockey at Mellon Arena, which entered the world in 1961 as the Civic Arena and played host to its first NHL game six years later.

Since that inaugural game, a 2-1 Montreal victory Oct 11, 1967, team records show that more than 550 players have pulled on a Penguins sweater. The list of surnames runs the gamut from Abid (Ramzi) to Zubov (Sergei) and covers just about every conceivable combination of letters in between.

The players range from Mario Lemieux, who dressed for a franchise-record 915 regular-season games, to Dave Michayluk, whose only appearances in a Penguins uniform came during the 1992 playoffs.

In recognition of what all those players have contributed to the franchise during the Civic/Mellon Arena era, the following is Part 1 of a multi-installment rundown of the most memorable players to wear each number ever given to a Penguin, and sometimes a few guys worthy of honorable mention.

The criteria were nebulous, at best, and selections reflect what the player in question did as a member of the Penguins -- which is why guys like Tim Horton (3), Charlie Simmer (13) and Luc Robitaille (20) didn't make the cut -- and while wearing that particular number here.

The initial list, covering Nos. 1-15:

1 Denis Herron, a pretty good goalie on some pretty bad teams. Johan Hedberg made a lasting impression during his relatively brief stay, too.

2 Bob Paradise was a solid defenseman, with enough toughness for three men. Younger fans might know Duane Rupp best for operating a sporting-good store, if at all, but he gave the Penguins 265 rugged and reliable games.

3 Ron Stackhouse was despised by a major portion of the fan base because he didn't play as big as he was, but he had terrific offensive talents. Bob Woytowich deserves mention simply because of his Polish Army fan club, and Alex Goligoski might have claimed the top spot if he'd arrived four or five years earlier.

4 Dave Burrows might not have been the game's most fearless shot-blocker and finest defensive defenseman since the league expanded from six to 12teams, but he belongs on any short list in those groups.

5 Ulf Samuelsson was always tough, sometimes dirty and never a no-show. Bryan (Bugsy) Watson deserves a nod for his feistiness, too.

6 There wasn't much glamour in Jim Johnson's defensive style, but it helped win games when the Penguins' first Cup-winning team was in its embryonic stage. Dunc McCallum can't be overlooked, if only because of his great name, and any fan of tough-nosed hockey had to appreciate Kim Clackson and Bob Boughner.

7 Joe Mullen is the first Hall of Famer on this list and one of the greatest U.S.-born players ever. Longtime fans wouldn't want Bryan Hextall or Steve (Demolition Derby) Durbano to be forgotten, either.

8 The last of Mark Recchi's three stops here created a bit of controversy, but doesn't detract from his legacy. Had Rick Kehoe stuck with No. 8 for his entire time, he'd have been the logical choice, and those of a certain vintage realize that Val Fonteyne can't be ignored.

9 Andy Bathgate played just 150 games here as his Hall of Fame career was winding down, but was the early face of the franchise, along with Les Binkley, and recorded the Penguins' first goal and hat trick. Al McDonough. Chuck (The Rifleman) Arnason and Ron Francis, who wore No. 9 immediately after being acquired from Hartford in 1991, also have to be acknowledged.

10 Ron Francis spent most of his Penguins career in this sweater, claiming it once Barry Pederson was released in 1991. Pierre Larouche remains one of the great personalities and offensive talents in team history.

11 Give the nod to Jordan Staal, but not easily and not by much. George (The Fergy Flyer) Ferguson, Darius Kasparaitis, Troy Loney and John Cullen all received serious consideration. (John Flesch and Rocky Ray Saganiuk, alas, did not.)

12 Another coin toss, this one coming down in favor of Bob Errey. Ken Schinkel was not easy to bypass, and neither was the only father-son team that competed for a spot on the list, Greg and Ryan Malone.

13 Only three men have been brave enough to wear No. 13, and the decision goes to Bill Guerin, if only because Goligoski switched to No. 3. The bronze goes to Jim Hamilton, who at one point in the early 1980s was the Penguins' one-man farm system.

14 Lowell MacDonald, owner of great hands and bad knees, was the left winger on the storied Century Line. He edges out another pretty fair goal-scorer, Doug Shedden.

15 No fewer than two dozen men have worn this number, but none accomplished more in it than Randy Cunneyworth, a solid two-way left winger. The floor is open to counter-arguments from fans of George Swarbrick, Bob McManama and Roman Simicek.

Penguins Plus, a blog by Dave Molinari and Shelly Anderson, is featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.