PITTSBURGH (WJAC) — Johnstown native Dana Heinze was honored Saturday night by the Pittsburgh Penguins for his 33 years of service to hockey, the past 16 as the team's Equipment Manager.

Heinze was introduced with a tribute video prior to their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning as well as gifts from the team, including a painting commemorating his career and a trip to Florida which includes an opportunity to work as an honorary equipment manager for his favorite baseball team, the Boston Red Sox.

Standing alongside his wife, Kathy, Penguins stars Sydney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang presented the gifts and saluted Heinze on the ice as players gave him a stick tap in salute.

“He spent a lot of years here and has been part of a lot of memories,” Crosby told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. “Obviously worked really hard. It’s a tough job a lot of these guys have, the equipment guys, a lot of long hours. It’s a huge commitment from them and late nights. They take care of us. It’s nice to recognize someone who’s done that for a long time for us.”

The Westmont Hilltop graduate started his career with the Johnstown Chiefs and worked over 2,000 professional games while being a part of four Stanley Cup championship teams: Tampa Bay in 2004 and Pittsburgh in 2009, 2016 and 2017.

Heinze told the team's website this summer he was stepping down to move back to Johnstown, where he and his wife plan to spend more time with their families, especially his mother and her father, who are dealing with some health issues.

Heinze was inducted into the Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. The same year, his Number 30 jersey was retired by Westmont Hilltop, and a banner hangs inside the Cambria County War Memorial Arena.

ncG1vNJzZmivmpawtcKNnKamZ6OlvLPA0miaqKakmru1e8mon6erpKTEr3nNmquirpVitaa1zbOcZqCfo7yzscNmmbJloJq7qMHIp6pmnp%2BhubDDyKeeZqqVqbazscyepa1lkah6pr3UoqemnZ6peq6tzZqenqo%3D