Penguins: Shawn Michaels Will Attend Game 5

The Pittsburgh Penguins face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals Friday in Tampa/St. Pete.

Though the Penguins have one more game in Tampa Bay, we now know their new famous fan will be in attendance when the team returns to Pittsburgh for Sunday’s Game 5.  The original HBK, former WWE star Shawn Michaels, has formally accepted the clubs invitation to attend Game 5.

This is all due in part to the Penguins third line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel that was coined the HBK Line, a nod to the WWE legend.  As the team started to roll through the Stanley Cup Playoffs thanks to the success of the line, the HBK Line began to catch fire among fans, especially on Twitter.

The hashtag HBKLine eventually caught the attention of Michaels, who even tuned into Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.  The unexpected love affair snowballed from their following Game 3 with the Penguins inviting the showstopper to Game 5.  Michaels send he will be there barring any crazy weather.  Former Steeler Brett Keisel even offered HBK a seat.

Michaels wrestled for the WWE for almost two decades in two separate stints before retiring from active competition in 2010.  HBK or the Heartbreak Kid gimmick began in the early 1990’s when Michaels became a singles competitor for the company.  He portrayed a characteristic ladies’ man, a very fitting moniker in and out of the ring.

In this time with WWE, Michaels became the company’s first Grand Slam champion, which is when a wrestler wins two separate world championships, a secondary championship and a tag team championship over his career.  He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.

Next: HBK Line Dominates

It is not certain if this will be Michaels’ only appearance at Consol Energy Center depending on the outcome of this series.   If the Penguins advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, hopefully they can get the sexy boy back to the Burgh again.