Penguins officials even had special ice skates made for Pete by CCM in Canada.
Pete made his first appearance during the second intermission of a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on February 21, 1968.
It is believed that his death was due to the ice crew at the Civic Arena keeping his nesting area too warm.
However, the stuffed Pete was later removed from the lobby after a few concerned callers objected to its presence there, according to then-Penguins owner Jack McGregor.
[citation needed][2] A second penguin mascot, dubbed "Re-Pete'", was later loaned to the team and made it through the 1971–72 NHL season.