JOHNSTOWN — In between signing hundreds of autographs and answering questions from future Johnstown Tomahawks fans on Thursday night, Phil Bourque reflected on the start of his NHL career with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Bourque displayed three of his Stanley Cup rings – two he earned as a Penguins player in 1991 and 1992 and the other as a Pens radio commentator in 2009.

Perhaps appropriately, those rings sat on a table situated on the Cambria County War Memorial Arena floor, where Bourque participated in his first NHL training camp with the Penguins 30 years ago.

In 1982, the Pens traveled to Johns-

town for camp, a tradition that lasted into the mid-1980s.

“Walking into this building, it all comes rushing back,” said Bourque, who played 13 NHL seasons and was a Pittsburgh teammate of greats such as Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Paul Coffey and Bryan Trottier.

“I signed my first professional contract in that office,” he said, referring to the office above Section 21 made famous in the movie “Slap Shot.”

Bourque told the fans sitting in Sections 4 and 5 how he drove a 1978 Mercury Cougar to Johnstown to attend training camp with the Pens. He laughed as he explained how former Penguins GM Baz Bastien presented him a three-year contract that paid him $18,000 at the AHL level and a $5,000 signing bonus. “He had me even before he offered the bonus,” Bourque said, noting he used the bonus money as a down payment on a new Corvette.

“My first preseason game was at the War Memorial against the Detroit Red Wings,” Bourque said. He then told the fans how after the game he wore his brown, three-piece suit to Johnnie’s Restaurant on Main Street. A hungry Bourque ordered a meal, but had to sit at the bar because the dining area was filled.

“I shook a Heinz ketchup bottle and when I opened it, the ketchup unloaded in my face,” Bourque said. “The whole bar was laughing. I called the bartender over and said, ‘Can I have that order to go?’ ”

Bourque’s appearance Thursday didn’t require dry cleaning.

He praised the Tomahawks ownership group and staff for filling a void created when the Johnstown Chiefs moved to Greenville, S.C., after 22 ECHL seasons in 2010.

“Everybody in the Penguins organization realizes how strong of a hockey market this is and how much they love the game of hockey,” Bourque said. “I think it’s vital that you have hockey here. There is such tradition here with the Jets and Chiefs and this old barn, the War Memorial.

“Junior hockey has really grown,” he added. “People are going to be surprised at how good the talent level is.”

Tomahawks coach Jason Spence and assistant Mike Letizia joined Bourque in greeting fans. President Richard Bouchard also was present as well as former Chiefs Jean Desrochers, director of business operations, and Joe Tallari.

Fans browsed through season ticket information and team merchandise. The arena floor had a coloring area for kids and a shooting area where youngsters could fire pucks into a pair of nets. The Tomahawks’ colorful logo was displayed prominently throughout the floor, and new mascot Chopper, a red eagle wearing a dark blue Tomahawks jersey, was unveiled.

“I’m impressed,” Bourque said. “It seems to be a first-class organization. They’re trying to run it like a NHL team. It’s going to be a class place, a destination where junior players are going to want to come here instead of them having to reach out and try to get good players.”

Bourque has spent a decade in the Penguins broadcast booth with legendary voice Mike Lange. He believes the Penguins will have something to prove this fall after an unexpected first-round playoff series loss to Philadelphia.

“It’s been a busy summer for the Penguins,” Bourque said. “Obviously after such a disappointing postseason you knew there were going to be changes. Jordan Staal moving on to Carolina I thought was a great deal for everybody, even for Jordan. It seemed like it was his time to move on. What (General Manager) Ray Shero got in return with Brandon Sutter and Brian Dumoulin and the eighth overall pick (who turned out to be Derrick Pouliiot) are huge assets for the Penguins moving forward.”

Bourque said captain Sidney Crosby appears poised for a rebound season after missing much of the past two seasons with concussion-related symptoms.

“Sid probably is in the best place he’s been in a long time, physically, mentally, emotionally, the whole thing,” Bourque said. “I think he also feels he was not 100 percent last year and maybe he let the team down and let himself down because he just wasn’t where he needed to be because of missing so much time. He trains like a maniac and he’s ready to go, physically and mentally.”

Pittsburgh opens camp next month, right about the time the Tomahawks will begin their season.

“What’s the mind-set of the players coming into training camp?” Bourque said. “I think, and I’ll give you the G-rated version, ticked off. I know I would be if I was in their position.

“I would be embarrassed with the way things ended and I’d want to redeem myself as quick as possible. I’d want to get on the ice as quick as possible and prove to everybody that what happened last year was a fluke and we’re a team to be reckoned with.”