Pittsburgh Penguins Announce Preseason Schedule
By Larry Snyder
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Tuesday that they will skate in their first preseason contest Monday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. against Metropolitan Division foes, the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.
More from Pittsburgh Penguins
- Pittsburgh Penguins: A Look Back at 2019
- Penguins Will Continue to Persevere Despite Injuries
- Penguins: Alex Galchenyuk May Finally Start Meeting Expectations
- Penguins’ Three Keys to Help End Islanders’ Point Streak
- Penguins: Without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin Will Be an MVP Candidate
Sidney Crosby and Company will need to keep their bags packed as they take the ice against another Metro rival, the Carolina Hurricanes, for their first preseason home matchup the next night, Tuesday, Sept. 22 at CONSOL Energy Center. They will meet at center ice at 7 p.m.
It should be noted that the Black and Gold’s eight exhibition games this fall will be the team’s highest total since 2005-2006 when they played 10 preseason contests.
The fifth annual “Free Game for Kids” takes place Saturday, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m. when the Blue Jackets come to town. This event has all 18,000-plus tickets being dispersed to local youth hockey teams and programs throughout the area.
This year will see Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay face-off in the inaugural Kraft Hockeyville USA matchup on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. That game will be broadcast nationally on the NBC Sports Network. The start time is still to be determined. The Pens are no strangers to Johnstown as they conducted all or parts of three training camps there between 1981-1983.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh will play a neutral-site game Monday, Sept. 28 in Quebec City against the Montreal Canadiens in the first-ever game at the Videotron Centre. This matchup will get underway at 7 p.m. It is the Black and Gold’s first preseason neutral-site contest since 2011 when they took on the Los Angeles Kings at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.
Mike Johnston‘s squad will participate in a home-and-home series with the Detroit Red Wings. Pittsburgh will skirmish Detroit at Joe Louis Arena Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. The rematch will be the Pens third and final home preseason game Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m.
The Penguins final preseason road matchup is set for Friday, Oct. 2 at PNC Arena in Raleigh against the Carolina Hurricanes. The puck is set to drop at 7 p.m.
From The Clipboard: With the hiring of John Hynes, 40, to be the new head coach of the New Jersey Devils, there are now five former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coaches in the National Hockey League. He joins Dan Bylsma of the Buffalo Sabres, Todd Richards of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Michel Therrien of the Montreal Canadiens, and Mike Yeo of the Minnesota Wild.
Here is the compensation New Jersey had to give Pittsburgh for the hiring…
The #Pens have received New Jersey’s 2016 3rd round draft pick as compensation for the Devils hiring John Hynes as head coach.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) June 2, 2015
Next: Q&A: Rise of Colonials athletics with A.D. Craig Coleman