Pittsburgh Penguins host season opener at PPG Paints Arena Wednesday; here’s what you need to know

PITTSBURGH — It’s a (regular season) hockey night for and in Pittsburgh for the first time this season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins face off against the New York Rangers on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena.

Tickets

Tickets are not sold out yet, but that could change closer to gametime.

Ticketmaster shows that most of the seats still available through the team are in the 200s level. Those will run you as little as $64 per seat.

For those looking to treat themselves, there are some tickets left in the Rivers Casino Lounge, as well as in the 100s level and even some along the glass.

Some tickets for inside the Rivers Casino Lounge are standing room only and cost $99 per ticket. Tickets in the 100s level start at $119 per ticket, and those along the glass cost $399.

Students can get GetGo Student Rush tickets for a discounted price starting gameday morning at 10 a.m. Those purchasing student rush tickets have to use an email that ends in .edu and tickets cannot be transferred.

Traffic

The Penguins are double-dipping with their season and home opener on the same night, so those going to the game - and those who are just passing through - should keep traffic delays in mind near the city.

PPG Paints Arena typically sees increased foot traffic before pre-game warm-ups, which start 30 minutes before puck drop. This is when hopeful fans line up along the glass to get a puck or a wave from their favorite players, or people line up for food and beverages to enjoy before the game starts.

Veteran’s Bridge (I-579) normally sees back-ups stemming from the 6th Avenue exit. This is the closest exit to PPG Paints Arena coming from the north.

Coming from the east, I-376 is sure to see some back-ups coming into the city. The tunnels from Mount Washington will see increased traffic, which will bleed onto I-376, East Carson Street and Route 19.

Plan to get to PPG Paints Arena before rush hour if you can. Parking is available at the arena, but fans frequently walk from Downtown parking lots and garages to the game. The furthest Downtown parking lot from the arena, Boulos Parking Point State near Point State Park, is a one mile or 22 minute walk. Those who park Downtown and in the North Shore can also take the T to Steel Plaza for free, which is a 0.3 mile or seven minute walk away.

Opening night promotion

The Penguins will be giving out a free magnetic schedule to all fans in attendance at Wednesday’s home opener.

Click here for the full promotional schedule for this season.

Roster

The Penguins have some of the league’s most familiar faces, but some new additions might turn heads among the star-studded team.

Thirteen forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies will take the ice for the Black and Gold entering this season.

Captain Sidney Crosby and alternate captains Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang return to the Penguins for the 19th time together. They made history last season as the longest-tenured trio of teammates in North American professional sports history with 18 seasons played.

Among new faces to the roster include Anthony Beauvillier (72), Cody Glass (19), Kevin Hayes (13), Rutger McGroarty (2) and Matt Grzelcyk (24).

Forwards Blake Lizotte and Bryan Rust as well as goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic will start the season on Injured Reserve. In addition, forward Matt Nieto has been placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve and forward Vasily Ponomarev has been designated as Injured Non-Roster.

Head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed Tristan Jarry will start in goal.

New York Rangers

The Penguins’ first opponent of the season is the New York Rangers, who led the powerhouse Metropolitan Division last season and won the Presidents’ Trophy for most points in the league.

During last year’s campaign, the Penguins went 38-32-12 for 88 points and missed the playoffs.

The Rangers dominated the division with a record of 55-23-4 for 114 points. They made it as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Florida Panthers, who went on to win the Stanley Cup for the first time.

An Original Six team, the Rangers have won the Stanley Cup four times, in 1928, 1933, 1940 and 1994. The Penguins edge them by one championship, winning in 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016 and 2017.

Last season, the Penguins and Rangers faced off three times, with the Rangers winning twice and the Penguins winning once.

What comes next?

After Wednesday’s home opener, the Penguins hit the road for the next three games against the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. They return home for a two game homestand against the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes, before going on an extended road trip almost through the end of October.

The next time the Penguins face the Rangers is on Dec. 6 in New York.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group