O Pittsburgh Penguins will begin its 2024-25 season at PPG Paints Arena on October 9 against the defending Presidents’ Trophy winners, the New York Rangers.
The club will play 12 times in October, with five home matches and seven away matches, including the first long trip of the campaign, this one to western Canada.
Here are some competitions that fans should mark on their calendars in the first month of the season.
October 9 vs. New York Rangers
Outside of their recent playoff history against each other, the Penguins will open their season against the best statistical team of 2023-24. Although the Rangers did not win the Stanley Cup, they advanced to the Eastern Conference final and are still one of the best teams in the Metropolitan Division.
This contest also marks the first time Reilly Smith will play against Pittsburgh, who traded him to New York on July 1. In one season with the Penguins, the former Stanley Cup champion scored 13 goals and 40 points in 76 games.
October 25th at Edmonton Oilers
While no national broadcast partners have released their schedules, the contest between the Penguins and the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 25 will almost certainly be on national TV.
Superstar players Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid will meet for the first time since the Oilers lost in the most recent Stanley Cup Final. Like Crosby, McDavid left his first championship series with a loss. However, it will be interesting to see if he duplicates Sid’s success by returning and winning the following year.
October 29 vs. Minnesota Wild
The Penguins play the Minnesota Wild twice in 2024-25, and their first meeting on Oct. 29 at PPG Paints Arena could be the last time fans see Marc-Andre Fleury skate in his old stomping ground.
Eventually, when the three-time Stanley Cup winner retires, he will be back in Pittsburgh for a ceremony to celebrate his career as the franchise’s wins leader. The two teams will meet again at the end of the season, but this October night will be a bittersweet moment, especially if Fleury is between the pipes.
Related: Throwback Thursday: Revisiting the career of the Penguins’ all-time greatest defenseman
Related: Penguins’ Crosby and Malkin, highest-scoring teammates in the salary cap era
Related: Penguin Prospects Headed to Buffalo for Annual Challenge
