The Penguins' six-game preseason schedule will open on Sept. 16 at Penn State's Pegula Ice Arena against the Sabres, the Penguins announced on Tuesday.
The preseason opener will be considered a home game for the Sabres, who are owned by the Pegula family that helped build the Penn State hockey program and new arena. The Penguins and Sabres played a preseason game in State College last season as well.
“We know the atmosphere at Pegula Ice Arena will be loud and we look forward to putting on a great show for all of the NHL fans in Hockey Valley," Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said in a Penn State release.
The Penguins' first home game of the preseason will take place three days later at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19, against the Blue Jackets. The Penguins will then travel to Columbus for a 2 p.m. game on Sept. 21.
The Penguins will visit Detroit the following day for a 5 p.m. game on Sept. 22. The Penguins and Red Wings will face off again in Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. on Sept. 25.
The final preseason game will be against the Sabres on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 28. It will be the annual "Free Game for Kids." That one will be loud.
Here is the full schedule:
The Penguins announced some other key offseason dates on Tuesday.
The prospect development camp will be held from June 26-28 in Cranberry. Those on-ice sessions will be open to the public. The prospects are back in action from Sept. 6-9 in the annual Prospects Challenge tournament, which will again be held at the Sabres' practice facility, the HarborCenter. The on-ice sessions of training camp open on Sept. 13 in Cranberry.
