Pittsburgh Penguins 2017-18: Quest Begins For 3rd Straight Stanley Cup

PITTSBURGH, PA - Threepeat, anyone? Barely three months after winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup, the Penguins open the 2017-18 season Wednesday at PPG Paints Arena to begin the quest for a third. The Pens play the St. Louis Blues at 8 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on NBCSN.

Here are five things you should know about the upcoming season:

1. The Penguins have a bunch of new players.
With the departures of veteran players such as Marc-Andre Fleury, left winger Chris Kunitz, centers Matt Cullen and Nick Bonino and defenseman Trevor Daley, the team’s roster will have a different look. Among the key new arrivals: goalie Antti Niemi, who played last year for the Dallas Stars and will be Matt Murray’s backup; defenseman Matt Harwick, signed away from the Toronto Maple Leafs and right winger Ryan Reaves, acquired in a June trade with the St. Louis Blues.

2. The Penguins have a new TV play-by-play announcer.
Murrysville native Steve Mears, who formerly worked for the Penguins radio network and spent the past five years co-hosting the NHL Network’s “NHL Live and NHL Now” will handle play-by-play duties on TV. Paul Steigerwald, who had been the play-by-play announcer since 2006, has joined the team’s front office in a new role with the communications and marketing department.

3. The Penguins have new uniforms - sort of.
Adidas replaced Reebok as the NHL’s uniform supplier and all 31 teams got new uniforms. But except for the addition of a gold collar, they don’t look much different than the current ones.

4. The Penguins will raise a new banner to the PPG Paints Arena rafters on Wednesday.
The team’s fifth championship banner will be hoisted to the top of the arena, joining those commemorating the team’s Stanley Cup wins in 1991, 1992, 2009 and 2016. The Stanley Cup will be present at the pregame ceremony.

5.The Penguins will have six new theme nights during the season.
The team’s promotional schedule is highlighted by theme nights in which fans can dress up for Halloween, in Star Wars gear, in their favorite ugly holiday sweater and in garb from the 1970s,, ‘80s and ‘90s. Giveaways will be include a magnetic Penguins schedule, team calendar, team yearbook, t-shirts and a unique knit hat honoring the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative.

Feature photo by California National Guard via Creative Commons; jersey photo via Pittsburgh Penguins.