Find out what's new at PPG Paints arena before Penguins season
PPG Paints Arena is marking its 15th year hosting Pittsburgh Penguins hockey and the 20th on the ice for the big three – Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.
The team is celebrating both milestones this season, too.
Two of the giveaways include bobbleheads and a deck of cards showcasing the three beloved players, team officials announced Thursday during a What’s New at PPG Paints Arena tour for media and some season ticket holders.
The Penguins’ home opener will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, against the New York Islanders.
“We’ve got a great history as a team,” said Miles Ritenour, vice president of marketing for the Penguins. “So how do we celebrate the players that have been here and the players that are currently here and in the prime of their career or maybe going toward the end of it?”
You celebrate it by giving away something people can take home with them, a collector’s item, Ritenour said, while showing the bobblehead series of Crosby, Malkin and Letang. The bobbleheads will be given out at games in December, February and March.
The deck of playing cards has a king, queen and jack, representing Crosby, Malkin and Letang, respectively.
“And there is a joker,” Ritenour said. “The joker is, of course, Marc-Andre Fleury.”
Five months removed from officially retiring as an NHL goaltender, Fleury unofficially retired as a member of the Penguins. The three-time Stanley Cup champion appeared in the third period of a Penguins preseason game on Sept. 27 and stopped all eight shots he faced. The game was a sellout, which is unusual for a preseason game. The Pens Gear Team Store will continue to sell Fleury merchandise throughout the season.
The Penguins also are offering promotions of a cowboy hat or ugly sweater, which can be purchased for a special ticket package. Also new will be a pucks and paws game where fans can bring their dogs.
“A couple of barks and a couple of cheers, we hope that works out,” Ritenour said.
The Penguins’ new in-game host, Suzie Cool, helped guide the tour, including a stop at the future site of the Penguins Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Game will be Oct. 25.
“It’s really special for me to stand here in front of these pictures because I knew all these guys,” said Paul Steigerwald of the Penguins radio network.
He talked about how former general manager and head coach Eddie Johnston was known for leading the team with a record 99 power play goals. Kevin Stevens was one of the greatest power forwards and helped the team win the 1991 Stanley Cup. Ron Francis helped the team win two Stanley Cups. Scotty Bowman has his name on the Stanley Cup 14 times.
“You can see how these guys are all intertwined, and they’re all part of the fabric of the Penguins,” Steigerwald said. “And I just think it’s awesome that we have a Hall of Fame now where kids can come and learn about these great players. In 20 years from now, people are going to say, ‘Who’s that guy?’ Well, that’s one of the greatest power forwards in the history of the game. That’s the winningest coach of all time. That’s a guy who is the longest tenured coach ever for the Pittsburgh Penguins and has the third most wins in the Penguins’ history. We are really fortunate to have these guys in our midst.”
The team has spent the past few years making the event level more accessible to all fans so they can get as close as possible to the game and the players.
There is the Casamigos Club, which, for a third season, is an option that holds just over 300 people and has several food offerings, select beer, wine, nonalcoholic beverages and private restrooms. And fans are about 50 feet from a ramp that takes them to their seats. There also are suites close to the Penguins locker room.
Aramark Sports + Entertainment, the exclusive food and retail provider of PPG Paints Arena, and Penguins executive chef Terry Davidson said they’ve spent the summer developing new offerings.
The Mic Drop stand, to honor the late Penguins’ legendary broadcaster Mike Lange, includes items dedicated to one of his slogans.
“It’s a remembrance to him. And as long as I am here, we’ll have something to honor Mike,” Davidson said.
They now have two locations in sections 108 and 206 of Steel City Smash.
“Last year, it was very, very popular,” Davidson said.
They have a bacon jam burger with hot pepper bacon jam on a smash burger and a cherry coke-infused smash burger with little crispy jalapenos topped with cheddar cheese. And don’t forget loaded waffle fries.
“People are loving the smash burgers,” he said.
The Lexus Club will feature house-made desserts and some from Pittsburgh-based Pastries-A-La-Carte. There will be assorted macarons and petit fours, peaches and hot honey cheesecake, and Penguins logo sugar cookies made in-house, as well as cupcakes and lady locks from Pastries-A-La-Carte.
On the suite level, there will be a burrata bowl with burrata cheese, heirloom cherry tomatoes, pearl mozzarella, peaches, cracked pepper, basil and balsamic glaze, as well as gourmet grazing with beef jerky, cashews, crackers, grapes, pepperoni, pistachios, pretzels, sharp cheddar cheese, sliced almonds, smokies sausages, strawberries and beef filet tenderloin.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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