Penguins hosting the Montreal Canadiens in home opener of the team's 60th season
The 60th season of Penguins hockey is underway, and the Penguins are already 1-0 to start the year.
On Wednesday night, the Penguins met their cross-state rival, the Philadelphia Flyers, and came away with a historic 7-0 victory.
On Saturday, the Penguins will begin their home schedule against the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena.
Penguins franchise legend returns for another season
On the heels of a somewhat unexpected playoff berth in the 2025-26 season, the Penguins opted to bring back one of their franchise legends for at least one more season.
In May, the team announced it had re-signed forward Evgeni Malkin to a one-year contract extension. The man they call "Geno" will count for $5.5 million against the salary cap this season.
In 56 games in the 2025-26 season, Malkin scored 19 goals, 42 assists, and 61 points. In six playoff games, he scored two goals, one assist, and three points.
"Best city, best fans, I stay one more year," Malkin said in a video released by the team.
Malkin scored a goal in the Penguins' season opener against Philadelphia.
Penguins celebrate franchise's 60th anniversary this season
The 2026-27 season marks the 60th anniversary of the Penguins franchise.
Throughout the season, the team will have different giveaways, celebrations, and other moments to celebrate 60 years of Penguins hockey.
It began with a special 60th anniversary logo highlighting the team's history, from beginning in blue to now wearing the iconic black and gold color scheme.
On opening night, the team is asking fans to be in their seats early to be part of a special celebration.
A full promotional schedule can be found on the Penguins' website.
PPG Paints Arena fan policies this Penguins season
This year, the Penguins will have an additional home game as the NHL season has expanded from 82 to 84 games.
For fans heading to the arena for any of the upcoming 42 home games, here are some policies to keep in mind before heading to PPG Paints Arena.
Mobile Ticketing: The Penguins' home arena is a fully mobile ticketing arena, meaning tickets must be displayed on a smartphone.
Bag Policy: PPG Paints Arena does not permit bags, but exceptions are made for medical bags, diaper bags, and wallets, though screening upon entry is required.
Cashless Venue: The arena is also cashless, meaning concessions, merchandise, and other purchases must be made via credit cards, debit cards, and/or Apple Pay and Google Pay. They do offer reverse ATMs where fans can exchange cash for a prepaid debit card.
What's new at PPG Paints Arena this year?
One of the new food options that's going to be available to all fans, no matter what section they are in, is bread cones. Those will include steak and cheese, a loaded one with barbecue and mac and cheese, and meatballs.
There are several new promotions this season. With it being the team's 60th anniversary, there are many ways of looking back on six decades of franchise history.
"Our retail will have a lot of shirts and gear to celebrate the 60th throughout the season," Aramark general manager Matt Kingsley said.
If you ever wanted to scratch your back with a hacksaw, you kind of have the chance now. One of the giveaways will give fans the pleasure of the late Mike Lange waking them up every morning with an alarm clock playing some of his catchphrases.
A new partnership with Oberweis brings some sweet treats to fans. It will include an arena-exclusive flavor, The Puck Drop.
"It's a peanut butter ice cream with some caramel drizzle and some fudge pucks they're calling them," Kingsley said.
Returning after a multi-year hiatus is fan bowling, where a fan is launched out of a slingshot on a sled into a handful of pins.
The history of the team will continue to be honored this year with four more greats going into the Penguins Hall of Fame, with fan favorite Marc Andre-Fleury, Larry Murphy, Jim Rutherford and Jack McGregor selected as 2026 inductees.
"That will be great to welcome them back to PPG Paints Arena Nov. 14 for the Hall of Fame Game," Kingsley said.
The Penguins will also honor captain Sidney Crosby with a gripper cup in January. It's essentially a cup with what feels like a game jersey over it. The Penguins became the second team in North America to have such an item.