As the NCAA landscape shifts, the Panthers’ storied ice history meets a modern boom in Steel City talent, fueled by new ownership and a thriving hockey market.
The pool of eligible players for NCAA Division I hockey swelled last fall with the addition of CHL players. Despite the increase, the number of teams at the Division I level has dropped to 62, with Mercyhurst University discontinuing their program for 2026-27. Restoring The Rink examines programs that have gone defunct and their viability in today’s market.
History:
Pittsburgh was ahead of the curve when it came to facilities. Schenley Park Casino opened in 1895 with one of the first sheets of artificial ice. It served as the first home of the fledgling University of Pittsburgh which started that same year. The Panthers signed on with the freshly formed Western Pennsylvania Hockey League (WPHL).
Unfortunately, the Casino burned down on December 17, 1896 as a result of the ice cooling ammonia and Pittsburgh moved to Duquesne Garden for their games. The WPHL collapsed in 1909 and Pittsburgh's program went dark until 1937. They joined another new entity, the Penn-Ohio Intercollegiate Hockey League. However after just two seasons, the Panthers' departed the Penn–Ohio and folded their team.
Currently, Pittsburgh has a club team competing at the ACHA DI level.
Apr 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) skates back to the bench after scoring a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period in game four of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn ImagesHockey Impact:
Clearly, the sport was meant to be in Pittsburgh! The Penguins came into existence during the 1967 Expansion. Some of hockey's icons have donned the gold and black in the almost 60 years of Penguins' hockey. Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, Jaromir Jgar and Marc-Andre Fleury are just a few of those names that have won a franchise five Stanley Cups.
Steel City hockey has grown by leaps and bounds as a result of the Penguins' successes. It has produced talented performers such as Logan Cooley, Vincent Trocheck, John Gibson and Brandon Saad. UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the team's practice facility, was the site of the Annual USHL Fall Classic. The building still hosts Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, one of the country's top youth programs.
Market Viability:
NHL teams support a variety of local hockey initiatives. The Chicago Blackhawks are one of them, and were prepared to do so when the University of Illinois was mulling over a potential team. A month ago, I would have been inclined to say that the Penguins organization would not expand their outreach to NCAA Hockey.
Following the team's sale to the Hoffmann Family of Companies on June 23, change could be on the horizon. New ownership means new priorities. Hopefully, one of them is the return of Division I hockey to Pittsburgh. All we have right now are what ifs and a growing market.
