Pittsburgh Penguins fans have circled key dates on their calendar for the 2024-25 season, but here's a look at some league-wide moments worth noting.
On October 9, the Pittsburgh Penguins will host the New York Rangers to begin their 57th season.
Besides several important games against old rivals like the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals, there are plenty of other exciting moments to look forward to, like Jake Guentzel returning with the Tampa Bay Lightning or the possibility of first-round pick Macklin Celebrini facing off against Sidney Crosby.
However, there are key dates every hockey fan should be aware of, like the trade deadline and the end of the regular season for all teams.
According to David Pagnotta from The Fourth Period, here are the important dates that every hockey fan should know:
At first glance, nothing should disrupt the first two months of the Penguins' season. However, the roster freeze goes into effect in December from the 20th to the 27th. During that time, Pittsburgh will play New Jersey (21st) and Philadelphia (23rd), so no one will be dealt around those contests.
The entire NHL season will take a break in early February for the 4 Nations Face-Off, in which Crosby and Erik Karlsson have already earned spots on their respective Canada and Sweden teams. Depending on how the season starts, they might not be the only Penguins players in attendance at the new event.
Meanwhile, on March 7, the entire league will be focused on the 3:00 p.m. ET trade deadline. Whether Pittsburgh is comfortably in a playoff spot, chasing one, or ready to throw in the towel, the 2025 deadline will be must-watch TV for hockey fans, especially for the Penguins.
Interestingly, the team will be on the road during the deadline, in the middle of a three-game trip through Colorado, Vegas, and Minnesota. Who knows which players may still be on the trip when it's over?
Finally, the Penguins regular season ends on April 17 against the Capitals at PPG Paints Arena. If the team performs as they did in 2023-24, the last day of the season may be one of intense drama as they could be in a "win and get in" stage. All the while, scoreboard watching, hoping for favorable outcomes in other games.
Whether the Penguins qualify for the playoffs is another topic for another day. Still, with their season ending on April 17, the turnaround for a playoff game is short, as the NHL postseason will begin on April 19.
Depending on how quickly the Stanley Cup playoffs happen, the last possible date for Game 7 of the Final would be June 23.
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