Fans are invited to the Penguins’ “Black & Gold” Scrimmage Wednesday at 7 p.m. at CONSOL Energy Center.Admission is free, and doors at the Trib Total Media gate will open at 6 p.m. Parking is free at CONSOL Energy Center surface lots on a first-come, first-served basis after 5 p.m.
Coach Dan Bylsma wants to create a game-like atmosphere for his players as they prepare for the start of the season. The scrimmage will include a full warm-up skate, TV timeouts and full intermissions. Regardless of the score, the teams will play a five-minute overtime period and also participate in a shootout.
The PensGear store inside the Trib Total Media gate lobby and selected concession stands throughout the FedEx Level will be open on Wednesday night. (However, the discounted merchandise and free concession promotions announced by the team will not start until the home opener on Jan. 23).
Penguins’ training camp practices on Monday (12 noon), Tuesday (11 a.m.) and Friday (11 a.m.) at CONSOL Energy Center also will be open to the public free of charge. Doors at the Trib Total Media gate will open 30 minutes before the start of each practice. Regular daily parking rates will be in effect on weekdays. The team will not skate on Thursday.
This, like the announcement of 15 promotions in the first 15 home games, is another effort for the Penguins to reach out and welcome back fans after the lockout.
It will be a quick turnaround to opening game, Saturday and Philadelphia followed by a compressed 48 games schedule, but the Pens are gearing up and there are a lot of free chances to see them in action before the games begin to count.