Friday Poll: Picking the best Penguins 2023-24 road trip to attend

With teams spread out all over North America, it’s inevitable that road trips will be needed throughout the NHL season. Some road trips may be long while others may be only a game or two. Either way, they are unavoidable.

What this means for fans is, if they live in another city from their favorite team, they still have a chance to see them play at least once a year. For fans living in the same city as their favorite team, these trips can be a vacation opportunity to travel somewhere across the continent to visit new places while still being able to watch your favorite team play.

Let’s take a look at some enticing travel options available to Penguins fans this season and decide which one you choose to attend if you had the means to do so.

California Dreaming

Dates: November 4-9
Teams: San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings

One of the Penguins traditional road trips is their annual swing through California to take on the Sharks, Ducks, and Kings. California is a big state with plenty to do for all parties. Driving the Pacific Coast Highway, seemingly limitless golf options, beautiful national parks, the West Coast has it all. Neither the Ducks or Sharks will be very good this season but the Kings are on the rise with a lot of talent worth checking out.

Florida Swing

Dates: December 6-8
Teams: Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers

Florida is always a popular destination but its unbearable heat and humidity can be a major put off for some. As winter begins to creep in up North, this trip offers all the sunny benefits of the Sunshine State but with a more tolerable outdoor experience. Both the Lightning and Panthers are worth opponents that should make for some entertaining hockey as well.

O Canada

Dates: December 13-16
Teams: Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs

If the you don’t like the December weather in Pittsburgh then it may not be for you, but this short two-game road trip takes the Penguins to two of the biggest cities in Canada to take on two legendary franchises. Montreal always ranks as one of the best NHL cities for visiting fans while Toronto is home to the Hockey Hall of Fame and with two days off between the two games, you will have plenty of time to sight see either city or somewhere on the drive in between.

Desert Duels

Dates: January 20-22
Teams: Vegas Golden Knights, Arizona Coyotes

There is no better time to escape Pittsburgh than the middle of January and this trip offers fans a chance to get away from the cold of winter and into the sunshine of the western deserts. There is no shortage of activities to partake in while visiting Las Vegas and seeing the defending Stanley Cup champions is just a bonus. As for Arizona, this might be your last chance to see the Coyotes as are and visit one of the more unique buildings in the NHL.

Western Canada (+Seattle)

Dates: February 27-March 3
Teams: Vancouver Canucks, Seattle Kraken, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers

Another one of the Penguins annual extended road trips but now with a fourth stop included in Seattle. Typically it was just the three Canadian cities but with the Kraken now in the fold you get the chance to check in on the NHL’s newest franchise and see what feels like a dozen former Penguins in action. Weather for this trip could be brutal especially in Alberta but seeing Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby go head-to-head is worth the price of admission.

Metro Mayhem

Dates: April 1-4
Teams: New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals

A brutal final road trip before the end of the season actually begin in Columbus but for the sake of this piece we are focusing on the latter three games that have the Penguins visiting two of the finest cities in America and Newark. Given the vicinity of Newark to New York City you can rely on public transit to get you where you need to go. In fact from Pittsburgh, you could always just take the train to New York, spend a few days, then schedule a departure from Penn Station to take you down to D.C. to wrap up the trip.