For the first time since 2011, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be playing in the Winter Classic.
During the league’s All-Star festivities in February, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman had announced that the spectacle would return to Bean Town. Now that the date and opponent have been released, we know that the Pens will be heading outdoors on January 2, 2023 to join the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park in Boston.
Pittsburgh will be playing in its third Winter Classic after participating in the inaugural game against the Buffalo Sabres in 2008 and hosting the Washington Capitals in 2011.
The Penguins have made three other outdoor appearances, playing the Chicago Blackhawks once and the Philadelphia Flyers twice. Pittsburgh’s most recent outdoor game was in Philly in 2019.
The Penguins will be playing in the 2023 Winter Classic.
There are pros and cons to the Penguins playing in the Winter Classic. On the positive side, it gives the NHL another chance to promote one of the most successful teams of the last decade and a half.
Given the age of some of Pittsburgh’s stars, there may not be many more opportunities to do so, making this one a smart choice.
On an individual level, the Pens have plenty of marquee players, headlined by captain Sidney Crosby, that will draw an audience. It also gets rising stars, like Jake Guentzel, onto the Winter Classic stage for the first time.
Conversely, the Penguins are a team that has received a lot of national coverage during its soon-to-be 16-year playoff streak. As a result, there will surely be fans that are tired of seeing the Pens in prominent games.
Regardless of any one person’s feelings about the Penguins, this is a move that makes sense for the NHL. Pittsburgh is entertaining, the Pens and Bruins have played some high-profile games over the years, and it’s only a matter of time before the Penguins are no longer a team that the league can utilize in these instances.
The Green Monster will certainly be on display come January, but it will be a battle of the black and gold when the Bruins and Penguins face off outdoors next season.