Pittsburgh Penguins Launch 2025-26 Season Against Rangers

NEW YORK, NY – The Pittsburgh Penguins kick off their 2025-26 NHL season tonight against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The game begins at 8 PM and will be broadcast on ESPN. Fans can also tune in on 105.9 the X or through the Penguins app.

This marks the second consecutive season and fourth time overall that the Penguins have opened their campaign against the Rangers. Historically, Pittsburgh holds a record of 1-1-1 in season openers against New York. The Penguins have enjoyed some success at Madison Square Garden, winning two of their last three visits.

In a notable twist, Dan Muse will serve as head coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first time after being appointed on June 4, 2023. The 42-year-old has 20 years of coaching experience, including five seasons as an assistant with the New York Rangers and Nashville Predators. During this time, he helped his teams secure three divisional titles and two President’s Trophies.

Meanwhile, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby enters his 21st season with the team, a franchise record. He will become only the fourth player in NHL history to spend over 21 seasons with a single team, joining legends like Alex Delvecchio and Steve Yzerman. As Pittsburgh’s longest-tenured captain, Crosby leads all active players in points.

Joining Crosby in the milestone club is defenseman Kris Letang, who also begins his 20th season with the Penguins. Letang is just three assists shy of reaching 600 career assists, which would make him one of only ten defensemen in NHL history to achieve this with a single team.

Looking ahead, two Penguins rookies, Ben Kindel and Harrison Brunicke, are poised to make their NHL debuts. Kindel, drafted 11th overall in 2025, aims to become the fifth-youngest player in franchise history to play in an NHL game. Brunicke, selected in the 2024 draft, is on track to be the sixth-youngest defenseman.

With a mix of seasoned veterans and promising newcomers, the Penguins aim for a competitive season under their new leadership.