Penguins host Rangers to open season
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Pittsburgh will open the 2024-25 regular season against a familiar foe in the New York Rangers on Oct. 9.
The puck drop at PPG Paints Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Penguins will hit the road after the opener for seven of their next nine games from Oct. 10-26.
Pittsburgh has a five-game homestand in the month of November, including its first-ever matchup against the Utah Hockey Club on Nov. 23. The Penguins’ other five-game homestands will be held from Jan. 7-14 and March 11-21.
During Pittsburgh’s jam-packed November, the team will host Vancouver on the 27th, which is Thanksgiving Eve.
Florida, the defending Stanley Cup champion, visits PPG Paints Arena on Dec. 3. Philadelphia comes to town before the Holiday Break on Dec. 23 and it will be Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin when Washington invades PPG Paints Arena on a Saturday afternoon tilt Feb. 22.
Calder Trophy winner Connor Bedard and Chicago makes its lone trip to Pittsburgh on April 8.
Pens sign blue liner Aho
Pittsburgh signed defenseman Sebastian Aho to a two-year contract on Tuesday.
The deal runs through the 2025-26 campaign and carries an average annual value of $775,000.
The 28-year-old has played parts of five seasons in the NHL as a member of the New York Islanders.
In 190 career games, Aho has 50 points on 11 goals and 39 assists. He had career highs in games played (71), goals (5), assists (18), points (23) and plus/minus (+9) during the 2022-23 season.
Aho was drafted by the Islanders during the 2017 NHL Draft in the fifth round (139th overall). He played in the SHL, Sweden’s top professional league, with Skelleftea AIK, until coming to North America. Aho represented his home country of Sweden at the 2015 World Junior Championship.