The Pittsburgh Penguins have invited 59 players to their 2017 training camp, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford.
Head coach Mike Sullivan's camp roster (
click here for full roster
) will include 34 forwards, 19 defensemen and six goaltenders. Players will take the ice for the first time on Friday, September 15 at 9:00 AM at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.
Penguins Invite 59 Players to Training Camp
All training camp practices at the UMPC Lemieux Sports Complex are free of charge and open to the public.
This year's camp roster built by Rutherford and his staff includes 18 players who logged action for the Penguins during the 2017 playoff run.
Leading the way once again is captain Sidney Crosby, winner of consecutive Conn Smythe Trophies; Evgeni Malkin, who led the NHL playoffs in points with 28 last spring, the second time in his career he's done that; returning high-scoring blueliner Kris Letang; and goalie Matt Murray, who has backstopped the Penguins to Cup victories in each of his first two years in the league.
A new season brings new faces to the equation, and some of the veteran newcomers this season are defenseman Matt Hunwick and goalie Antti Niemi, both of whom signed as free agents on July 1, and forward Ryan Reaves, acquired in a draft-day trade from St. Louis.
Hunwick was a key catalyst in Toronto's ascension to become a playoff team last year, while Niemi has won 227 career NHL games and backstopped the Chicago Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup championship in 2010. Reaves enjoyed a career year with the Blues last season, setting career highs in goals (7), assists (6) and points (13) while ranking 10th in the NHL with 239 hits.
Center Jay McClement, one of the top forward penalty-killing specialists in the NHL, will be attending camp on a professional tryout contract. A veteran of 12 NHL seasons, McClement spent the last three years with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he tallied 15 goals and 40 points in 224 contests, and won 53.7% of his faceoffs.
Sullivan's squad begins camp at 9:00 AM on Friday with a pair of practices, as Team 1 will be on Rink 1, and Team 2 will practice on Rink 2.
Teams 1 and 2 will then partake in a scrimmage against one another from 10:00-10:45 AM on Rink 1, before both squads finish their morning with conditioning until 11:05 AM.
Team 3 has two practice sessions on Friday, both on Rink 1. That team will have its first practice from 11:30 AM-12:15 PM, then it will finish with a practice that spans from 12:45-1:30 PM.
Below is the Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp schedule through September 21:
Friday, September 15
9:00-9:45 AM - Team 1 Practice (Rink 1)
9:00-9:45 AM - Team 2 Practice (Rink 2)
10:00-10:45 AM - Team 1 vs. Team 2 Scrimmage (Rink 1)
10:45-11:05 AM - Teams 1 and 2 Conditioning (Rinks 1 & 2)
11:30 AM-12:15 PM - Team 3 Practice (Rink 1)
12:45-1:30 PM - Team 3 Practice and Conditioning (Rink 1)
Saturday, September 16
9:00-9:45 AM - Team 2 Practice (Rink 1)
9:00-9:45 AM - Team 3 Practice (Rink 2)
10:00-10:45 AM - Team 2 vs. Team 3 Scrimmage (Rink 1)
10:45-11:05 AM - Teams 2 and 3 Conditioning (Rinks 1 & 2)
11:30 AM-12:15 PM - Team 1 Practice (Rink 1)
12:45-1:30 PM - Team 1 Practice and Conditioning (Rink 1)
Sunday, September 17
9:00-9:45 AM - Team 3 Practice (Rink 1)
9:00-9:45 AM - Team 1 Practice (Rink 2)
10:00-10:45 AM - Team 3 vs. Team 1 Scrimmage (Rink 1)
10:45-11:05 AM - Teams 3 and 1 Conditioning (Rinks 1 & 2)
11:30 AM-12:15 PM - Team 2 Practice (Rink 1)
12:45-1:30 PM - Team 2 Practice and Conditioning (Rink 1)
Monday, September 18
9:00-9:45 AM - Team TBD Practice (Rink 1)
10:00-10:45 AM - Team TBD Practice (Rink 1)
11:00 AM-12:30 PM - Championship Game - Teams TBD (Rink 1)
Tuesday, September 19
11:30 AM - Morning Skate - Game Group (Rink 1)
10:00 AM - Non-Game Group Practice (Rink 2)
7:00 PM - GAME vs. BUFFALO (Pegula Ice Arena)
Wednesday, September 20
10:00 AM - Morning Skate - Game Group (Rink 1)
11:00 AM-1:00 PM - Non-Game Group Practice (Rink 2)
7:00 PM - GAME vs. DETROIT (PPG Paints Arena)
Thursday, September 21
DAY OFF
