The Pittsburgh Penguins are set to embark on a new chapter in their franchise history as they face off against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on October 7, 2025. This game marks the beginning of the 2025-26 NHL season and a new era for the Penguins, who are under the guidance of first-time NHL head coach Dan Muse. The puck drop is scheduled for 8 PM ET, and the game will be broadcasted on ESPN.
This season opener holds added significance as the Penguins will be facing a familiar face behind the Rangers' bench: Mike Sullivan, who previously coached the Penguins for a decade and led them to two Stanley Cups. Sullivan's tenure with Pittsburgh ended on April 28, and he quickly joined the Rangers on May 2. This will be Sullivan's debut game as the Rangers' coach at Madison Square Garden.
Forwards Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen are expected to play important roles, while defenseman Owen Pickering could become an NHL regular in his second season. Coach Muse has confirmed that defenseman Harrison Brunicke and center Ben Kindel will make their NHL debuts in the season opener. Brunicke, drafted 44th overall in 2024, and Kindel, drafted 11th overall in 2025, are the first set of teenage teammates to debut for the Penguins since Jordan Staal and Kris Letang in 2006.
Sidney Crosby is entering his 21st season with the Penguins, a franchise record. Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are tied for the second-most seasons with the team, with 20 each. Crosby's 1,687 points rank ninth in NHL history. He needs one more assist to tie Steve Yzerman for ninth-most assists in NHL history.
The Penguins and Rangers faced each other on opening night last season, with the Rangers winning 6-0. Overall, Pittsburgh is 1-1-1 in season-opening games against New York. They have won two of their last three games at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers fired their previous head coach, Peter Laviolette, on April 19, 2025, after two seasons. Laviolette's tenure ended after the Rangers failed to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2025. He previously coached several other NHL teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2006.
Entering a rebuilding phase, the Penguins have made roster moves, including cutting veteran defender Ryan Graves. The team's focus is on developing young talent and solidifying their roster.
The Penguins' opening night roster has been finalized. Tristan Jarry and Arturs Silovs will be the team's goaltending tandem. The team's top power-play unit includes Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Letang, Malkin, and Rickard Rakell.
The Penguins finished last season with a 34-36-12 record. Their power play had a 25.8% success rate. The Rangers had a 39-36-7 record last season.
The SportsLine Projection Model predicts over 5.5 goals will be scored in the Penguins-Rangers game.
