The final regular season game at Mellon Arena is very close at hand and the scheduled events for that evening are coming into the focus. The “Fan Appreciation Night” will go on as scheduled, but the team has a special pregame presentation scheduled.
They will be bringing back 50 former players, coaches and general managers to celebrate the memories that they all played a part in creating over the past decades.
Here is the official release from the team…
MORE THAN 50 FORMER PENGUINS RETURN APRIL 8
TO CELEBRATE FINAL REGULAR SEASON GAME AT MELLON ARENA
Hockey Hall of Famers Mario Lemieux, Paul Coffey, Bryan Trottier, Craig Patrick, Larry Murphy and Andy Bathgate will join Jean Pronovost, Syl Apps, Dave Burrows, Bryan Watson, and Ron Schock as more than 50 former Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate the final regular season game at Mellon Arena Thursday, April 8 vs. the New York Islanders.
The special guests include former players, coaches and general managers who played such a huge part of Penguins history at the old arena – which was known as the Civic Arena when the team made its NHL debut in the 1967-68 season
It will mark the 1,667th and final regular season game played at the Arena before the Penguins move across the street to the sparkling new Consol Energy Center next season.
Six Penguins who were here for the team’s first game, a 2-1 loss to Montreal at the Civic Arena on Oct. 11, 1967, will be on hand – players Ken Schinkel, Les Binkley, Gene Ubriaco and Bathgate, along with coach Red Sullivan and general manager Jack Riley.
More details will be provided in the coming days.
April 8 also will be Fan Appreciation Night, and the current Penguins players will give 20 lucky fans the “Shirts Off Our Backs” following the game.
In addition, the Penguins announced that the team’s annual awards ceremony will be held before the Saturday, April 3 game against Atlanta at Mellon Arena. Game time on April 3 is 1 p.m.
Robbie Brown confirmed he will be there on the Fan this afternoon. So there’s one….