The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2026 training camp gets underway Thursday, Sept. 17, at the UPMC Lemieux Complex in Cranberry Township, and the first stretch won’t leave much room to breathe.
The club has not released its camp roster yet, and that could still change before the opener, with additions or subtractions possible. Even so, the structure is already set: three groups - A, B and C - will cycle through practices starting at 8:45 a.m.
What stands out right away is how compressed everything is. There will only be three days of three-group practices before the preseason schedule starts to take over, and that means the early days of camp figure to carry extra weight.
The Penguins play their first preseason game just four days after camp opens, and the regular season begins 13 days in, on Sept. 30 in Philadelphia. With that kind of timeline, cuts could come fast, and some players may not get much time to make their case.
Here’s how the opening portion of camp is laid out:
Friday, September 18
8:45-10:15 AM - Group A Practice
11:30 AM-1:00 PM - Group B Practice
12:45-2:15 PM - Group C Practice
Saturday, September 19
8:45-10:15 AM - Group A Practice
11:30 AM-1:00 PM - Group B Practice
12:45-2:15 PM - Group C Practice
Sunday, September 20
DAY OFF
Monday, September 21
10:30-11:15 AM - Morning Skate
7:00 PM - GAME VS. BUFFALO
Tuesday, September 22
10:30-11:15 AM - Morning Skate
7:00 PM - GAME VS. DETROIT
Wednesday, September 23
DAY OFF
Thursday, September 24
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM - Morning Skate
7:00 PM - GAME AT COLUMBUS (Nationwide Arena)
Friday, September 25
12:00-1:30 PM - Practice
Saturday, September 26
Sunday, September 27
12:00-1:00 PM - Practice
Monday, September 28
DAY OFF
In Other News...
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Penguins Have 3 Real Chances To End An Award Drought
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The most intriguing long shot might be Sergei Murashov, whose development gives the Penguins a possible Calder Trophy storyline if he arrives in the NHL and performs right away. Goaltenders always make these projections tricky, and rookie awards can swing on opportunity as much as talent, but Pittsburgh at least has a young netminder worth watching. For a franchise that has gone a while without much award success, the season could offer more than one route to ending that drought. [Read more 🡒]