Marc-Andre Fleury's Feb. 6 return highlights Penguins 2017-18 schedule
It's not hard to figure out the date most Penguins fans immediately circled when the team announced its schedule Thursday afternoon.
Tuesday, Feb. 6.
That's when Marc-Andre Fleury and the Vegas Golden Knights will make their first visit to PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins will play in Las Vegas on Thursday, Dec. 14. Fleury, the winningest goalie in Penguins history, was selected by the Golden Knights in the NHL expansion draft Wednesday night.
The Penguins will play 19 sets of games on back-to-back days, most in the league, one more than Ottawa. Winnipeg, by way of comparison, will play the fewest with nine.
Among the other highlights of the schedule:
• A rematch of the Stanley Cup Final won't have to wait long. The Penguins will host Nashville in their third game of the season Saturday, Oct. 7.
• Should Jaromir Jagr re-sign with Florida, he and the Panthers will pay their only visit of the season on Saturday, Oct. 14.
• Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers will come to town Tuesday, Oct. 24.
• Home games against division rivals will have to wait a while. Philadelphia makes its first visit Monday, Nov. 27; Columbus on Thursday, Dec. 21; and Washington on Friday. Feb. 2.
• The Penguins will have their bye week Jan. 8-12.
• The team previously announced the date and opponent for its home opener — Wednesday, Oct. 4 against St. Louis — when the championship banner commemorating the team's fifth Stanley Cup title will be raised to the rafters.
Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jbombulie@tribweb.com or via Twitter at @BombulieTrib.