The 2024-25 season was a memorable one for me. It involved attending plenty of hockey games, whether it was in Las Vegas, Detroit, or even Vancouver. It awakened the inner child in me, having traveled to Joe Louis Arena for numerous Red Wings games as a kid.
But now, I'm chilling in Sin City, moving from a small, historic town called Romeo, Michigan, to Sin City. My work has taken me to the Vegas Golden Knights, who are fighting for another Stanley Cup. Granted, my work is overshadowed in my small town by the various 30-somethings trying to be models, singers, and actors (albeit all bad). But let me ask you a question.
Does performing for the Dallas Cowboys, a team that'll never sniff the NFC Championship game, hold as much weight as the NHL's equivalent to the Kansas City Chiefs?
Does acting in a Lifetime movie or for Disney as an extra hold more weight than watching an expansion team make history in the NHL?
What about performing at a now-defunct hotel in the Mirage? Is that as jaw-dropping as making two Stanley Cup Finals and winning a championship in your first seven seasons? No? I thought so.
Rant aside, a small town isn't the main focus of this piece. Instead, it's traveling. Yes, I already have three planned trips ready to go for next season. I did a little poll last month regarding three cities that Golden Knights fans would travel to. As voted by you, the fans, the cities were Los Angeles, Dallas, and Montreal.
But! I have a fourth city in mind. This city has some hockey history of its own, particularly with the best player in the past two decades. Which city am I talking about?
Which city should Vegas Golden Knights fans see next season?
Hockey has a stranglehold in the Rust Belt and most northern cities. It makes sense, considering it's consistently cold. Would you expect an outpouring of NHL-ready talent to come from Livonia, Michigan, if the Wolverine State had Las Vegas temperatures? Not as much, although the league is starting to evolve.
That leaves a cold-weather city in the Rust Belt as a clear-cut favorite. Personally, I want to add a trip to Pittsburgh to my hockey travels. If you don't remember, the Pittsburgh Penguins were one of the most dominant teams in the NHL during the 2010s. With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, nobody could stop their forward groups from running wild.
The Penguins were also the original team of a certain "Misfit." Before joining the Vegas Golden Knights, Marc-Andre Fleury was the stable force in net for Pittsburgh. He had a career GAA of 2.58, a save percentage of .912, and 44 shutouts in 13 seasons with the Penguins.
Why should Golden Knights fans watch the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena?
If you want an authentic hockey experience, Rust Belt cities provide such an atmosphere. Here, you can watch a classic NHL team and absorb its history. Combine that with an upcoming team already creating its own history and it's a beautiful matchup of past versus future.
While the Pittsburgh Penguins aren't an "Original Six" team like the Detroit Red Wings, they have a deep history. Aside from having Sidney Crosby skate around PPG Paints Arena, they've had superstars like Mario Lemieux and the ageless Jaromir Jagr.
Numerous legendary NFL families, including the DeBartolos and the Rooneys, have also had ownership stakes in Pittsburgh. You also have some variety regarding what you can do in Pittsburgh. Going to see the Penguins in October, November, or December? Why not take in a Steelers game? Maybe you want to go during April? Go to one of the most breathtaking ballparks ever in PNC Park.
For me, this would be a solid piece to do given the various angles I could take. I could talk about Fleury and his historical impact on the Penguins and Golden Knights. I can also compare Las Vegas to Pittsburgh, two cities that are polar opposites of each other. Whatever the case, I hope I visit the Steel City and party with the Yinzers around town next season. Primanti Brothers, anyone?