Oct 7, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) skates with the puck against the New York Rangers during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Penguins Debut Surprise Third Jersey at Home Opener

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 7:34 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Penguins took the ice for their regular season home opener against the New York Islanders dazzling in an unfamiliar golden hue. The team surprised the home crowd and the viewing audience by debuting a new third uniform for their first home game of the season.

The Penguins unveiled what they dubbed their new “Penguins Gold” jersey, which will be their new alternate uniform for the season. The organization announced that they will wear this uniform a total of 11 times during the coming campaign, and provided more detail on the design choices behind the team’s newest jersey. The details have a focus on the city of Pittsburgh and paying homage to the team’s former home, the Mellon Arena and it’s nickname, “The Igloo.”

”The Fanatics jersey prominently features a standalone skating penguin as the crest on the ‘Penguins Gold’ background,” the team wrote. “A triangle shoulder patch, symbolic of Point State Park, encompasses three river waves, a black monochromatic checker pattern and an igloo to pay homage to the team’s original home.”

Blast From the Past

The choice of gold as the primary color serves as a refreshing take on the uniform, as well as a blast from the past. The “Penguins Gold” is synonymous with franchise great and former team owner Mario Lemieux, who made his debut with the Penguins in 1984 with a similarly colored uniform. While the team has incorporated some elements, this latest iteration is a much closer version to the once worn in the 1980’s.

“The ‘Penguins Gold’ is reminiscent of Mario Lemieux and the Penguins of the 1980s,” the team wrote. ”It was most recently worn as an alternate jersey during the 2018-19 season and at the 2017 Stadium Series versus cross-state rival Philadelphia.”

Defying Expectations

The Penguins started their season on the right foot, gaining a surprising victory over divisional rival and former head coach Mike Sullivan with a 3-0 shutout victory over the New York Rangers. The divisional contests continue as they take on the Islanders and then welcome the Rangers to Pittsburgh for a quick rematch.

The win was a complete and smothering performance by the Penguins, their first game under new head coach Dan Muse. For a team with low expectations for the season and one that many have pegged for a high draft pick in next year’s draft, it was a performance closer to the postseason teams of several years ago in Pittsburgh. Maybe it was just a strong start, but it could also be the beginning of defying expectations.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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