Fifth Avenue Forum

Now here’s where it gets interesting: From what I’ve been told, the Blackhawks aren’t the only NHL team trying to drum up interest in college hockey. High-ranking executives with the Penguins have apparently already been laying the groundwork to help the University of Pittsburgh (aka Pitt) go D1 in the future. Do they have a Pegula? The rumor is they might.

Now, this is not going to happen overnight. It may be years before we see the Pitt Panthers in Division 1, but it certainly makes sense. Pittsburgh has become a huge hockey town thanks to the Sidney Crosby-era Penguins and numerous NHL young guns, from John Gibson to Brandon Saad, have come from the area recently.

Pitt would also have a natural landing spot in Hockey East, where schools such as Boston College, UConn and Providence College would be familiar from past or present basketball and football rivalries. With Notre Dame joining the Big Ten, Hockey East now has an uneven 11 teams and while adding another program won’t be forced, it sure would make things easier in the future from a scheduling perspective.

Big draw back for Pitt Hockey. Where the f are they going to play?

Big draw back for Pitt Hockey. Where the f are they going to play?

I think that's where the Pegula like figure who can build them a rink comes in.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/artic ... inois-pitt

Pitt would also have a natural landing spot in Hockey East, where schools such as Boston College, UConn and Providence College would be familiar from past or present basketball and football rivalries. With Notre Dame joining the Big Ten, Hockey East now has an uneven 11 teams and while adding another program won’t be forced, it sure would make things easier in the future from a scheduling perspective.