Pride Game
Monday, December 12   7:00 PM EST   Pittsburgh, PA   ATTSN

Introduction

Teamwork, inclusion, respect, and acceptance are at the heart of hockey. The Pittsburgh Penguins will celebrate these defining principles in the 3rd Annual Pride Game on December 12, 2022. During the 2020.21 season, the Penguins partnered with the Buffalo Sabres for the first-ever joint Pride Game in the NHL, which was broadcast nationally, uniting our cities to celebrate LGBTQ+ communities, by sharing stories of inclusion, hope, and allyship.

 

Game
Tickets

Tickets are available for our Pride community and allies via a special offer. Click below to receive your discount on both lower bowl and upper bowl seating locations. All fans in attendance will receive a Pride Game You Can Play Rally Towel courtesy of the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation. Rally towels will be distributed in various colors to create a rainbow within PPG Paints Arena with the goal of showing allyship and inclusivity together with the Penguins fan base.

Get Tickets

Pittsburgh Penguins
Featured ORGANIZATIONS

You Can Play
In 2012, Brian Burke and Patrick Burke helped launch the You Can Play Project, with the goal of ensuring the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches and fans. You Can Play achieves this by creating a community of allies that are able to foster a true sense of belonging. This becomes possible when sports teams sharpen the focus on the person's skills, work ethic, and competitive spirit, not their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Further, You Can Play seeks to challenge the culture of locker rooms and spectator areas by developing a culture of respect, in every player, coach and fan.

In 2013, the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) announced an historic partnership with the You Can Play Project that formalized and advanced their long-standing commitment to make the NHL the most inclusive professional sports league in the world. You Can Play actively works with the NHL and the Pittsburgh Penguins organization in support of the NHL's Hockey is for Everyone® platform.

You Can Play was founded in honor of the late Brendan Burke — Brian's son and Patrick's brother. Learn more about Brendan's legacy here.

You Can Play

Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation
The Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation works to improve the health of the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities in and around Western Pennsylvania. Offering a variety of resources and supports including youth and family services, school based programming, Hugh's Kitchen pantry program, civil legal aid, HIV services, wellness programming and special events, as well as training and consultation for organizations to improve their skills and capacity to serve LGBTQ+ clients and staff.

This year, the Hugh Lane team has been hard at work reviving THRIVE in Pennsylvania as an expansion of their youth and family related services. Primarily started as a response to the current unsafe climate for trans youth, the staff will be working with schools across the region to give LGBTQ+ students the support they need to learn and grow while sharing information to create safer educational environments.

Along with their usual work, the team also has their Annual Holiday Rainbow Bag Distribution back in full swing for the season providing fully customized meal kits to the LGBTQ+ and HIV+ communities. Just last year the team was able to provide and deliver to over 400 homes with the help of their incredible donors and volunteers and they are thrilled to be able to spread comfort and joy through delicious and well stocked meals. Volunteer or donate here.

Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation

Pittsburgh TIGERS

The Pittsburgh Tigers are our city's first LGBTQ+ friendly hockey team. The Tigers are comprised of hockey fans, players, and friends in the local area who want to create an open and supportive environment for gay, lesbian, bi, transgender and other minorities in hockey. The Tigers play in leagues locally, participate in road tournaments, get together to watch games and just love the game of hockey. The Tigers are also hosting an open skate event at the Hunt Armory on December 10 starting at 2:00 PM leading into our Pride Game. If you're interested in learning more or joining the Tigers, please click the box below.

Contact the Pens Foundation

Pride
Auction

The Penguins Foundation will host the Pride Auction starting pre-game on December 12 in conjunction with the Pride Game. This one-of-a-kind auction at pridegame.givesmart.com will feature rainbow jerseys won by the Penguins players in warm-ups, autographed Pride pucks and more. Proceeds will assist You Can Play and Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation. The auction will close on December 19 at 12 PM (noon).

Pride
Pucks

The Pittsburgh Penguins will hit the ice using Pride Game warm-up pucks created exclusively for our Pride Game. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase their own at PPG Paints Arena in support of You Can Play and Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation starting in the 1st Intermission behind the FNB Club.

What is
Pride Tape?

Pride Tape is a badge of support from teammates, coaches, parents and pros to young LGBTQ+ players. It shows every player that they belong playing the sports they love. That we're all on the same team. Buying Pride Tape will help support LGBTQ+ youth outreach initiatives, such as You Can Play and the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services. That means every roll of tape will make an impact in sports and beyond.

Buy Now

Pride
Merchandise

Penguins Pride merchandise is available online at PensGear.com and at local PensGear outlets. Represent the black and gold in your rainbow gear as you represent the LGBTQ+ community.

Shop Pens Gear

Pride
Panel

Watch our Pride Panel from the first-ever joint Pride Game with the Buffalo Sabres hosted by Jonas Worth with You Can Play. Panelists include Bayne Pettinger (NHL Player Agent, CAA), Alex Valvo (Referee & Former Sabres Intern), Adam Knoerzer (Pittsburgh Tigers Co-Founder & Player) and Jeff McLean (Pride Tape Founder & Owner).

GIVE 16
PRIDE HATS

In partnership with Jason Zucker's Give16 campaign and UNRL, the Give16 Pride Hat line was designed with equality, inclusion and representation in mind. A limited number of Give16 Pride Hats will be available for sale at the Pride Game behind the FNB Club.

 

Pride
Flags

Since the original 8-striped Pride flag was debuted in 1978, there have been several variations, the most well-known and commonly used being the six-striped flag. As our LGBTQ+ movement has become more inclusive and aware of itself, various segments have created their own flags to fly alongside the Pride flag. The warm-up jerseys for our Pride Game feature the Progress Pride Flag on the shoulder. In 2018, the Progress Pride Flag was created by Daniel Quasar to be more inclusive. Overlaying the traditional six-striped rainbow flag is a chevron design that has the black and brown stripes from the Philly Pride flag, as well as white, pink, and blue from the Trans Pride flag.

Learn More

In The
News

On April 2, the Penguins and Sabres together announced their first-ever joint Pride Game held during the 2020.21 NHL season. Read each organization's press release via these links to learn more about the partnership.

Pittsburgh Penguins   Buffalo Sabres

Below, please find each organization's press release for the 2021.22 joint Pride Game.

Pittsburgh Penguins   Buffalo Sabres

Here is our press release for our 2022.23 Pride Game on December 12.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pride
Sign

Download, print and share a selfie on social with your very own I AM PROUD sign. When posting via social, be sure to use our official #PrideGame hashtag.

Penguins Proud  

Local
Organizations

Organizations tied to our LGBTQ+ community in Western Pennsylvania will have a presence on the PPG Paints Arena concourse behind the Captain Morgan Club. Visit this Pride Zone and the nearby Ford Lounge to mingle with local representatives and learn more about their impactful work.

Post-game, stop by the Lexus Club to connect with our LGBTQ+ community and allies. An exclusive Rainbow on the Rocks cocktail will be available.

Gallery

Pride
Resources

Pittsburgh Organizations

  • Pittsburgh Tigers - LGBTQ+ Hockey Team
  • Persad Center - Counseling, Training & Prevention services. Serving the LGBTQ communities and people living with HIV
  • Proud Haven - Helping LGBTQ+ youth (ages 18 - 25) and adults experiencing homelessness and housing instability in the Pittsburgh Region find resources and housing options.
  • TransYOUniting - TransYOUniting is a trans based non-profit resource organization that provides educational programs for trans folks and allies.
  • Sisters Pittsburgh - SisTers PGH is a BLACK and TRANS led non-profit organization that serves POC, trans, and nonbinary people within Southwestern PA.
  • True T Pittsburgh - Serves as a community platform for LGBTQ resource sharing, queer arts, activism, and entertainment.
  • Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ Coalition - The Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ Coalition is an advocacy group with a vision to develop outreach strategies and educational programs. While also empowering LGBTQ+ Individuals to become economic self-reliant and be emboldened by their civil rights.
  • Pittsburgh Equality Center - Serves as a bridge that promotes education, advocacy, and social justice for all LGBTQ+ people and allies in Western Pennsylvania.
  • Three Rivers Business Alliance - Provides opportunities, access and resources to LGBTQ+ business owners, professionals and their allies operating in the greater Pittsburgh Allegheny region.
  • Steel City Softball League - The Steel City Softball League began in 1981 and remains the longest-running LGBTQ+ sports organization in the Pittsburgh area.
  • Stonewall Alliance - An LGBTQ+ and Ally nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a unified community by offering opportunities for celebration, education, and recreation.
  • Pittsburgh Pride Group | Pride Revolution - A consortium of local LGBTQ organizations that creates movements to advance wellness, equity, and justice for LGBTQ+ people in southwestern Pennsylvania; Hosts for the 2022 Pittsburgh Pride Revolution.
  • PFLAG Pittsburgh - Offers support, education, advocacy, and hope to members of the LGBTQ community, their families, friends, and all straight allies.
  • Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation
    Provide a number of services including youth and family centered programming including the AFFIRM series and the B.E.S.T.I.E.E. Project.
  • Gay for Good - Aims to energize and mobilize the LGBTQ community to interact with the greater community by volunteering time to various social welfare and environmental service projects.
  • Project Silk - Provides a safe, healthy, supportive community environment for LGBT youth of color to grow, celebrate, and express themselves.
  • Renaissance City Choir - Affirms and celebrates LGBTQIA+ identity through the unifying power of music.
  • Dreams of Hope - Through the power of the arts, Dreams of Hope provides the region's LGBTQA+ youth a welcoming environment to grow in confidence, express themselves, and develop as leaders.
  • Rangoli Pittsburgh - Created to connect LGBTQ+ South Asians to one another and celebrate our diversity with each other.
  • Steel City Volleyball League - Provides LGBTQIA+ people along with LGBTQIA+ allies an opportunity to learn, play, and grow in the organized sport of recreational and competitive volleyball.
  • Shepherd Wellness Community - Founded in 1987, SWC is the only HIV/AIDS community in Western Pennsylvania with the mission to help people living with HIV/AIDS improve their wellness.

National Organizations

  • You Can Play Project - Works to ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches and fans.
  • Born This Way Foundation - Supports the mental health of young people and works with them to create a kinder and braver world. Through high impact programming, youth led conversations and strategic, cross-sectoral partnerships, Born This Way aims to make kindness cool, validate the emotions of young people, and eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health.
  • Trevor Project - The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.
  • NHL Pride Resources - The dedicated NHL Pride website provides an overview regarding building a community that welcomes and celebrates authenticity and the love of hockey.
  • Athlete Ally - Mission is to end the rampant homophobia and transphobia in sport and to activate the athletic community to exercise their leadership to champion LGBTQI+ equality.
  • Matthew Shepard Foundation - Amplify the story of Matthew Shepard to inspire individuals, organizations and communities to embrace the dignity and equality of all people.
  • Out & Equal - The premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ workplace equality.
  • LGBT Sports Foundation - A network of organizations and individuals committed to LGBT Sports advocacy working for equality and social change.
  • The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation - The world's first foundation dedicated to raising awareness of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying by connecting communities and raising funds to support those doing real-world work to eradicate bullying.
  • National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Sports Project - NCLR's Sports Project aims to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender players, coaches, and administrators receive fair and equal treatment—free of discrimination.