Pens To Open Community Ice Rink

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The NHL is in charge of the Winter Classic game, but the Penguins are hosting an event for the whole community and they are building a special rink to do just that.

The Winter Classic will be held on New Year's Day inside Heinz Field where the Pens will take on the Washington Capitals.

But days before the much-anticipated game, a rink called the "Winter Classic Community Rink" will be built right across from Heinz Field in the AE Stage parking lot.

Tom McMillan of the Penguins says their vision was "to turn this into a hockey carnival." He says this community rink will give them the chance to get folks involved, engaged and pumped up for the game.

It will take four days to build the NHL-sized community rink, which will seat a few hundred people.

In addition to public skating and skate rentals, the rink will host youth hockey games with local and international players from the hometowns of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

The community rink will be open to the public from Christmas Eve until January second.