The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the heart of their season but they aren’t the only major sports team in town. The Pittsburgh Penguins kick off their season tonight against the New York Rangers. Hockey might not be as popular nationwide as football, but it might be just as physical. It looks like Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth are in attendance for the Penguins game tonight.
The official Penguins’ account also tweeted out a photo of the pair.
There’s always been a strong connection between the Steelers, the Penguins, and even the Pittsburgh Pirates. That’s been evident this year, even outside of Harris and Freiermuth being at this game. During the Steelers’ home opener, they had Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin, two current Penguin legends, lead the Terrible Towel Twirl.
While the Pirates are a constant disappointment, the Penguins have been just as consistent as the Steelers over the last 20 years. They even got their franchise player, Sidney Crosby, around the same time the Steelers got Ben Roethlisberger. The two helped lift Pittsburgh’s sports teams, bringing multiple championships to the city.
The Penguins actually saw success more recently than the Steelers, winning back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017. However, they’ve also unfortunately taken a step back over the last few years. While Crosby may still be one of the best players in the league, the Penguins have struggled to find the same success they had a few years ago.
It’s also nice to see Harris and Freiermuth spending time off the field together. They were part of the same draft class in 2021, and they’ve been consistent parts on offense for the Steelers since then. The team has struggled over the past few weeks, but if they do ever turn the corner on offense, Harris and Freiermuth will likely be part of the reason why.
Freiermuth was rewarded with a nice new contract from the Steelers this year, but Harris was not as lucky. He had his fifth-year option declined, and now he’s on a mission to prove he’s worth a big-money deal. Even while the Steelers have been trying to rebuild their offensive line, Harris has looked promising. He might never be one of the best running backs in the league, but he’s still a good player.
We’ll see if Harris and Freiermuth can bring the Penguins good luck as Letang and Malkin did for the Steelers. NHL players have way more games during a season, though, so even if they lose this game, there’s so much time to right the ship. It’s always nice to start out undefeated, though.
Unfortunately, the Penguins have mimicked the Steelers and dug themselves an early hole, trailing 3-0 at the end of the first period.
