As for their approach to the community, Geoff said they understand that in a city like Pittsburgh, what happens on the ice is not the only thing that resonates.

“It’s bringing in the members of the community, it’s supporting the community, it’s taking a vested interest in participating philanthropically, participating in events and creating an atmosphere where everyone is welcome and wants to be here,” Geoff said. “And that takes presence. So, you’ll be seeing us in Pittsburgh regularly.”

“We bought a house here, so that’s a good sign that we’re going to be here,” David interjected. Geoff laughed and continued, “I was about to say, we bought a house in Squirrel Hill. So, rolled the dice a little bit in terms of the timing with the broader league, we close on July 1st. But yeah, we’re excited to be fixtures here in the community.”

The Hoffmanns touched on a few other points of interest. Read on for more.

THE EVERBLADES’ FUTURE: David and Geoff were asked what happens with Florida, as Pittsburgh’s current ECHL affiliate is the Wheeling Nailers. The Hoffmanns said they want to keep the Everblades. “We’re going through all those discussions right now. We’ll have some more clarity on what happens at the East Coast level, I think, in the next couple of weeks,” Geoff said.

MARIO’S INVOLVEMENT: “Mario and I have spent some time together. He’s been as good as advertised, I think. Just a great, great guy. I’m really hopeful that he will be a part of this in whatever way, shape or form makes sense for him. But we would love for him to be a part of it. We know what he means to the Penguins, what he means to the city and what he means to the league, the NHL. Everybody would embrace him with open arms, especially the three of us up here.” -Geoff Hoffmann

DEVELOPING THE AREA: While they don’t have all of the history yet, the Hoffmanns understand that the development of the Lower Hill District is a complicated issue with a lot of stakeholders who need to be heard and taken care of. “I’m optimistic that we can get there,” said Geoff, calling the area a tremendous opportunity for both the team and the city. He said that they would love to create a space that people frequent beyond just home games with the expansion of the NHL schedule, “and making it hopefully the jewel of the area.”

PPG PAINTS ARENA: Geoff Hoffmann said they are happy with the facility, which opened in 2010. “It’s very well managed, very well-run, clean, and again, a good fan experience,” he said. “But I think with some improvements and modernization, we can make it an elite fan experience, and we absolutely plan to do that.” They plan to start those upgrades within the next 12-18 months, if not sooner. “We plan on touching pretty much every corner of the arena to make sure that it stays best-in-class,” Geoff said.