PITTSBURGH — Mario Lemieux’s relationship with the Hoffmann family has continued its strong start.

Lemieux befriended Geoff Hoffmann, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ new chairman and governor, during a handful of home games last season while Hoffmann was checking out the team he was about to buy. As it turns out, they like each other.

A few days before the Penguins’ home opener on Saturday, the team asked Lemieux if he’d appear at a pregame ceremony on the ice. Notoriously private, Lemieux doesn’t do things like this very often. He did it for Jaromir Jagr’s number retirement ceremony and on the first night of the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 in Montreal. Still, appearances like this are rare.

Ownership wasn’t sure what to expect, but Lemieux immediately responded that he would be happy to be there. As always, Lemieux’s appearance stole the show.

Lemieux, who turned 61 on Monday, told a couple of Penguins officials after the on-ice appearance that he really likes Hoffmann. Sources close to Lemieux, speaking anonymously to protect personal relationships, said that even though the franchise is celebrating its 60th anniversary, he would not have gone on the ice alongside Fenway Sports Group if it had still been running the team. Appearing with Hoffmann was completely different.

Does that mean Lemieux will sign up for an official role, as has been rumored? That remains to be seen. We know the Hoffmanns would be happy to involve him. A team source, speaking anonymously because plans are not finalized, said Lemieux intends to be around the team more regularly this season, but he doesn’t want to be there out of obligation. Still, the Hoffmann family would be delighted to have him involved, even in an adviser role, or, frankly, whatever role he’d like.

Good vibes

Speaking of the Hoffmann family, we’re still in the honeymoon period of its ownership, but so far, so good.

I’ve talked with high-ranking members of the organization, PPG Paints Arena workers, players and many others. I’ve yet to hear a bad word about the Hoffmanns, and a number of people have told me that they find new ownership considerably more personable and better to deal with than its predecessors.

Ultimately, money talks, and decision-making for any ownership group is essential. Early impressions, though, have been overwhelmingly positive for those who regularly deal with Geoff Hoffmann and his family.

Another hidden gem?

I had a conversation with a member of the Penguins organization back in early August and asked which summer acquisition the organization was most excited about.

The team acquired a few players on or around July 1, and I was expecting the answer to be Nick Robertson or Kaedan Korczak.

Nope.

Declan Carlile was the first name mentioned. I’d been told back in early July that the Penguins front office was especially giddy about Carlile. The organization believed he slipped through the cracks in Tampa Bay. The Penguins see him as something of a younger version of Parker Wotherspoon with more upside and who’s cheaper for the 2027-28 season, when he’ll still only be making $1.5 million.

While no one expects his offensive production to continue at this rate — he’s scored in each of the past two games — Carlile’s strong defense and better-than-expected skating have everyone in Pittsburgh excited.

A new Kindel

There is something different about Ben Kindel on and off the ice this season. Sure, the physical elements are obvious. His shoulders look about 6 inches wider, and it took all of one training camp practice to show that his foot speed, while hardly a problem last season, is greatly enhanced.

But with Kindel, there’s more. Even when he was an 18-year-old rookie, Kindel had a precocious, thoughtful way about him. He started to come out of his shell after the Olympic break, largely because Kevin Hayes demanded he make a Caribbean trip with some of his older teammates and their families.

This year? I wouldn’t say he’s walking around the locker room like he owns it. Kindel, in fact, will almost certainly never come across that way, as he’s quiet and somewhat private by nature. But his comfort level is notable and, when he speaks, he does so with a certain command that wasn’t evident last season.

Like I’ve been saying for a while, he’s going to be wearing a letter on his chest someday.

Talk to Sidney Crosby or Bryan Rust about him for 30 seconds, and you immediately understand that the Penguins’ leadership group has already identified Kindel as one of its successors.

Top Plays from Jets @ Penguins

Goaltending management

A Penguins veteran recently told me the team’s most important player this season is Sergei Murashov.

There is considerable pressure on the 22-year-old goaltender, but he also has a lot of talent.

The Penguins are handling Murashov with care. They played him against the Jets and gave Artūrs Šilovs starts in Philadelphia and at home against the high-powered Montreal Canadiens. Šilovs will probably get the start Wednesday against Washington. The Penguins don’t want to throw Murashov into the fire too quickly, which is why they didn’t play him in the NHL late last season, even though they could have used him. They didn’t even let him speak with the media during Wilkes-Barre’s AHL postseason run in the spring.

They’re not totally handling him with kid gloves, but because they see something special in him, they want him to develop at just the right pace. The coaching staff loves him and feels he’s in a good place.

The Penguins really like Šilovs, too. Murashov is a tantalizing prospect, which can make Šilovs fly under the radar. Though Šilovs might not have Murashov’s upside, he’s no slouch.

Murashov’s interviews also draw the spotlight. After Monday’s game, he dropped this line about his performance early in the season: “There is a saying in Russia: Morning is wiser than evening.” The media has heaped a lot of attention on the young goalie. Guilty as charged on my part. But Šilovs is worthy of attention, too. The organization holds him in pretty high regard.

Injuries and lines

Veteran forward Bryan Rust skated at practice Monday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex and looks close to returning to the lineup. The Penguins will have to make a roster spot available for Rust when he is cleared to play.

Here were the practice lines at Monday’s practice:

Lapierre-Crosby-Rakell
Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin
Koivunen-Kindel-Rust
Dewar-Lizotte-Robertson

Carlile-Karlsson
Girard-Korczak
van Riemsdyk-Letang

If this lineup holds, that means Filip Hållander, Elmer Söderblom and Andrei Kuzmenko will be out of Wednesday’s lineup. It also means one of them probably won’t be on the roster come game time.