With two straight Stanley Cup wins under their belt, the Pittsburgh Penguins sure have made a name for themselves worldwide. Being in the journalism workshop, we were lucky enough to have Tom McMillan, the VP of Communications for the Penguins as a tour guide to go behind the scenes of PPG Paints Arena. From simply seeing all the work that needs to be put into the stadium to get ready for the upcoming season to seeing the locker room it sure was an interesting experience that I will never forget. To actually be at a Penguin game is one thing, but to be immersed in all that actually goes into having a game happen is another. That is exactly what Tom talked to us about. He told us how since PPG Paints just bought out Consol Energy a little over a year ago that they had to replace everything with Consol on it and put up the new PPG Paints detail.  Then we got to see how they work on the ice rink to make sure it doesn’t have any scratches or cracks and it’s ready to go for the next season. “Many people think summer is their time off, but we’re not like the teacher’s. We have to make sure everything is ready to go and with the Penguins winning another Stanley Cup, it gives us even less time to get ready. We are working constantly.” Tom tells us as we walk around the upstairs of PPG Paints, looking at where the announcers work and all radio broadcasting happens. It was really cool to see all the newspaper prints on the walls upstairs. They had one headline from the very first game in 1967 all the way up to the winning of this year’s cup. One of the most exclusive parts of the tour was that we got to go see the Penguins locker room and Suite 66. Even though we weren’t able to go into the locker room it still was a surreal experience to be in the presence of where the boys actually are before a game. Suite 66 has been a new addition to PPG Paints for the fans. “People these days want more of an experience rather than stuff. It’s called Experiential Marketing. That’s what everyone is using these days.” Tom explained to us as we looked at all the pictures hanging on the walls, seen the fancy chandeliers hanging from the ceilings and were in awe at the mini Stanley Cups that were behind the glass. Seeing all of that was really special. From seeing the littlest details like the 50 years sign upstairs showing how long the Penguins have been a team; to seeing all the different concession stands throughout the stadium it definitely would be amazing to work with the Penguins just like Tom does. Tom told me that he doesn’t go to every single game, his team does but he travels a lot with them.  He told us that “honestly you really don’t get to see much of the game live when you are there. You are more focused on the work that you are doing rather than being able to relax and simply just watch the game. You have multiple national television stations that you have to interview and many people you have to talk to during the game, but the excitement of the game is there. That’s the best.” Tom sure was an excellent tour guide. Even though some may not be hockey fans, there was still something for everyone to learn about while we toured. Tom showed us something that many of us didn’t know. The number signs that show you where your seat is located at is actually made very uniquely. The signs are made from steel because Pittsburgh is home of many steel mills, that’s what we’re known for. Also there are scratch marks on the glass behind the steel signs. Those are like that to represent the huge ice skating rink that is very popular during the winter months. Also in the middle of the signs there are three steel rails that are suppose to represent the three rivers in Pittsburgh. “Hundreds upon hundreds of people walk past those signs during the seasons and they never really notice all the detail that goes into the making of it. If I was the architect I would be really mad that I did all that thinking and know one really even stops and looks at their work. Tom laughs as he wraps up his tour. This definitely was one of the greatest tours I have ever gotten to experience. Growing up near Pittsburgh and being a sports fan allowed me to enjoy my time more and I hope everyone learned something that they never thought they would ever learn. There’s always something to learn about in Pittsburgh. Always.