Penguins Delay Game vs. Canadiens Due to Traffic Accident

Traffic know no bounds, with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens now having moved their puck drop due to an accident.

Dec. 11's game between Pittsburgh and Montreal at PPG Paints Arena has been delayed by 30 minutes. The reason for the wait is due to an accident on I-279; puck drop was originally 7:00 p.m. EST but is now 7:30 p.m. EST. Pursuing alternative routes have been strongly recommended by the Pittsburgh organization.

Penguins, Canadiens See Traffic Game Delay

"Due to an accident on I-279 southbound, tonight's game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens has been moved to 7:30 PM ET (originally 7:00 PM ET)," the statement from the Penguins reads. "Fans who typically travel on I-279 to the arena are encouraged to use an alternate route."

Doors to PPG opened on schedule at 6:00 p.m. EST despite the incident.

Tonight's game vs. the Montreal Canadiens has been moved to 7:30 PM ET. pic.twitter.com/pTxVHLEsBa
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 11, 2025

Per WTAE, Interstate 279 (Parkway North) is closed due to an overturned truck in Allegheny County. The closure is reportedly in between I-79 and Exit 8 (Camp Horne Road). A tractor-trailer is on its side, blocking southbound traffic and causing backups stretching north of the Wexford exit on I-79.

Pennsylvania State Police have publicly revealed that the truck was carrying approximately 46,000 pounds of steel coils. WTAE's Kelly Sasso said in her report that no injuries have been reported.

The Athletic's Josh Yohe added that several players are known to take this route to the arena and are seeing delays in arriving to the locker room.

Most of the players take this route to the game and they aren’t all here yet https://t.co/Br6QnvX97g
— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) December 11, 2025

The Penguins are currently standing with 35 points in the Metropolitan Division and boast an overall record of 14-7-7. Montreal is 15-11-3 record wise entering play against Pittsburgh.

NHL legend Sidney Crosby currently leads the Penguins with 31 points (18 goals, 13 assists). His 18 goals lead Pittsburgh in scoring as well. The center has played his entire career with the Penguins since being drafted at No.1 by Pittsburgh back in the 2005 NHL Draft.

Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson have also been consistent producers for the Penguins throughout the season.

Dec 9, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) prepares to take a face-off against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Goaltender Tristan Jarry has recorded the most saves for Pittsburgh this year with 335 — Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov are the other netminders currently listed on the Penguins' roster.

For the Canadiens, Nick Suzuki has been the leading skater with 33 points, followed by youngster Cole Caufield with 31.

Montreal has lost the past two games in a row, with the most recent game being a 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 9. The Penguins are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

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