Youth Revolution
By James Santelli

Who is the most important teenager in regards to the future of the Pittsburgh Penguins?

If you answered with Pens center Sidney Crosby (19) or Jordan Staal (18), you may be mistaken.

In fact, it may be the kid down your street.

Social networking websites such as MySpace.com and Facebook.com are bringing together high school and college students from all across the area in an effort to prevent the Pens from leaving Pittsburgh. The largest collection of fans is the 2,000-strong member Facebook Group titled "Keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh."

The movement has also driven one of the most successful petitions on the site "PetitionOnline.com." The 34-word letter to Pittsburgh politicians and Pens owner Mario Lemieux has already gathered over 17,700 electronic signatures from fans the world over.

Despite these staggering numbers, the greatest impacts these students have made on the city and the Penguins organization so far have occurred away from the computer.

One of the major contributions to the team's 15 sellouts in the first 24 home dates of the season has been the success of the Penguins' "Student Rush" program, in which local high school and college students can buy unsold seats for only $20 one hour before game time.

The simple concept has grown rapidly this season, with hundreds showing up on a nightly basis, some even camping out over five hours before game time in order to purchase the best unsold seats for only two Hamiltons.

However, ticket sales and the success of the Student Rush program are not the only indicators of how the area's youth are making their imprint felt.

In fact, the greatest impression that the youth movement has made so far happened hours before a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 7. There was no way to miss the more than 1,000 Pens fans rallying outside Gate One of Mellon Arena from 3 p.m. until game time.

That rally was organized by 18-year-old Pens' season ticket holder Jon Celender of Ross.

"I started on a Penguins message board," said Celender on how word spread about the rally, "and it grew over Facebook and MySpace. I got an article in the newspaper about it."

Surprisingly, those 1,000 were not just local students and young people who found out about the event on the web. In reality, those who did became the messengers to the rest, spreading word of the event on local radio stations, fliers, signage on Mellon Arena's balconies, and ultimately, simple word-of-mouth advertising.

One rally attendant, Todd Schnorr of North Hills, when asked how he learned about the rally, pointed to the man next to him and responded, "My buddy Pat (Lawless) told me." Lawless, of Wexford, says he found out from listening to ESPN Radio 1250 AM.

Even as the freezing temperatures got colder and the rain poured down closer to face-off, there was still a large group outside of the Igloo as fans filed in for what ended up as the tenth sellout in 12 games.

Although the Pens lost a 3-2 heartbreaker that night before a capacity crowd, the Penguins faithful had already made their mark. Turning on the 11 o'clock news that night, you couldn't escape coverage of the rally.

Although a deal has yet to be struck between the Pens and the city for a new arena, time is not up, and we know Celender won't give up, even if the team is packing for Kansas City.

As user "RyanMalone12" on the Penguins' message board, Celender pleaded in his announcement of the January rally, "I'm doing everything in my power right now to keep my Penguins in Pittsburgh... Do something, please."