The 2012–13 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The regular season was reduced from its usual 82 games to 48 due to a lockout.
Off-season The Pittsburgh Penguins finished their 2011–12 season with 108 points, ranking second in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh started off the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs in the Eastern Conference Quarter-finals against their cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. Pittsburgh eventually went on to lose in six games, with Philadelphia taking the series 4–2. The 45 goals scored through the first four games set an NHL record for goals in the first four games of a seven-game series. A total of 56 goals were scored over the course of the entire series.
After elimination, Pittsburgh went on to sign 2010 draft pick Reid McNeill on May 15, 2012 and 2011 draft pick Dominik Uher on June 1, 2012 to three-year entry-level contracts. On June 4, 2012, the Penguins signed goaltender Tomas Vokoun to a two-year contract after acquiring him from the Washington Capitals for a seventh-round draft pick in 2012. On June 28, 2012, the Penguins agreed to terms with All-Star center Sidney Crosby to a 12-year contract extension worth $104.4 million, but due to the terms of the current NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, the new deal could not be signed until July 1, 2012.
Lockout
At 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on September 15, 2012, following the expiration of the NHL collective bargaining agreement (CBA) the owners declared a lockout of the members of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) until a new agreement could be reached. As a result, training camps will not open until agreement on a new CBA is reached.
Cancellation announcements On September 19, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of pre-season games through September 30, 2012 On September 27, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of the remaining pre-season games. On October 4, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of regular season games through October 24, 2012. On October 18, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of regular season games through November 1, 2012. On October 26, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of regular season games through November 30, 2012. On November 2, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of the 2013 Bridgestone Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs scheduled for January 1, 2013. The NHL also announced the cancellation of all events at the SiriusXM Hockeytown Winter Festival scheduled for December 16–31, 2012 at Comerica Park in Detroit. On November 23, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of regular season games through December 14, 2012 and announced the cancellation of the 2013 NHL All-Star weekend schedule for January 26–27, 2013 in Columbus, Ohio. On December 10, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of regular season games through December 30, 2012. On December 20, 2012 the NHL announced the cancellation of regular season games through January 14, 2013.
|- style="text-align:center;" | 1 || Sep 24 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Columbus Blue Jackets || Nationwide Arena || 0-0-0 || N/A |- style="text-align:center;" | 2 || Sep 26 || 7:00 pm || Detroit Red Wings || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || 0-0-0 || N/A |- style="text-align:center;" | 3 || Sep 29 || 3:00 pm || Columbus Blue Jackets || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || 0-0-0 || N/A |- style="text-align:center;" | 4 || Sep 30 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Chicago Blackhawks || United Center || 0-0-0 || N/A |- style="text-align:center;" | 5 || Oct 3 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Detroit Red Wings || Joe Louis Arena || 0-0-0 || N/A |- style="text-align:center;" | 6 || Oct 5 || 7:00 pm || Chicago Blackhawks || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || 0-0-0 || N/A
|- style="text-align:center;" | 1 || 12 || 7:00 pm || New York Islanders || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 2 || 13 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Buffalo Sabres || First Niagara Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 3 || 16 || 7:00 pm || Ottawa Senators || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 4 || 18 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Philadelphia Flyers || Wells Fargo Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 5 || 20 || 8:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Nashville Predators || Bridgestone Arena || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 6 || 23 || 7:00 pm || Vancouver Canucks || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 7 || 25 || 7:00 pm || New York Rangers || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 8 || 26 || 7:30 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Ottawa Senators || Scotiabank Place || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 9 || 31 || 7:30 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Washington Capitals || Verizon Center || ||
|- style="text-align:center;" | 10 || 2 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Columbus Blue Jackets || Nationwide Arena || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 11 || 3 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || New Jersey Devils || Prudential Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 12 || 5 || 8:30 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Chicago Blackhawks || United Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 13 || 7 || 7:30 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Toronto Maple Leafs || Air Canada Centre || || |- style="text-align:center; | 14 || 10 || 1:00 pm || Edmonton Oilers || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 15 || 13 || 7:00 pm || Colorado Avalanche || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 16 || 15 || 7:00 pm || Toronto Maple Leafs || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 17 || 16 || 7:30 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Ottawa Senators || Scotiabank Place || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 18 || 19 || 7:30 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Detroit Red Wings || Joe Louis Arena || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 19 || 21 || 7:00 pm || New Jersey Devils || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 20 || 23 || 7:00 pm || Carolina Hurricanes || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 21 || 24 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Boston Bruins || TD Garden || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 22 || 26 || 7:00 pm || Minnesota Wild || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 23 || 29 || 7:00 pm || San Jose Sharks || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || ||
|- style="text-align:center;" | 24 || 1 || 2:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Dallas Stars || American Airlines Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 25 || 4 || 7:00 pm || Carolina Hurricanes || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 26 || 6 || 7:00 pm || St. Louis Blues || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 27 || 8 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || New Jersey Devils || Prudential Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 28 || 10 || 7:00 pm || Winnipeg Jets || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 29 || 11 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Washington Capitals || Verizon Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 30 || 13 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Boston Bruins || TD Garden || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 31 || 15 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Winnipeg Jets || MTS Centre || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 32 || 17 || 7:00 pm || New Jersey Devils || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 33 || 21 || 7:00 pm || Winnipeg Jets || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 34 || 22 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || New York Islanders || Nassau Coliseum || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 35 || 27 || 7:00 pm || Detroit Red Wings || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 36 || 29 || 1:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || New York Islanders || Nassau Coliseum || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 37 || 31 || 7:00 pm || Washington Capitals || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || ||
|- style="text-align:center;" | 38 || 4 || 7:00 pm || Florida Panthers || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 39 || 5 || 7:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || New Jersey Devils || Prudential Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 40 || 8 || 7:00 pm || Tampa Bay Lightning || Cancelled || Pittsburgh Penguins || Consol Energy Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 41 || 11 || 10:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Anaheim Ducks || Honda Center || || |- style="text-align:center;" | 42 || 12 || 8:00 pm || Pittsburgh Penguins || Cancelled || Phoenix Coyotes || Jobing.com Arena || ||
Resolution At approximately 4:40 am EST on January 6, 2013 the NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr announced that they have reached an agreement on the framework of a new CBA. On January 9, 2013 the NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously to accept the new 10-year CBA between the NHL and the NHLPA, but will not become official until the NHLPA completes a ratification vote. The NHLPA announced that ratification voting would start at 8 pm (EST) Thursday (January 10, 2013) and will continue for 36 hours through Saturday (January 12, 2013) at 8 am (EST). On January 12, 2013 the NHLPA announced that the union had voted to ratify the new CBA with the NHL, but the new CBA will not become official until the NHL and the NHLPA sign a Memorandum of understanding (MOU). Later that same day both the NHL and the NHLPA announced that both sides signed the MOU reflecting the terms of the new 10-year CBA officially ending the lockout and announcing a 720-game (48 per team) regular-season schedule will begin on January 19, 2013.
Regular season
January