The Penguins will have new entertainment to go with their new home.

Games at the Consol Energy Center will feature a new "Ice Crew" comprised of men and women who will clean the rink and interact with fans.

The Penguins join at least 10 other NHL teams who have similar crews.

"I really think this is so exciting with the new arena," Laura Spencer, the Ice Crew's coordinator, said. "There are so many other teams in the NHL that do this already."

The Carolina Hurricanes' Storm Squad, the Atlanta Thrashers' Blue Crew and the Washington Capitals' Red Rockers are among the other groups, who use shovels to clean the ice, fire T-shirt cannons into the crowd and make appearances on behalf of the team. The Penguins Ice Crew also will sign autographs, take pictures with fans and assist with competitions and promotions.

The NHL mandates that the ice be cleaned three times per period during stoppages in play to avoid a buildup of loose ice chunks. The league allows two minutes for the procedure and can levy fines if the crew is not off the ice in that time.

"There's a lot of things that happen on the ice that you're not aware of when you're in the stands," Spencer said. "It really takes an athletic person to get the job done."

Spencer, a Pittsburgh native who attended Baldwin High School and Penn State, spent two years as part of a similar team for the Dallas Stars before moving back to Pittsburgh in late June. The preparations for the Ice Crew started around that time.

More than 120 women registered for auditions, which will be held July 31 at the Southpointe Iceoplex. Male auditions will be Aug. 11.

"Some of the things that we're looking for in candidates is how they represent themselves," Spencer said.

"As soon as they hit the ice, we want them to excite the fans and keep that energy going."

The Ice Crew will have six on-ice positions and two to four members who roam the stands and interact with the fans, although the team will take as many members as they can. Those who interact with the fans need to know not just Penguins hockey but the NHL in general, and that component will be evaluated at the auditions, which also will consist of interviews and skating tests.

"People just want to share their hockey knowledge with you," Spencer said. "They will be tested on it, they will be quizzed on it. Fans like to quiz you."

Spencer said the team would be "moving away" from the Pens Patrol, the previous group of team ambassadors that gave away T-shirts, ran contests and interacted with fans.

Many of the other teams that employ ice crews reside in tough hockey markets or in warmer climates such as Tampa Bay, Carolina, Atlanta, Nashville and Dallas. But others -- Boston, the New York Islanders and Stanley Cup champion Chicago -- have loyal fan bases and successful programs, like Pittsburgh. Spencer said the youth of the Penguins' fan base makes the addition of the Ice Crew unique.

"We're going to be giving Penguins fans the opportunity to share the ice with their heroes," she said.

Penguins fans on Internet message boards had mixed opinions Tuesday regarding the addition of the Ice Crew. Some supported it as forward-thinking, a few did not care, but the majority saw it as an unnecessary addition to the home-game experience. Many cited the lack of cheerleaders at Steelers games as evidence.

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