The Penguins will distribute thousands of tickets to area children, and Imagine Pittsburgh will distribute 8,000 tickets for the team's Sept. 25 preseason game against Columbus at Consol Energy Center.

The goal is to fill the stands with students ages 4-24. Tickets for them will be free.

The Penguins will give tickets to local youth hockey associations and the Tickets For Kids Foundation. Students 18 and older can register for tickets at ImaginePittsburgh.com beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday. Imagine Pittsburgh hopes to alert students to the job market in the Pittsburgh area.

Tickets for the Penguins' two other preseason home games went on sale last week. The team normally has only two exhibition games at home.

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