Penguins fans David and Carrie Cushen have known each other since the sixth grade, and after going their separate ways for some time, they found their way back to each other. They've made Pittsburgh their home, and when they decided to get married, the couple already knew where they wanted the special ceremony to take place.
Penguins Fans Say "I Do" At Game
By
Grace Heidinger
Pittsburgh Penguins
"We've been best friends forever. When we got back together, we decided we were going to get married in our favorite place, with our favorite team, and with the fans around us," Carrie said. "And that's what we did."
David felt he would remember their anniversary if it fell on his birthday, so he was hoping the Penguins played at home on Jan. 27. And luckily, the team's schedule worked out in his favor.
"When it came out, I remember yelling, 'the Pens play, the Pens play!'" Carrie said.
"And that's when we knew it was the right time and the right place to be," David said.
That night, the Penguins welcomed the Seattle Kraken to PPG Paints Arena for the first time ever. And while the Penguins suffered a 2-1 overtime loss to the new franchise, the newlyweds weren't going to let that dampen their night.
"The Pens decided to let us shine that night," Carrie said.
The couple knew that if they had the ceremony during intermission, a lot of people would leave the section, so the couple decided to hold it during a TV timeout so that everyone would still be in their seats.
"We gave the fans behind us a little heads up that it would be happening in the next break," David said. "And as soon as they came to clear the ice, we did it, and it just all worked out."
Both David and Carrie's family live out of town, so to keep it simple, Carrie bought tickets for her two friends, Kim and Stephanie, who served as the witnesses, and David and herself. Kim also officiated the reception.
Carrie wore a veil on her baseball cap, and in place of a wedding dress and a tuxedo, David had personalized Penguins jerseys made up with their last name on the back.
"On the back of mine is 20 and the back of his is 22 to reflect the year we got married, and it just worked out perfectly," Carrie said.
And just like your average hockey fan, David made a sign for the game, except his wasn't the standard type asking a player for a stick. Instead, it read, "Welcome to Our Wedding. Carrie & David. January 27th, 2022. LET'S GO PENS!"
While their families couldn't be in attendance, the Penguins fans surrounding them made sure to celebrate the happy couple and get plenty of pictures and videos of them during the reception.
"It was something we will remember for the rest of our lives," Carrie said. "I really couldn't have asked for anything better."
The two have been good friends from the time they met in sixth grade at Nativity Parochial School in Brandon, Florida. The couple had their first date at the movies in seventh grade, were each other's first kiss, went to homecoming together…and after reconnecting years later, are now officially married and living together in the city where they said, "I do." Carrie currently works as a primary nurse case manager for CVS Health/Coram, while David works for Evoqua as an HRIS specialist.
Carrie, who was born in Texas, identifies as an "Army brat" and moved a lot growing up. In 2015, she had the choice of several cities to move to while working as a nurse for General Electric - but her heart was set on Pittsburgh. After first becoming a Penguins fan in the '90s, Carrie had spent the previous two years traveling here to attend games, so she was already familiar with the city.
"Through and through, I think I was born to be in Pittsburgh," Carrie said. "I've never felt more at home than I have here."
For David, a Florida native, he joined the military at 18 years old and served in the Army for 22 years. Like his wife, David was used to moving all over the world and he felt like he never had a place to call home, but that changed in 2017 when he traveled all the way from Egypt to Pittsburgh to visit Carrie.
"When I came here to visit Carrie who lives here, it just felt like home," David said. "Everybody's willing to help and roll up their sleeves to help you out."
David just moved to the city in 2021, and even though he's only been living here for less than a year, Carrie has already made him a Penguins fan by proxy. He represents the team no matter where he is. Even traveling throughout Europe, he made sure to wear his Penguins hoodie wherever he went.
"I remember telling him, you know right away here if you feel like you're at home," Carrie said. "And then he came and loved it, and at that moment, we knew it was meant to be."
