The 71st annual Dapper Dan Dinner and Sports Auction, originally scheduled for this coming Sunday, has been rescheduled for Sunday, April 22. The date was changed so the event's sponsors and ticket buyers could attend Game 3 of the Penguins' opening-round National Hockey League playoff series against the Ottawa Senators.

The dinner and auction will be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and the schedule of events remains the same. A cocktail reception and silent auction will take place in the foyer outside the Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom at 5 p.m. Ballroom doors open at 5:30, and the introduction of featured athletes, coaches and other sports celebrities begins at 6.

"Many loyal supporters of the Dapper Dan Dinner have told us that they also have tickets to Sunday's game at Mellon Arena, and we want those people to be able to join in the incredible excitement that's surrounding the Penguins as they enter the NHL playoffs," said Dave Beihoff, the president of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and a member of the executive committee for Dapper Dan Charities.

The honorees at the dinner will be Steelers owner Dan Rooney (Lifetime Achievement Award), Penguins center Sidney Crosby (Sportsman of the Year), and Detroit Shock forward and McKeesport native Swin Cash (Sportswoman of the Year). Proceeds from the events will benefit the many youth sports programs of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania.

If necessary, game 6 of the Penguins-Senators series is scheduled for April 22 in Pittsburgh, but with an early start at 1 p.m.

Tickets purchased for the event remain valid. Anyone with questions about tickets that have already been purchased and those interested in purchasing tickets for the new date should call the Dapper Dan hotline at 412-263-3850.