The Philadelphia Wings will begin their 27th season in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) on Friday when they host the Buffalo Bandits.

The Wings, looking for their record seventh NLL championship, added 13 new players to their roster after a busy offseason.

The highlight was a December blockbuster trade that netted Paul Rabil, a three-time NLL All-Star who is one of the league’s marquee players.

“There have been a lot of changes to this team, with 13 new players and seven rookies. But we are ready to compete,” said coach Johnny Mouradian. “We made a conscious effort to build a roster centered around young, talented U.S. players, and our goal is to get back to winning championships.”

The Wings also return All-Stars Brodie Merrill and Max Seibald, along with last year’s top draft pick, Kevin Crowley. Friday’s game is set for 7 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center, and tickets start at $10.

Orange and Black host Penguins

Maybe enduring an annoying, drawn-out NHL lockout was worth something after all.

The Flyers will reportedly open the 2012-13 season Jan. 19 at the Wells Fargo Center at 3 p.m. against … wait for it … the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Flyers were originally scheduled to play the Calgary Flames that day at 1 p.m. With the change, the Penn State-Vermont college game has been pushed back to 8:15 p.m. The Orange and Black open training camp Monday.

“Camp is the time to get everything on the table and the puck drops,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said earlier this week. “Most people in the league are probably in for their first shortened experience. We will all be learning.”