Seth Rorabaugh stories, Page 125
Finally healthy, Penguins forward Kasper Bjorkqvist eager to show where his game is
Even in the midst of a global pandemic that had crippling effects on just about every walk of life, the 2020-21 season was an absolute joy for Penguins forward prospect Kasper Bjorkqvist. That’s because he was playing hockey. Bjorkqvist had been denied such a luxury for the bulk of the...
Penguins notebook: NHL, AHL rosters begin to take shape
Almost a week into their training camp, the Pittsburgh Penguins divided their roster into two groups Wednesday. One will likely open the season with a road game against the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 12. The other is scheduled to kick off the 2020-21 campaign with a...
Penguins forward Drew O’Connor is better prepared entering his 2nd season
Drew O’Connor is in a very different place compared to where he started his professional career. The United States. While most hockey leagues in North America were on hiatus last fall because of the pandemic, virtually every team in Europe forged on. As a result, NHL franchises scrambled to find...
Being back with the Penguins ‘amazing’ for Dominik Simon
You might have been surprised this summer when the Penguins brought back Dominik Simon. If so, you weren’t alone. Dominik Simon was too. “At first when I heard it, it was a shock,” Simon said. “I didn’t see it coming. But it’s amazing. Hard to describe.” There were plenty of...
Penguins assign forwards Justin Almeida, Jan Drozg to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Penguins have assigned forward prospects Justin Almeida and Jan Drozg to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL). Each player participated in Monday’s preseason opener, a 3-0 home loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena. Almeida logged 12:45 of ice time on 15 shifts and won...
Brian Boyle grateful for another chance at the NHL with the Penguins
For Brian Boyle, not playing in the NHL during the 2020-21 season was far from enjoyable. But he found something far more fulfilling to fill that void in his life. Family. A veteran of 13 NHL seasons, Boyle got a chance to go to his son’s hockey games and his...
Goalies solid, Penguins fall to Blue Jackets in preseason opener
Goaltender Tristan Jarry made eight saves on nine shots for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who opened their preseason with a 3-0 home loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday at PPG Paints Arena. Columbus claimed the first lead 16 minutes, 28 seconds into regulation. From the center point of the...
Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese tests positive for covid-19
Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese has tested positive for covid-19 and has entered the NHL’s protocol for the virus. Coach Mike Sullivan announced Aston-Reese’s status following a morning skate at PPG Paints Arena in advance of the team’s preseason opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. Aston-Reese was not scheduled...
Can Penguins forward Brock McGinn be more than Brandon Tanev’s replacement?
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese got to know former linemate Brandon Tanev pretty well over the previous two seasons. And Brock McGinn is no Brandon Tanev. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Through the first four days of the team’s training camp in Cranberry, one of the most regularly...
Penguins announce lineup for preseason opener against Blue Jackets
The Penguins announced their lineup for the opening game of their preseason, a home contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena on Monday: Forwards – Justin Almeida, Jordy Bellerive, Brian Boyle, Jan Drozg, Jonathan Gruden, Danton Heinen, Kasperi Kapanen, Sam Lafferty, Nathan Legare, Sam Poulin, Felix Robert,...
Penguins trim 10 players from training camp roster
The Penguins have trimmed 10 players from their training camp roster. Defensemen Chris Bigras, Chris Merisier-Ortiz and Josh Maniscalco; goaltenders Alex D’Orio and Tommy Nappier; and forward Sam Houde were assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL). Maniscalco and D’Orio are the only members of that...
Heavy expectations remain for Penguins defenseman P.O JosephVideo
There are pretty much two things you won’t ever see on P.O Joseph. A frown or weight. Listed at 185 pounds, the effervescent Joseph knows mass always will be a strike against him as he tries to carve out a place in the NHL. But he won’t let being a...
Mt. Lebanon native Matt Bartkowski comes ‘full circle’ in Penguins’ camp
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ facility in Cranberry is named after franchise icon Mario Lemieux. Arriving in Pittsburgh in 1984, Lemieux inspired a few generations of Western Pennsylvanians to take up hockey. To illustrate Lemieux’s impact on the region, pictures of area players who have reached the NHL adorn the walls of...
Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen comfortable with a bigger role
Interviewing NHL-ers last season was a challenging endeavor. Because of the pandemic, virtually every interaction between media with players, coaches and executives was done through electronic means. Sure, every cliche about being strong on the forecheck or getting bodies to the net was heard loud and clear through a video...
Penguins forward Jason Zucker ready to move past ‘awful’ season
Jason Zucker’s offseason wasn’t anything unusual. He spent the summer mostly at his home in Minnesota. Went on some vacations. Trained at a rate as he typically would. As far as any offseason speculation that he might no longer be a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins? He had far more...
Jeff Carter steps in as Penguins’ top centerVideo
Western Pennsylvania and Southern California might as well be on different planets, let alone opposite sides of a continent. One is sunny and idyllic. The other is … well, Western Pennsylvania. A surplus of cumulus clouds notwithstanding, Penguins forward Jeff Carter’s current environs offer something he couldn’t find in Los...
Like normal, the Penguins still believe they are contenders
Besides being sans a franchise center or two, things were pretty normal for the Penguins on the first day of practice at their training camp Thursday in Cranberry. Established veteran defensemen were teamed with 20-something prospects who likely will be playing in American Hockey League contests a few weeks from...
Penguins recommend face coverings for preseason games
The Penguins will continue to recommend face coverings for all guests attending games at PPG Paints Arena this preseason as a precaution against covid-19. In advance of their first preseason game — a home contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday — the team issued a statement on the...
Penguins center Evgeni Malkin expected to miss ‘at least’ first 2 months of season
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin is expected to miss a minimum of two months to open the 2021-22 regular season as he recovers from offseason surgery on his right knee. General manager Ron Hextall spoke with the media on the opening day of his team’s training camp in Cranberry and...
Goaltending prospect Filip Lindberg found ‘the right spot’ with the Penguins
Filip Lindberg almost missed his chance to play in Pittsburgh. Not with the Penguins, at least not at this juncture in the story. But certainly at PPG Paints Arena. In April. For the NCAA championship. Having helped lead Massachusetts to the tournament and the celebrated Frozen Four, Lindberg, a springy...
Penguins announce training camp schedule
The Penguins announced the schedule for their upcoming training camp. The camp will primarily be staged at their facility in Cranberry. All sessions in Cranberry are open to the public. The schedule: Thursday 9:00-9:45 a.m. - Teams 1 and 2 practice 10:00-10:45 a.m. - Team 1 vs. Team 2 scrimmage...
Defenseman Cam Lee is ready for the next step with the PenguinsVideo
Among the Penguins’ prospects on the blue line, Cam Lee was by far and away the organization’s most prolific producer. He put up double-digits in points. Twice. Last fall, while most leagues in North America were on hiatus because of the pandemic, the Penguins loaned Lee to HC Slovan Bratislava...
Tristan Jarry vowed to be better for the Penguins. Will he?
In advance of the Penguins’ upcoming training camp, the Tribune-Review will look at the Penguins’ depth. Today, the goaltenders: After a poor performance in the postseason — a humbling first-round loss to the New York Islanders — Tristan Jarry was fairly succinct on what he would offer when the Penguins’...
Slimmed down Penguins prospect Nathan Legare is ready to meet heavy expectationsVideo
The “freshman 15” is the scourge of many first-year college students. In Nathan Legare’s case, he’s hoping it can expand his chances to reach the NHL. The only difference is the Penguins prospect went in a direction opposite of most political science majors. He lost 15 pounds as he approaches...
Kris Letang still feels right on the Penguins’ blue line
In advance of the Penguins’ upcoming training camp, the Tribune-Review will look at the Penguins’ depth. Today, the right-handed defensemen: A handful of days after his team’s 2020-21 season was ended by the New York Islanders in the playoffs, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang fielded a handful of questions about...
