Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect Sam Poulin will be taking a leave of absence from the organization for personal reasons.

His status was announced by the team Wednesday.

Poulin, 21, is expected to return to his native Quebec and continue workouts on and off the ice.

In a statement, the team requested privacy on Poulin’s behalf.

“The Penguins support Sam’s decision to take time away from hockey to focus on himself,” general manager Ron Hextall said in the statement. “As with all of our players, our priority is them as individuals first. We look forward to having him back with the team when he is ready.”

The Penguins’ first-round pick (No. 21 overall) in 2019, Poulin made his NHL debut this season, appearing in three games and recording one assist while logging 9:58 of ice time per contest.

Currently assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL), Poulin had played in 13 AHL games this season and has four goals.

Follow the Penguins all season long.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)