Juuso Riikola’s return to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton did not last that long.

Barely even one day, in fact.

On Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced they recalled the reserve defensemen less than 24 hours after he was assigned to their American Hockey League affiliate.

Riikola’s recall is on an emergency basis. Such a designation allows teams to summon a player in the event the team might not have a full complement of 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies immediately available.

Such will be the case for Saturday’s road game against the Ottawa Senators.

Defensemen Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel are ineligible to play in that contest because of Canada’s requirement of a 14-day quarantine period for anyone entering the country following their most recent positive tests for covid-19. For procedural purposes, as they relate to the Penguins’ roster management, both were placed on the NHL’s list for covid-19 protocol Friday.

The team initially announced Pettersson and Ruhwedel tested positive for the virus Oct. 31. Following an NHL-mandated 10-day isolation period, they were activated from the NHL’s covid-19 protocol list Thursday, a few hours before their 3-2 home shootout win against the Florida Panthers.

Pettersson was injured in that game, however. After a collision near the Florida blue line with Panthers forward Owen Tippett during the first period, Pettersson left the ice and did not record a shift for the final 13 minutes, 5 seconds of the opening frame.

Assistant coach Todd Reirden did not provide a status on Pettersson after the game. And with the team canceling practice Friday, no update was available.

Riikola figures to be back in the lineup for Saturday’s game. This season, he has appeared in four NHL games and has one assist. In three AHL games, he has two assists. The 28-year-old is in the final year of a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $1.15 million.

The Penguins also recalled goaltender Louis Domingue from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. This maneuver will allow starting goaltender Tristan Jarry to remain in Pittsburgh and stay rested before he travels to Washington for Sunday’s road game against the rival Capitals.

Presumably, backup Casey DeSmith will start Saturday’s contest against the Senators. Having appeared in only two games this season, DeSmith has a 0-1-1 record along with a 4.47 goals-against average and an .878 save percentage.

This is not the first time the Penguins have employed this tactic. During the 2019-20 season, former starter Matt Murray was slated to start a road game against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 4 while Jarry, then the backup, was kept in Pittsburgh to rest up for a home game against the Panthers on Jan. 5.

The team initially recalled DeSmith from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to serve as Jarry’s backup in Montreal but DeSmith misplaced his passport. As a result, DeSmith was quickly reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and goaltending prospect Emil Larmi was recalled from the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL for one day.

Jarry has started in 10 of the Penguins’ 12 games this season. Along with a 5-2-3 record, he has a 2.23 GAA and a .929 save percentage.

The Penguins signed the 29-year-old Domingue in September to a one-year, two-way contract that carries a cap hit of $750,000, the league minimum. A veteran of seven NHL seasons, this is his first recall to the NHL level since joining the Penguins.

In five AHL games this season, Domingue has a 1-2-1 record, a 2.43 GAA and a .921 save percentage.

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