The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled rookie forward Ville Koivunen from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Friday evening under emergency roster conditions.
Koivunen, 22, has bounced between the NHL and AHL rosters throughout the season.
In 27 NHL contests, he has scored five points (two goals, three assists) while averaging 12:41 of ice time per contest.
At the AHL level, the left-handed Koivunen is Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s second-leading scorer with 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists).
Koivunen is in the final year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $805,833.
Emergency roster conditions exist when a team may encounter the possibility of being unable to dress a traditional lineup of 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders.
The Penguins would appear to be dealing with that likelihood as forward Evgeni Malkin is likely facing a suspension as a result of a slash he delivered to Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin on Thursday.
Malkin underwent a disciplinary hearing with the NHL on Friday evening. The league has yet to announce a decision on that matter.
