Penguins recall forwards Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty

The future is now for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

At least for the time being.

On Friday, the team recalled two of its leading prospects — forwards Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty — from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL).

In a corresponding transaction, veteran forward Joona Koppanen was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

A native of Finland, Koivunen (6-foot, 172 pounds) is in the midst of his first season in North America and leads Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in scoring with 55 points (21 goals, 34 assists) in 62 games.

Koivy in front ???? pic.twitter.com/6TbqJ3uAN6

— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) March 12, 2025

Koivunen, 21, is in the second year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $805,833. The Penguins acquired Koivunen, a left-handed shot, as part of a trade that sent All-Star forward Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 7, 2024.

As for McGroarty, this will be his second stint in the NHL after he opened the 2024-25 season on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ roster. Appearing in three NHL contests in October, he had no points while averaging 11:37 of ice per contest.

With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the left-handed McGroarty (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) has skated in 60 games and has scored 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists).

RUTGERRRRR pic.twitter.com/FfYk0tuliJ

— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) March 12, 2025

McGroarty, who turns 21 Sunday, was a first-round draft pick (No. 14 overall) of the Winnipeg Jets in 2022. After discussions over a contract reached something of an impasse with that club, McGroarty’s NHL rights were traded to the Penguins on Aug. 22, 2024, in exchange for forward prospect Brayden Yager, the Penguins’ first-round draft pick (No. 14 overall) in 2023.

Immediately following that transaction, McGroarty, a native of Lincoln, Neb., signed with the Penguins, agreeing to a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $950,000.

Koppanen, 27, was summoned to the NHL roster under emergency roster conditions March 18. Primarily skating on the third line, Koppanen appeared in five games and scored one goal while averaging 14:21 of ice time per contest.

With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the left-handed Koppanen (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) has played in 53 games and scored 21 points (six goals, 15 assists).

Penguins management has largely professed a preference of keeping the organization’s top prospects on the AHL roster for the bulk of this season to further their development in a winning environment. The playoff-bound Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins entered Friday in third place of the Atlantic Division with a 36-18-7-1 record and 80 points.

But Friday’s transactions come one day after the Pittsburgh Penguins - expected to miss the postseason for the third consecutive year - suffered an ugly 7-3 road loss to the Buffalo Sabres. In that contest, they were forced to dress an irregular lineup of 11 forwards and seven defensemen due to undisclosed injuries that have sidelined veteran forwards Boko Imama, Evgeni Malkin and Tommy Novak.

Also on Friday, the Penguins assigned defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. A second-round draft pick (No. 44 overall) in 2024, Brunicke just completed his season at the junior level with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

In 41 WHL games, the right-handed Brunicke (6-foot-3, 202 pounds) posted 30 points (five goals, 25 assists).

Brunicke buries it! ???? pic.twitter.com/ffBb6vvBub

— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) March 15, 2025

Kamloops failed to qualify for the postseason, allowing Brunicke to report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Brunicke, 18, signed a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $875,000 on July 18, 2024. That contract can “slide” — or begin — next season.

On Thursday, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton terminated the amateur tryout contract (ATO) of defensive prospect Chase Pietila and assigned him to Wheeling of the ECHL.

A fourth-round draft pick (No. 111 overall) in 2024, the 21-year-old signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 9, agreeing to a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $860,000 before agreeing to an ATO with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on March 14.

In two contests with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the right-handed Pietila (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) had no points.