Casey DeSmith’s return to the NHL will have to wait.

The Penguins recalled goaltender Emil Larmi from the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL a day after coach Mike Sullivan said DeSmith would be recalled to serve as backup for Saturday’s game at the Montreal Canadiens.

Those plans went askew, however, as DeSmith, who is assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, was unable to find his passport.

“It’s an honest mistake,” Sullivan said in Montreal. “That wasn’t something that we expected, but we’ve got to deal with it.”

The Penguins want goaltender Tristan Jarry to remain in Pittsburgh to rest and prepare for Sunday’s home game against the Florida Panthers, which starts less than 24 hours after the beginning of Saturday’s contest against the Canadiens.

DeSmith, who served as the backup to Matt Murray for most of the last two seasons, has spent this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Larmi, a 23-year-old native of Lahti, Finland, joined the Penguins organization by signing a two-year, entry-level contract in the offseason. He has split time between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Wheeling this season.

In five AHL games, he has a 1-2-2 record along with a 4.43 goals against average and an .861 save percentage. In four ECHL contests, he has a 3-1-0 record along with a 1.51 goals against average, a .959 save percentage and one shutout.

Notes:

• Forward Thomas Di Pauli was formally recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Di Pauli is expected to make his NHL debut and replace forward Sam Lafferty who is sidelined because of illness.

“He brings a lot of speed,” Sullivan said. ” He brings a lot of energy. He’s good on the forecheck. He’s a pesky player. He’s hard to play against. He’s got decent awareness defensively. I’m sure Thomas will be excited to play. He’ll bring a lot of energy tonight.”

In 22 AHL games this season, Di Pauli has 12 points (six goals, six assists).

A native of Caldaro, Italy, Di Pauli has spent the past three seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but never played more than 58 games due to injuries. Despite those setbacks, his pursuit of reaching the NHL never wavered.

“I grew up in Italy, and that’s the reason we moved to the U.S. was to pursue this dream,” Di Pauli said. “Injuries made me stronger, made my game better and I grew from it.”

To make room on the active roster for Di Pauli and Larmi, the team placed forward Jake Guentzel (right shoulder) and defenseman Justin Schultz (undisclosed) on injured reserve.

• The Penguins did not hold a morning skate.

• Penguins forwards Zach Aston-Reese and Joseph Blandisi are expected to appear in their 100th career games.

• Former all-star forward Ilya Kovalchuk will not make his debut with the Canadiens a day after signing a one-year, two-way contract with the club.

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