Things look 'pretty cool' for Penguins rookie Ville Koivunen

Like many athletes, Ville Koivunen has a crutch phrase he leans on when he explains things.

Nugatory idioms such as “obviously” or “at the end of the day” as well as “for me, personally” litter the landscape of sporting sound bites.

In contrast, the Pittsburgh Penguins rookie forward employs a refreshing usage of “pretty cool.”

How was it coming to North America for the first time?

“Pretty cool.”

What was it like playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season?

“Pretty cool.”

What about getting a chance to skate on a line with Sidney Crosby?

“Pretty cool.”

And what is the weather like in late October?

“Pretty cool.”

Okay, that last one was manufactured, but it’s a pretty safe assumption that the 22-year-old Finn would say that, given how just about everything has been pretty cool for him over the past year.

Making his debut on this continent last season, Koivunen was primarily stationed with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and led the American Hockey League affiliate in scoring with 56 points (21 goals, 35 assists) in 63 games during the 2024-25 campaign.

He might have been more prolific with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton were it not for a well-deserved recall to the NHL roster in late March.

Predominantly skating on the top two lines and with the top power-play unit, Koivunen posted seven assists in eight NHL contests.

“We had a really good group (with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) so it was fun, a lot of fun the whole year,” Koivunen said. “And also, of course, when you get a chance to play (in the NHL) with that kind of minutes and play who I played with, it was pretty cool. The whole season, actually pretty cool. And it was pretty exciting to come over here (North America) for the first time.”

A lot of that excitement came as a result of being deployed on the top line with a franchise center like Crosby.

“Of course, it’s pretty cool,” Koivunen said. “You’re watching him your whole life, then you can play with him on the same line and same power-play (group). Pretty amazing.”

Crosby appears to find the collaboration cool as well.

“A smart player,” Crosby said. “He can trust his instincts a little bit more, be a little bit more confident with the pace. Having that experience last year probably helps a lot coming into this season.”

Unlike a lot of would-be prospects of futures past who almost always seemed to defer the puck to Crosby (i.e., give it to him right away), Koivunen — part of a highly scrutinized trade that sent All-Star forward Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes in March 2024 — found a healthy balance between letting the Penguins captain dictate the play versus relying on his own skills.

“You just have to play your own game,” the left-handed Koivunen said. “Try to find him when he’s open, of course. You want to get him the puck. He’s pretty good with it. Just play your own game and know what your strengths are. Use those, and that’s going to help a lot.”

Those strengths led to a productive preseason for Koivunen, who had three points (two goals, one assist) in five contests.

VILLE VILLE VILLE! pic.twitter.com/n2gvn0ve6F

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 2, 2025

That output helped him presumably secure a roster spot with the regular season slated to begin Tuesday.

That is the first of several goals Koivunen has in mind as he enters his first full season as an NHLer.

The other pursuits, by any measure, would be pretty cool.

“Play in the NHL right away from the first night,” he said. “Of course, help the team get wins. That’s the most important thing. With my own strengths and help that kind of way.

“Everyone wants a good role. Play good out there and play the whole season here.”

Note: Forwards Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Boko Imama and Sam Poulin as well as defensemen Alex Alexeyev and Ryan Graves were assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after they cleared waivers Sunday. … The Penguins had a scheduled day off Sunday.