The Pittsburgh Penguins will take the ice for the first time in the 2014-15 season tomorrow afternoon at Consol Energy Center. The team’s biggest stars, however, will not. General Manager Jim Rutherford announced this morning that centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will be held out of practice with undisclosed injuries. Both players were injured in workouts leading up to training camp. The team gave no indication of the severity of either players’ injury. The Penguins seem to have ... Read More
The NHL is going backwards on the penalty shot
The above goal by Evgeni Malkin will no longer be legal in the NHL, thanks to rule changes announced Thursday The league made several changes for the 2014-15 season. Most of the changes are designed to improve player safety, including automatic suspensions for multiple game misconducts, increasing the scope of the tripping penalty, and added fines for diving. Some of the other new rules seem to be designed increase scoring. Fewer face-offs will be moved out of the offensive zone ... Read More
Penguins’ Kasperi Kapanen to miss rookie tournament
Pittsburgh Penguins’ rookie forward Kasperi Kapanen will miss this weekend’s rookie tournament. The 18-year-old Finnish winger was the Penguins first-round pick in this year’s NHL entry draft. Kapanen injured his hand this August in a game while playing for Team Finland’s U20 World Junior squad. The Penguins anticipate that he will be ready to play at the start of the team’s training camp, which begins next week. It is unknown what effect, if any, this injury will have on his chance of making ... Read More
Wheeling Nailers sign two
The Wheeling Nailers continue to load up their roster for the 2014-15 season, recently adding two more bodies to the mix in center Jarrett Burton and defenseman Brendan Rempel. Burton, a 23-year old two-way center joined the Nailers at the conclusion of the 2013-14 season, after a four-year collegiate career at Clarkson University. He didn't see much ice time in Wheeling last season, but had a solid collegiate career. Burton scored 12 goals in 35 games as a junior, before scoring 11 goals ... Read More
Penguins sign Daniel Carcillo
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed free agent left-winger Daniel Carcillo to a professional tryout contract. Originally drafted by the Penguins but traded while he was still in the minors, Carcillo played 57 games with the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers last season, scoring only four goals and one assist. His career high in points is just 24, achieved seven years ago with Phoenix. His possession stats don’t suggest that he is due for a huge gain in scoring, either, with a ... Read More
Crosby arrest report refuted
The Ottawa Sun reported this morning that Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was arrested in a driving-related incident in Ottawa. The article, attributed to QMI News Agency, claimed that Crosby was arrested by Ottawa Police late Tuesday night and cited unknown sources. The news item was released on social media and featured prominently on the paper’s website. The problem is that none of it is true. Several media outlets reported the story to be false. Ottawa Chief of Police Charles Bordeleau ... Read More
Wheeling Nailers Extend Affiliation Agreement with Penguins
The Wheeling Nailers and Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they have continued their partnership for another season. The Nailers, the ECHL affiliate of the Penguins, will begin its 16th season affiliated with the NHL’s Penguins. During that span, 13 former Nailers have gone on to play with the Pens, including most recently forwards Adam Payerl and Zach Sill, and defensemen Philip Samuelsson, who all made the leap to the NHL last season. "We are thrilled to extend our relationship with ... Read More
Pittsburgh Penguins’ Regime Change Will Give New Meaning To ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’
(Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins) As the #IceBucketChallenge summer rolls along, it reminds us that the Pittsburgh Penguins are about to experience a splash of frigid water to the face. Even though general manager Jim Rutherford and head coach Mike Johnston have been in place since June, the realities of the new regime probably haven't taken hold for most of the Penguins yet. That will change in a few weeks when training camp begins. For five years, the Penguins had the luxury of a consistent ... Read More
Penguins’ Brandon Sutter Should Look At New Contract As Challenge
The Pittsburgh Penguins essentially wrapped up their offseason Tuesday afternoon when they announced the signing of restricted free agent Brandon Sutter to a two-year, $6.6 million contract. Factoring in probable healthy scratches during the upcoming season, the Penguins have less than $500,000 left to spend under the salary cap, so this is the roster they will likely take into opening night against Anaheim on Oct. 9. General manager Jim Rutherford has said he'll reassess the team around ... Read More
Penguins re-sign Brandon Sutter
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed center Brandon Sutter. The 25-year-old from Red Deer, Alberta agreed to a two-year, $6.6 million contract. Sutter had an up-and-down 2013-14 season. He had a mediocre regular season, posting only 13 goals and 13 assists in 81 games. His .32 points per game was his lowest since his rookie season with Carolina in 2008-09. He rebounded to score 5 goals and 2 assists in the Penguins’ 13 playoff games. He is projected to again center the Penguins’ third ... Read More