Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Season Preview
After making playoffs last season, and being swept by the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the first round, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton had a round of changes that happened. The Penguins went 40-24-7 overall and ended in fourth in the Atlantic Division for the 2024-2025 season
Coaching:
Photo Credit: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
After the addition of Head Coach Kirk MacDonald and Assistant Coach Nick Luukko in the summer of 2024, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins improved drastically with play, special teams, and culture. This off-season, Assistant Coach Sheldon Brookbank moved into a scouting role. Wilkes-Barre announced in June that they added Brad Malone as an Assistant Coach.
Malone brings 13 years of playing experience, having dressed in 552 AHL games and 217 NHL games. The 2024-2025 season was the first one Malone spent as a coach spending the season in the role of Player Development coach for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. Malone was then promoted in the middle of the season and led the Generals to the OHL finals as the Eastern Conference Champions. Under his reigns of Head Coach, the Generals went 23-11-3-1 in the regular season and 13-8 through post season play.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton added Video Coach Ethan O’Rourke. O’Rourke joins the yellow and black after completing the season with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL. He spent one season as Video Coach in the 2021-2022 season and was promoted to Assistant General Manager in the middle frame of the 2022-2023 season. O’Rourke has worked with Hockey Canada at international events. He was on staff when Canada secured the gold medal during the 2024 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Earlier in the summer of 2025, O’Rourke was announced as video coach for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.
Departures:
There were a few team departures that happened this summer. Lets go over them:
Defenseman:
Filip Král- Král left Wilkes-Barre to head overseas to HC Kometa Brno in Czechia
Mac Hollowell- Hollowell headed overseas to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL
Dan Renouf- Renouf hit the overseas market and ended up with Adler Mannheim in the DEL
Mats Lindgren- After spending the season back and forth between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Wheeling, Lindgren headed off on a new AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors.
Justin Lee- After spending the season with an injury, Lee decided to test the overseas market and signed with HC Banska Bystrica of Slovakia
Colton Poolman- After a trade and injury, Poolman looked into going overseas as a way to continue his career, it was announced last week that Poolman signed with the Glasgow Clan of the EIHL.
Photo Credit: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Phip Waugh- The young defenseman, who spent a majority of the 2024-2025 season with the Wheeling Nailers, is currently participating in the Florida Panthers NHL camp.
Jack Beck- After signing an extension in April of this year for Wilkes-Barre, it was announced that Beck would return to the college ranks and play for Arizona State University of the NCAA.
Forwards:
Boris Katchouk- Left the Penguins organization after spending nearly the entire season with Wilkes-Barre and earned an NHL contract with the Tampa Bay Lightening.
Mathias Laferrière- Headed overseas to HK Spisska Nova Ves in Slovakia
Emil Bemström- After a great season and a few call ups to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Bemström hit the overseas market and landed with SC Bern of the NL in Switzerland.
Overview Of Players:
As the NHL camp makes cuts, players will be assigned to their respective Junior teams and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Forwards that could be assigned are as follows: Zach Urdahl, Aaron Huglen, Nolan Renwick, Raivis Ansons, Brayden Edwards, Aidan McDonough, Zach Gallant, Mathieu De St.Phalle, Atley Calvert, and Max Graham.
Defensemen that could be assigned are as follows: Tommy Budnick, David Breazeale, and Brent Johnson
Some of these players may be assigned to the Wheeling Nailers as cuts happen after pre-season games in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Overview of Goaltending:
Photo Credit: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Goaltending is of priority in the Pittsburgh Organization, and specifically at the developmental levels of the AHL and ECHL. Taylor Gauthier was re-signed earlier this summer, but was recently announced to be out with injury, which is not great news after the Goaltender regained confidence after being out in the beginning of the season with injury last year. Maxim Pavlenko was signed to an AHL contract and could see some time in Wheeling with Jaxon Castor. The Goaltending for Wilkes-Barre is going to be in the air until Pittsburgh makes their cuts and re-assigns to Wilkes. Murashov, Blomqvist, Silovs, and Larsson could all see time in Wilkes this upcoming season.
- Samantha Wismer/Olde City Sports Network
- Photo Credit: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
