PENGUINS WEEKLY – 1/6/26
Penguins head to North Carolina for pair of pivotal games
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (22-9-1-2) will take on Charlotte twice at The Biscuit
Weekly Rewind
Tuesday, Dec. 30 – PENGUINS 2 vs. Charlotte 6
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s last game of 2025 and last of eight December home games ended in a lopsided loss to Charlotte. The Checkers scored twice in quick succession midway through the opening frame, then did the same to take a 4-0 lead in the second period. Aaron Huglen put the Penguins on the board, scoring in his return from injury, but Charlotte scored with 16 seconds left in the second period and 51 seconds into the third. Joona Koppanen notched the Penguins’ other goal to round out the night’s scoring.
Saturday, Jan. 3 – PENGUINS 0 at Syracuse 6
To start the New Year, the Penguins were shut-out for the first time this season. The Crunch blitzed the Penguins with five goals in the first period. Boko Imama and Max Graham both dropped the gloves for spirited fights during the middle frame, and Nolan Renwick had his first AHL fight in the third period. Both Graham and Brayden Edwards made their AHL debuts.
The Week Ahead
Friday, Jan. 9 – PENGUINS at Charlotte
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Charlotte go head-to-head in back-to-back games in the Queen City. The Checkers have the edge in the season series, three wins to two. However, the visiting team has won each of the five previous meetings between these two clubs.
Saturday, Jan. 10 – PENGUINS at Charlotte
The second of the Penguins’ two tilts at Bojangles’ Coliseum kicks off one hour sooner at 6:00 p.m. Under head coach Kirk MacDonald, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 23-7-3-2 (.729) in the second game of back-to-backs. Meanwhile, the Checkers have lost two in a row after stringing together an impressive four-game win streak. Charlotte forward Nolan Foote is on a six-game point streak, with eight points (3G-5A) in that time.
Ice Chips
– Today is Rafaël Harvey-Pinard’s 27th birthday.
– Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is now 13-11-1-1 (.538) in the first game of a New Year.
– The Penguins have used 41 different players this season, tied for the second-most in the entire AHL.
– Joona Koppanen has nine points (4G-5A) in his last nine games.
– Saturday’s visit to Syracuse marked the first time the Penguins allowed 5+ goals in a single period since Mar. 24, 2021 vs. Syracuse.
DIVISION STANDINGS
TEAM LEADERS
UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME
Fri, Jan. 9 Charlotte Bojangles’ Coliseum 7:00 p.m.
Sat, Jan. 10 Charlotte Bojangles’ Coliseum 6:00 p.m.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
DATE PLAYER TRANSACTION
Tue, Dec. 30 (LW) Max Graham Recalled from WHL
Wed, Dec. 31 (D) Brent Johnson Reassigned to WHL
Wed, Dec. 31 (D) Tommy Budnick Reassigned to WHL
Wed, Dec. 31 (RW) William Dufour Released from PTO
Wed, Dec. 31 (D) Ryan Graves Reassigned from PIT
Wed, Dec. 31 (RW) Phil Tomasino Traded by PIT to PHI
Wed, Dec. 31 (D) Egor Zamula Traded to PIT; Assigned by PIT
Thu, Jan. 1 (C) Brayden Edwards Recalled from WHL
Thu, Jan. 1 (LW) Zach Urdahl Recalled from WHL
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