Penguins Roster Takes Shape With Two Teenagers Earning Spots

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ opening night roster will feature two teenagers.

The Penguins are set to open their season on the road on Tuesday against the New York Rangers. When Pittsburgh takes the ice, so too will defenseman Harrison Brunicke and forward Ben Kindel, who will be making their NHL debuts.

Brunicke, 19, a second-round draft pick in 2024, has skated in four preseason games. Kindel, 18, meanwhile, was picked 11th overall in June. He has one goal and two assists in six preseason games.

Coach Dan Muse explained what the rookies did to earn the jobs.

“I’m excited for both of them,” Muse said to the media on Monday, via TribLive. “They earned them. This wasn’t something that they came in (when) we started training camp or went through the summer saying these guys are going to be in (the lineup). Those two players were given an opportunity and along the way, they earned new opportunities. Through those new opportunities, they’re here today.

“It was multiple steps that they had to go through to get to this point. There was points in (the preseason) where we’re purposely putting them in those hard situations to see how they handle them. And they handled them well. Now, we’re going into tomorrow and both guys earned the right to be there in that opening night lineup.”

Although Brunicke and Kindel made the roster, both are eligible to skate in nine pro games before the first year of their entry-level contracts officially kicks in. So, the pair will need to prove they can be full-time NHL players quickly if they are going to remain on the Penguins roster all season.

Pittsburgh’s home opener is set for Thursday against the New York Islanders.

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