Summer hockey is about to kick off for the Pens
The Penguins open their summer development camp today through July 7th. Prospects will gather at UPMC Lemieux up in Cranberry and get some instruction and the team will be able to gauge progress and see how the future is coming together.
Here’s what to know:
Schedule
Thursday, July 3:
9:00 AM – Goalie On-Ice Session (Covestro Rink)
10:00 AM – Group 1 Skating (FedEx Rink)
11:00 AM – Group 1 Skills (Covestro Rink)
11:00 AM – Group 2 Skating (FedEx Rink)
12:00 PM – Group 2 Skills (Covestro Rink)
12:00 PM – Group 3 Skating (FedEx Rink)
1:00 PM – Group 3 Skills (Covestro Rink)Friday, July 4:
9:00 AM – Goalie On-Ice Session (Covestro Rink)
10:00 AM – Group 2 Skating (FedEx Rink)
11:00 AM – Group 2 Skills (Covestro Rink)
11:00 AM – Group 3 Skating (FedEx Rink)
12:00 PM – Group 3 Skills (Covestro Rink)
12:00 PM – Group 1 Skating (FedEx Rink)
1:00 PM – Group 1 Skills (Covestro Rink)Saturday, July 5:
10:00 AM – Group 3 Skating/Skills (Both Rinks)
11:45 AM – Group 1 Skating/Skills (Both Rinks)
1:30 PM – Group 2 Skating/Skills (Both Rinks)Sunday, July 6:
10:00 AM – Group 1/Group 2 Practice (FedEx Rink)
10:00 AM – Group 3 Skills (Covestro Rink)
10:30 AM – Group 1/Group 3 Practice (FedEx Rink)
10:30 AM – Group 2 Skills (Covestro Rink)
11:20 AM – Group 2/Group 3 Practice (FedEx Rink)
11:20 AM – Group 1 Skills (Covestro Rink)Monday, July 7:
12:00 PM – Tournament (FedEx Rink)
The only thing less fun than participating in hockey practices might be watching hockey practices, and there’s plenty of that early on. The joint practices on Sunday and the annual tournament on Monday are probably the best days to circle for most worthwhile attendance.
2025 Penguins Development Camp Roster
The camp is highlighted by all of the players drafted last weekend. That’s a big deal this time around, the Pens drafted 13 players — including three in the first round and seven within the first 91 picks.
Ben Kindel will be a focus point, at 11th overall he’s the highest draft pick Pittsburgh has made at forward since Jordan Staal. Kindel wasn’t expected to be selected as high as he was so it’ll be an interesting first impression to see if it’s obvious what the Pens liked so much from him.
Down the line, the camp will be important for other new faces as well. Fellow first rounders Bill Zonnon and Will Horcoff are considered developmental players that have a good amount of work and growth in their games needed in the coming years. There’s no better place to start than the relatively low-key NHL summer camp to start learning the ropes from pro coaches and NHL development experts.
Beyond those top picks, the focus will shift to the three defensemen drafted in the second and third rounds; Peyton Kettles, Charlie Trethewey and Brady Peddle. They will be easy to notice since the average size there is about 6’4” and over 200 pounds. Fifth rounder defender Quinn Beachesne is more dynamic as a skater and puck handler than all of those players and figures to look impressive in this setting as well.
How those new defenders stack up compared to teenaged standout Harrison Brunicke will be worth keeping an eye on too. Brunicke will be the measuring stick for a lot of the prospects in this camp, including for Emil Pieniniemi the Finnish import who performed well in the OHL last season and starts his journey to the pros this fall with this summer camp.
Brunicke, 19, isn’t old but is already one of the more experienced players at this camp with 10 games of AHL experience under his belt. Defender Chase Pietila (who played three games with Wilkes and 14 games with Wheeling at the end of last season) is the only other participant of this summer’s camp with an NHL contract that has North American pro game experience under his belt.
Beyond that, there’s some fun first timers in the mix. Mikhail Ilyin. drafted in 2023, has signed his NHL contract and will be participating in his first action on an NHL rink. Melvin Fernstrom, Sweden’s rookie of the year last season, came over in the Marcus Pettersson/Drew O’Connor trade and will show his stuff in a Pens jersey for the first time. Max Graham may be a somewhat forgotten prospect, acquired in the Cody Glass to NJ trade. Graham has great size but is coming off an injury.
One injured forward who won’t be active on the ice is Tanner Howe, rehabbing from ACL surgery. That’s a shame since Howe played on a line in Calgary with Kindel and Oliver Tulk. Tulk, 20, scored 100 points in the WHL last season and is at Pens camp as an undrafted invite. He’s only 5’8” and 176 pounds but his familiarity with Kindel should only help this week.