Two Penguins commit to the World Championships and some more headlines are here in Pens Points.
Two Penguins chosen for the World Championships, Dubas wants Penguins to get younger, Wilkes-Barre facing elimination, and a whole lot more can be found below in this Friday edition of Pens Points to help take you into the weekend.
Pens Points…
International hockey returns next month with the start of the IIHF World Championship. The first Penguins representatives were announced today, with Erik Karlsson and Marcus Pettersson playing for Sweden. [KDKA]
One goal Kyle Dubas has for the Penguins is to make the team younger. They are currently one of the oldest teams in the league and a youth movement is badly needed though that can be easier said than done. [Pensburgh]
It could be a short playoff return for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins who are already facing elimination in their best-of-three opening round series. [Pensburgh]
Despite the loss in Game 1, the recently acquired Ville Koivunen made a splash in his debut, scoring the Penguins lone goal in the contest. [The Hockey News]
While everyone was focused on the prospects the Penguins received in return for Jake Guentzel, the most important piece coming back to Pittsburgh might just have been Michael Bunting who figures to be a key player. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole passed away on Thursday at the age of 90. Cole called the game for over five decades and is one of the most recognizable voices of the sport in Canada. [CBC]
Utah has its NHL team now the real work begins for the league’s newest franchise. A successful launch has fans ready to turn Salt Lake City into a hockey hotbed. [NHL]