Prospects Of The Week
Tristan Broz Returns From Injury, Closes Out Regular Season With Five Points In Two Games
Tristan Broz returned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton lineup after missing nearly six weeks due to injury and closed out the AHL regular season with two goals and five points in two games over the weekend. The 2021 second round pick scored the fourth Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goal in a 4-1 win over the Bridgeport Islanders after tacking on a secondary assist on the third on Friday, and scored another goal and recorded two primary assists in a lopsided 8-0 win over the Rochester Americans on Saturday.
Broz finished fifth on the team with 39 points in 47 games, improving on 37 points in 59 games as a rookie last season–a 0.63 point per game average to a 0.83 point per game average. A healthy Broz adds another scoring threat to a loaded Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins lineup headed into the 2026 Calder Cup playoffs.
Owen Pickering Caps Strong Sophomore AHL Season With Four-Point Weekend
Owen Pickering closed out the 2025-26 regular season and a strong sophomore campaign in the AHL with four points in two games over the weekend. The 2022 first round pick recorded a primary assist in a 4-1 win over the Bridgeport Islanders on Friday and scored a shorthanded goal and added two assists–one primary and one secondary–in a dominant 8-0 win over the Rochester Americans on Saturday.
Pickering led blueliners on the team with seven goals and 28 points in 68 games–a nice jump on one goal and 13 points in 47 games as a rookie last season. Expect Pickering to push for a spot in Pittsburgh in 2026-27 after anchoring the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton blueline in a (hopefully) long postseason run.
Travis Hayes Scores Game Winner As Soo Greyhounds Avoid Sweep In OHL Playoffs
Travis Hayes only recorded one point for the Soo Greyhounds in a second round series against the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL playoffs, but scored the eventual game winner in Game 4 to help the team avoid a sweep to the top-ranked team in the Western Conference. The 2025 fourth round pick finished with three points in 10 games in the playoffs after finishing sixth on the team with 40 points in 63 games in the regular season.
Down On The Farm
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Close Regular Season With Dominant Win Over Rochester
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fell 5-1 to the Hershey Bears on Wednesday night. Atley Calvert scored the lone Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goal. Chase Pietila and Finn Harding both recorded assists. Sergei Murashov surrendered three goals on 27 shots.
The Penguins beat the Bridgeport Islanders 4-1 on Friday night. Ville Koivunen and Tristan Broz both scored and recorded assists. Harding and Avery Hayes scored the other Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goals. Pietila, Harrison Brunicke, Rutger McGroarty, and Owen Pickering all finished with helpers. Joel Blomqvist stopped 25 shots in the win.
The Penguins closed out the regular season with a lopsided 8-0 win over the Rochester Americans on Saturday night. McGroarty scored twice and added a helper. Rafael Harvey-Pinard scored twice. Calvert, Broz, and Pickering all scored and recorded two assists. Koivunen scored the other Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goal and added a helper. Aidan McDonough and Joona Koppanen both recorded two assists, and Harrison Brunicke finished with a helper. Murashov turned away 27 shots for the shutout win.
Wheeling Nailers Drop Final Two Games Of Regular Season
The Wheeling Nailers lost 5-2 to the Toledo Walleye on Friday night. Mike Posma and Brayden Edwards scored. Max Graham, Craig Armstrong, and Mathieu De St. Phalle all finished with assists. Taylor Gauthier surrendered four goals on 35 shots.
The Nailers lost 4-3 to the Indy Fuel on Saturday. Zach Urdahl, Posma, and Edwards scored. Ryan McAllister, Connor Lockhart, Aidan Sutter, Tiernan Shoudy, Armstrong, and Tristan Thompson all finished with assists. Gabriel D’Aigle stopped 44 shots with the Nailers being outshot 48-23.