Kirk MacDonald’s second season as head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins has been a challenge.
Successful? Most certainly. Entering Friday, the Penguins had the third-most points (31) in the 32-team American Hockey League (AHL) with a 15-5-1-9 record.
But those triumphs have been achieved with a lineup that is constantly in flux.
To be certain, minor league affiliates typically deal with plenty of comings and goings as their parent clubs recall players to fill holes in their lineup.
But with the Pittsburgh Penguins dealing with more injuries than an emergency room on Thanksgiving morning, they have had to tap into their reserves early and often this season. As a result, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have dressed 35 different players nearly two months into the 2025-26 campaign.
Within the AHL, only the Abbotsford Canucks (39) and Hershey Bears (36) have deployed more bodies.
Having spent nine seasons in the ECHL with the Reading Royals, MacDonald isn’t fazed by having to get used to so many names.
“You spent eight years in the ‘Coast’ (ECHL), that’s just another day,” MacDonald quipped. “From a coaching standpoint, you just roll with the punches. We’ve just kind of plugged and play. Whoever we’ve got, we’re going to run with. Guys are going to get opportunities. The one thing guys recognize is if they play well, there is an opportunity to go up (to the NHL club). A lot of guys have gotten opportunities so far this year.
“It’s the (AHL), it’s going to be a rotating lineup just based on call-ups.”
In total, the NHL Penguins have summoned 10 different players from their AHL club. And there have been plenty of different scenarios for those players.
Veterans such as forward Danton Heinen and defensemen Ryan Graves were at low points of their professional careers after clearing waivers and rebuilt confidence with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before returning to the NHL club.
Others, such as prospects like forward Tristan Broz and goaltender Sergei Murashov, simply played well and were recalled when injuries created opportunities.
“The guys that are coming up, they’re ready to play,” Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “They’re in good position to jump into the lineup and execute a role. They’ve been doing that while, at the same time, winning games. And they’ve been winning with, it seems like, just a different lineup just about every night.”
MacDonald credits Muse — in his first year as an NHL head coach — as having a role in his team’s success.
“Philosophically, I think (Muse) and I see the game really similarly,” MacDonald said. “He’s been awesome at keeping in touch. We talk probably once a week since he got the job. We had our coaches meetings early in September before (training) camp started. It allowed us to hit the ground running.
“Everybody is really on the same page. Camp was awesome. It felt like when we started (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s) training camp, it wasn’t really the start of camp because we just rolled in to what we were doing previously when the guys were in (Pittsburgh’s camp). It really made for a seamless transition, and I think it had a big reason for our good start this (season).”
That start has been successful in terms of high numbers of wins and promotions.
“Winning and development are not exclusive,’ MacDonald said. “If you’re developing players at our level and getting better and preparing them for the NHL. Usually, the results take care of themselves. We are really aligned on a lot of things, how we see the game. It makes it a lot easier for us. They just go up. It’s kind of plug and play. Those guys that can go up, all they have to worry about is just playing the game.
“Hopefully, every guy here gets an opportunity. We want everybody here to hopefully move on because that means we’re doing the right job.”
MacDonald touched on a number of topics in a phone interview on Thursday.
• In addition to Graves and Heinen — the latter has since returned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton — forward Philip Tomasino is another veteran who went through waivers and was assigned to the AHL affiliate. So far, his time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has been prolific as he has six points (one goal, five assists) and, surprisingly, 21 penalty minutes in only three games.
MacDonald embraces the challenge of helping them reset professionally.
“(Graves), came down here, he got a ton of puck touches that he might not have gotten at the NHL level, running our power play, that kind of stuff,” MacDonald said. “Help him feel good again. (Heinen) has gotten a ton of touches down here that he might not otherwise get in the NHL. Same with (Tomasino).
“I don’t care who it is. If we see a guy go back up and have success, we’re pumped for him. That’s our job. We’re trying to win hockey games and develop guys. I don’t care what age they are. We’re trying to help them get better and make the most out of their careers.”
• Another lineup problem MacDonald has had to deal with is a marvelous quandary to have as he has promising goaltending prospects such as Joel Blomqvist and Murashov as well as sturdy veteran Filip Larsson at his disposal.
Larsson, who was one of the AHL’s leaders in shutouts last season with five, has taken a “back seat” to Blomqvist and Murashov, who are duking it out for playing time.
“(Blomqvist) and Sergei, it’s a battle right now,” MacDonald said. “(Blomqvist) came back from (a preseason) injury, he’s been outstanding. … They’ve both been outstanding. If they keep playing like this, it’s easy. Just keep alternating. If somebody grabs the ball, maybe it changes. But both are super competitive guys. They’re both outstanding goaltenders. They’re both 1A (goaltenders) at this level.
“To me, the decision is pretty easy. Just keep rolling with both of them.”
• Defenseman Harrison Brunicke is currently stationed with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a two-week conditioning assignment. One of the organization’s top prospects, Brunicke has two assists in three AHL games after being a frequent healthy scratch with the NHL club.
“He’s kind of been in a tough spot just in the sense he sat and didn’t play for a few weeks when he got to us,” MacDonald said. “The first game, I thought he was a little rusty. Those game-like habits, where there’s not much practice time in the NHL, so he’s kind of just doing a lot of video. (During a 6-2 road loss to the Bears on Nov. 29), our team wasn’t great but he was our best defenseman. He had a great assist on our second goal.
KLASSER ???? pic.twitter.com/sGfs7olhll
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) November 30, 2025
“Him realizing how good of a skater he is defending the rush, the more he does it — he can skate forwards and kill plays really early — the more he’s going to realize he’s going to have the puck and not have to play in the (defensive) zone. The progression over the three games was great to see. He had a really good week of practice here. I have no doubt that he’s going to get even better this weekend over these next two games.”
• Another leading defensive prospect, Owen Pickering, has been with the AHL Penguins after an underwhelming four-game stint with the NHL Penguins in late October and early November. MacDonald is preaching patience with the development of the player the organization selected in the first round (No. 21 overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
“(Pickering) is doing a great job for us,” MacDonald said. “A second-year pro, he just has to continue to get physically stronger. But he’s doing a lot of good things. He’s getting some more minutes and maybe more offensive situations this (season) that he’s earned. But he’s still defending well. Every guy’s path is different and nobody is the same. He’s doing a lot of good things to continue progressing and knocking on the door to get another opportunity.
“(Pickering) had been awesome for us. He’s big, long. He’s willing to learn. He competes every day he’s on the ice. It’s part of the process. He goes up. Whether it’s good or not, guys come back. Now, he’s back here. He’s going to learn from an experience in Pittsburgh and he’s going to continue to get better here for when the next (recall) comes. He’s doing a great job embracing where he is and not worry about that kind of stuff and just focusing on the day-to-day of trying to get better.”
• Forward Avery Hayes turned some heads during a productive NHL preseason in which he generated three points (one goal, two assists) in four games. After earning an NHL contract as an undrafted free agent last season, big things were expected of Hayes entering this season. But an undisclosed injury sidelined him for six games in November and stunted his 2025-26 season to a degree.
“Offense, the puck hasn’t dropped for him but I don’t think he’s playing bad,” MacDonald said. “You know what you’re getting from the kid every day and that’s a really solid effort. He competes his (butt) off. He’s super reliable. You love having him on the team. A little bit of a setback with the injury but he’s creating. It would be one thing if he wasn’t in the (offensive) zone and getting chances. But he’s creating a lot of offense.
“It’s a long season. There’s going to be stretches where pucks don’t’ fall for you but his details are very good. Guys like that, they’ve just got to keep working and the opportunity is going to come.”
• Broz made his NHL debut late last month after being recalled to Pittsburgh for the first time. A second-round draft pick (No. 58 overall) in 2021, Broz — who was sent back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday — has improved his defensive work.
“(Broz) is continuing to get better,” MacDonald said. “He only really started playing center at (the University of Denver) his last year (2023-24), the second half of that year. Last (season) was his first full season playing the position and he’s continued to build on that. He’s been doing a great job for us. A great penalty killer, power-play guy as well.
“He’s somebody for us that we look at the last minute of the game — whether we’re winning or losing — he’s going to be on the ice. That speaks a lot for him. If he wants to stick at that next level, he’s got to be able to play on both sides of the puck, especially defend well. He’s a guy that we definitely lean on late in games with a lead. We’ve been in those situations a lot this year and he’s done a great job for us. He’s only going to continue to get better. He works his tail off. That was a first opportunity for him. Hopefully, there’s many more and an opportunity to stick.”
• Forward Sam Poulin, who was a first-round draft pick (No. 21 overall) in 2019, and forward Valtteri Puustinen have been in the organization for several seasons and have gotten sporadic recalls to the NHL club. But neither has gained sufficient traction at that level and are still with the AHL club.
Both have been productive this season and are still trying to find a way back to the NHL on a full-time basis.
Poulin had a brief two-game stint in the NHL following a recall last month. He is Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s top scorer with 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 19 games.
“Sammy’s been great,” MacDonald said. “Kind of a jack of all trades for us. We can play him anywhere in the lineup, anywhere on the power play. He’s one of our top penalty killers.”
Puustinen is fourth on the team with 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 16 games.
“(Puustinen) has played really well too,” Puustinen said. “He maybe gets lost in that shuffle of what the outside talk is about. But he’s (almost) a point of game. He’s competed really hard. He’s been better for us this year than last. He’s been really good. He’s worked his way in here and there on the penalty kill. Five on five, he’s competed really hard. He’s a stalwart (on the power play) for us. He’s done a lot for us this year.”
Both players are in the final years of their contracts and have been through waivers a handful of times. How do they remain motivated in chasing a future that might happen (at least with the NHL Penguins)?
“The opportunity is here,” MacDonald said. “Also, there’s 31 other teams watching you every night. That gets lost sometimes, on guys. You go out and compete. Eventually, if you do the right things, you’re going to get an opportunity. Guys just got to keep working and understand that.”
• Defenseman Phil Kemp was named captain of the team Nov. 22. Management (president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and assistant general manager Jason Spezza) had final say on that appointment but discussions were held from seemingly every corner of the AHL club’s domain in selecting Kemp.
“Players have input,” MacDonald said. “We didn’t have a vote but we’re definitely canvassing the group. The trainers have input. The equipment guys and trainers see much more stuff than I do. You’ve got to lean on those guys. The assistant coaches, (goaltending coach Kain Tisi), everybody had input for us to get to this decision. Management has final say but there was a lot of input.”
The 26-year-old Kemp, a veteran of six professional seasons, largely fits the bill of what is wanted in that role.
“(Kemp’s) demeanor within the room, the way we want to play and from an energy standpoint, he brings it,” MacDonald said. “Now, he’s not the most offensive guy in the world but the compete and the tenacity with which he plays is what we want our group to be about. And he does a great job in the room, bringing guys along in that. Sometimes, you just know. He was a really good fit and we thought it was a time to make a decision.”
• As for MacDonald, he’s in a position that tends to lead to the NHL.
The likes of Michel Therrien, Todd Richards, Dan Bylsma, Todd Reirden, John Hynes and Mike Sullivan have been Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s head coach and graduated to the NHL. MacDonald isn’t oblivious to that history. But he’s not dwelling on it either.
“Anybody who’s in the (AHL) and says their goal isn’t eventually find a way to the NHL — playing, coaching, training, equipment staff — is lying or they shouldn’t be in this job,” MacDonald said. “That being said, I think you’ve got to be a big believer in just focusing on the task at hand and the team you’ve got. That stuff is out of my control.
Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery, who won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach last season, offered some advice to MacDonald about his own journey as a coach, which started with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays.
“Earlier in my career, when I was in the (ECHL) and you’re dying to get out of there, you get consumed by trying to leave and you stop focusing on what you should be doing as a coach,” MacDonald said. “It gets you into trouble and it got me into trouble. That was a lesson learned early. (Carbery) told me that when we were chatting one offseason and it definitely stuck. Just focus on what you’re doing as a coach, focus on the team. The other stuff is kind of out of your control.
“Honestly, I couldn’t ask for a better place to land,” MacDonald said. “I know those guys in the past that have been here. But nobody’s path is the same, playing or coaching. I’m not too concerned. I just try to show up every day and help the guys get better and win games. Practice what you preach and tell the players to focus on yourself and worry about what’s going on here and not worry about outside stuff.”