The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke to his junior team, the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League, on Wednesday.
Brunicke, 19, appeared in nine NHL games this season and scored one goal while averaging 15:43 of ice time. He was predominantly deployed on the third pairing.
A right-handed shot, Brunicke had not skated in an NHL contest since Nov. 3. Per league rules, junior-eligible Brunicke can play in up to nine NHL games before the first year of his entry-level contract is formally tolled.
Since that most recent NHL appearance, Brunicke was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) for conditioning purposes on Nov. 24. In five AHL games, he recorded four assists during that two-week assignment.
Junior-eligible players are eligible for conditioning assignments to a minor league affiliate but not a full-time assignment.
Most recently, Brunicke (6-foot-3, 201 pounds) won bronze while skating for Hockey Canada in the recently completed International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Championship. In seven games over the tournament, Brunicke recorded two assists.
A second-round draft pick (No. 44 overall) in 2024, the-right-handed Brunicke is considered one of the organization’s top prospects.
Last season, Brunicke appeared in 41 games for Kamloops and scored 30 points (five goals, 25 assists).