Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Saturday.
The team did not announce the transaction but it was reflected on the AHL’s website.
Brunicke, 19, completed his season at the junior level on Wednesday when the Kamloops Blazers were swept out of the first round of the Western Hockey League’s postseason by the Kelowna Rockets.
In 24 regular season games with Kamloops, Brunicke had 24 points (two goals, 22 assists).
Brunicke opened the season on the Penguins’ NHL roster and appeared in nine contests, scored one goal and averaged 15:43 of ice time while predominantly skating on the third pairing.
He also played in five games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while on a conditioning assignment in November and December. During that assignment, he recorded four assists.
Brunicke, a second-round selection (N0. 44 overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft, is in the first year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $875,000 but the first year of that contract can “slide” (i.e., begin) to next season should he not play in any more NHL games this season.