Penguins Returning to Prospects Tournament … Sort of

The Pittsburgh Penguins will send a squad of prospects to a pre-training camp tournament for the first time since 2019.

They just won’t be there for very long.

The Penguins’ players will face a similar group from the Boston Bruins Sept. 17 at 3:30 p.m. at LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo.

It will be the Penguins’ only game in the tournament, per an announcement by the team. There was no immediate explanation for their limited participation in the event, which will include teams from Buffalo, Boston, New Jersey, Montreal and Ottawa, all of which are scheduled to play three games.

One possible explanation: Not long after taking over as GM in 2021, Ron Hextall said that he is not a fan of such tournaments, preferring rookie games that allow for more on-ice instruction.

Neither the Penguins’ roster for the game nor information on whether the game will be streamed has been announced.

The cameo appearance against Boston’s prospects will come in the middle of Penguins’ rookie camp, which will be held Sept. 15-20 at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

The first on-ice workouts of the Penguins’ regular training camp will be held two days after the rookie camp ends, although the time for those sessions has not been set.

The Pittsburgh Penguins won the Prospects Challenge in 2019, losing their opener on a goal with 1.9 seconds to go in regulation before winning the two that followed in the four-team event.

The full tournament in Buffalo will run Sept. 15-19.