For a second straight year, a Kamloops Blazers product is one of the final NHL cuts before landing back in the Tournament Capital.
Eighteen year old defenceman Harrison Brunicke received news Monday that he would be heading back to the Western Hockey League for another season.
He follows in the footstep’s of Fraser Minten, who went on a similar storybook run last fall with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Brunicke received praise from Pittsburgh brass throughout the preseason, which led to speculation that he might make the Opening Night roster. Instead, the 18-year-old blueliner will be given another year in the WHL to further his long-term development. Once his junior campaign wraps up, Brunicke could be a late-season addition to the Penguin’s roster.
In parts of three seasons with the Kamloops Blazers, Brunicke has appeared in 108 games, posting 14 goals with 15 assists. He has not suited up for the Blazers since February after suffering an injury after a hard hit from Royals forward Alex Edwards.
Brunicke, whom the Penguins selected in the second round (No. 44 overall) of this past NHL Draft, practiced with the club in Cranberry Monday. This summer, he signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Penguins worth $875,000 annually.
Last week, the Blazers named Brunicke an assistant captain for the upcoming season.
Penguin’s Head Coach Mike Sullivan was asked about Brunicke. “We feel like we have a responsibility to all of our players to help them through the development process. And we were we’re so encouraged with the training camp that Harry has had, just just his progression through the course of the camp, his aptitude for picking up some of the things that we were trying to coach him on.”
“You know, this is a guy that we’re really excited about and and feel strongly that he’s going to be an impact play for us. You know, the question is, is, what is in his his best interest for the development of his overall game to to ultimately get him to that, that impact aspect. And so, you know, the hockey operations group felt it was the best decision for him would be to go back to junior and play a significant role on his team.”
Over the preseason, Brunicke appeared in four games, recording one assist with five shots.
