Hockey season is about to get rolling, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are heading to Detroit with a prospect group that has plenty of buzz. Their team will take part in the annual Prospects Challenge, facing the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars over four days starting Saturday at the BELFOR Training Center inside Little Caesars Arena.
The headliners are hard to miss. Bill Zonnon, the Penguins’ 2025 first-round pick at No. 22 overall, is on the roster, along with 2026 first-rounder Liam Ruck and 2026 second-rounder Markus Ruck, who went 39th overall. Mikhail Ilyin, the Russian forward who came to North America for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins playoff run late last season, is back in the mix too, as is 2024 second-rounder Tanner Howe.
Zonnon, Howe and Ilyin already got their first taste of pro hockey in the back half of last season. Zonnon and Ilyin arrived late in the campaign, while Howe worked back from knee surgery last summer and ended up playing the final 27 games of the season before joining the playoff run.
The Rucks are set to make their first appearance in team activity after attending July’s development camp.
There’s real depth on the blue line as well. Harrison Brunicke is on the roster, and so is college free agent Jake Livanavage, who made his NHL debut in the final game of last season. Chase Pietila is there too, along with 2026 second-rounder Tommy Galvas, 20, giving the Penguins a defense group that could look a lot like an AHL unit this season with some NHL games mixed in.
Belarusian goalie Matvei Nikonovich, a 6-foot-2 netminder and the Penguins’ 2026 fifth-round pick, also made the trip across continents for the event.
The Penguins open against Columbus on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 3 p.m., then face Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m., before finishing against Dallas on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 10:30 a.m.
The roster also includes a long list of players who have already spent time in the pro ranks or produced big numbers elsewhere. Up front, that group includes Atley Calvert, Brayden Edwards, Max Graham, Tanner Howe, Mikhail Ilyin, Daniel Russell, Tiernan Shoudy and Bill Zonnon, along with junior standouts Jordan Charron, Travis Hayes, Pierce Mbuyi, Liam Ruck, Markus Ruck and Carter Sanderson.
On defense, the Penguins have Harrison Brunicke, Tyler Duke, Tomas Galvas, Finn Harding, Benett Kelly, Peyton Kettles, Jake Livanavage, Maleek McGowan, Chase Pietila and Broten Sabo. In goal, Carter Casey joins Nikonovich and Xavier Wendt.
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Crosby said he feels good right now, which matters for a player whose future has long been tied to how long he wants to keep playing, not just what the Penguins want to offer. He also made clear he is not in a hurry to force the issue, leaving Pittsburgh with the larger question every fan is already asking: how much longer will the franchise cornerstone actually keep skating in black and gold? [Read more 🡒]