Tanner Howe’s path to the Pittsburgh Penguins has been anything but smooth, but the 20-year-old winger finally got a real run last season after months of rehab and waiting.
Howe, the Penguins’ second-round pick in the 2024 Draft, arrived with plenty of promise. He had already built a strong junior résumé, including a 36-goal, 85-point season with the Regina Pats and a spot on Team Canada for the 2025 World Junior Championship. He was also a former linemate of Connor Bedard in Regina, the kind of background that put him on the radar as a player with top-level upside.
Then the injuries hit. A shoulder injury wiped out much of the 2024-25 season, and a torn ACL in the 2025 WHL playoffs cost him most of the 2025-26 season.
Howe turned pro last season and spent his rehab time with the Penguins organization before getting back on the ice late in the year. He played 27 regular-season games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, finishing with eight goals and eight assists. In 14 playoff games, he added five points and piled up 30 penalty minutes, including 20 from misconduct penalties in some of the more chaotic WBS playoff games.
Speaking with Pittsburgh Hockey Now, Howe said the first half of the season was especially tough because he had to watch from the stands while his team played. Still, he said the organization made the right call by taking time with his knee.
“Yeah, I’d say it’s pretty challenging. At the start, it’s tough sitting in the rafters every game for the first half, watching your team play.
And obviously, you want to get out there, but you know us and the Pit organization trainers wanted my knee to be healthy, and we took some time and made sure it was good. And I’m glad we did that because when I came back, I felt strong, and, you know, I felt great out there.
It was a fun year.”
His first pro game carried a jolt of relief and excitement after so much time away.
“Yeah, it was … it felt awesome. You know, a little bit of nerves leading up to it, but it was good to finally get out there and play my first pro game. So it was pretty cool.”
Howe said his family was following along closely, too.
“Yeah, definitely. All my family just watched it and stuff. Just a super cool day.”
This summer has brought a different kind of work for Howe. For the first time in a while, he’s able to train without being slowed by injury, and he knows how important that is after two lost summers.
“Yeah, I think the last two summers I’ve been injured for a good chunk of them. So this is a really big summer for myself, and I’m seeing a pace in pro hockey, and what I can do to get to the next level is huge. I’ve gone into this summer with a lot of motivation and getting better, and so yeah, it’s a big summer.”
He also understands the size of the jump from junior hockey to the AHL. For Howe, the biggest difference isn’t the style so much as the bodies on the other side.
“Yeah, I think it’s obviously a big jump. It’s really cliché, but guys are bigger and stronger.
I think that’s the biggest thing. I think, you know, the CHL, the WHL, or whatever, has a pretty similar play style, and (the WHL), it’s a hardworking league.
I think I’m kind of used to that, and that’s kind of the game I like to play. So it wasn’t a big change that way, but I think you’re going against guys that are 10 years older than you or whatnot.
So I think that’s kind of the biggest change.”
Physicality has always been part of his game, and Howe doesn’t sound interested in backing away from it now.
“Yeah, I think throughout junior, it has always been a part of my game, and I think that makes me the player I am, and I don’t ever want to shy away from that. But you know, obviously, your first year, you’re not scared, but you don’t want to pick on the wrong guy. I like that side of the game, and I think it’s fun, and it kind of gets you in the game, so yeah…”
Asked about the adjustment without Boko Imama around to answer the bell, Howe laughed and said, “(Laugh) Exactly. Yeah, you won’t have Boko to go back you up.”
Even after finally getting back into game action, Howe doesn’t feel like he’s close to finished developing. He said the first 15 to 20 games were mostly about getting his legs back under him after not playing for eight months, but he felt much more like himself by the playoffs.
“I think you know I still have a lot to give. I think obviously coming off not playing for eight months, or whatever it was, is especially tough.
And I think it took kind of the first, you know, 15 to 20 games to kind of get my legs under me and just figure things out again. But going into playoffs, I felt really good.
I felt like myself. It was obviously a lot more, but it’s fun to be myself again, playing the game that I love.”
For the coming season, Howe isn’t chasing a stat line. He’s focused on consistency and daily growth, with the NHL still sitting there as the long-term target.
“Not statistics. I think just being better, being really consistent, and getting better each and every day.
And I think if I do that, eventually I can, hopefully, make it to the NHL. And you know, obviously, obviously that’s the main goal.”
The Penguins have stayed in contact with him through the injury recovery and into this summer, and Howe said one of the biggest areas they’ve pointed to is foot speed.
“Yeah, I think I want to work on my foot speed. I think that’s a big thing.
You know, the NHL is a fast, fast-paced game, and guys are getting faster. So if I work on that and improve that, I think that’ll help a lot, and I think the biggest thing is just to keep my work ethic up.”
As for life in Wilkes-Barre, Howe said living with teammates made the transition easier. He shared a house with Owen Pickering, Atley Calvert, and Zack Gallant.
“(Laugh). Not a … not a ton, to be honest.
I lived in the house with three other guys, so that made it a lot better. But yeah, I couldn’t tell you what guys did when they were living alone … For sure, I lived with Owen Pickering, Atley Calvert, and Zack Gallant.
So, it was a fun house.”
In Other News...
Tristan Broz Faces A Tough Penguins Reality He Cant Control
Tristan Broz has already shown enough in the AHL to keep his name in the Penguins conversation, but his path to a steady NHL role has been anything but smooth. Injuries have interrupted his momentum, and with Pittsburgh already having depth at center, every missed stretch has made it harder for the young forward to turn a debut into something more permanent.
The latest wrinkle is Tommy Novaks arrival, which only tightens the competition for ice time down the middle. For Broz, the challenge is no longer just about proving he can play at the NHL level. It is about staying healthy long enough to force the Penguins to make room for him, and right now that part of the equation is still out of his control. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Veterans Could Be Playing For Their Pittsburgh Future
The Penguins are heading into camp with a familiar tension hanging over the roster: a strong season behind them, but not much offseason change to build on it. With the core getting older and new ownership focused on long-term success, this fall feels less like a victory lap and more like a proving ground for veterans who still matter to the teams present, but may not fit neatly into its future plans.
That puts a spotlight on names such as Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin, along with newer additions Samuel Girard, Justin Brazeau and Andrei Kuzmenko, as the front office weighs what comes next. Pittsburgh also has significant cap space available next offseason, which gives the club room to keep pieces in place or pivot if the season points it in another direction. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Dubas Has Created A Penguins Camp Battle Fans Will Watch
A packed camp and a shortened preseason have turned the Penguins roster fight into one of the more interesting early storylines around the team, especially for younger forwards trying to break through. Justin Brazeau is part of that mix after a breakout season that saw him score 18 goals and 36 points, yet he still enters this stretch without a clear place to stand on the NHL roster.
Kyle Dubas has kept the board moving with a series of veteran and youth-related decisions, which has only made the picture messier for the players hoping to carve out room. The recent addition of Andrei Kuzmenko did not exactly open the door for the younger group, either, leaving names like Elmer Soderblom, Rutger McGroarty, Hendrix Lapierre, Avery Hayes and Nick Robertson all fighting for attention while the Penguins also face a trade market that looks unlikely to deliver a major fix. [Read more 🡒]