Recalled Penguins Forward Took Long Road to Reach NHL
Marc Johnstone could make his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins after years of working and earning his way up.
With injuries and lack of production from certain depth players, the Pittsburgh Penguins are on the verge of seeing a third player make their NHL debut in the early stages of this season.
The Penguins made a few transactions prior to their game against the Florida Panthers, and one of them was the recall of forward Marc Johnstone.
This move is Johnstone’s first recall to the NHL level, and at the age of 27, the late bloomer might finally get to see his dream become a reality.
When Kyle Dubas joined the Penguins as president of hockey operations, he brought a few faces with him from the Toronto Maple Leafs team and front office.
Johnstone spent the last two seasons in the Maple Leafs system under Dubas but was never giving the opportunity to play in the NHL.
This recall from the Penguins marks the first time Johnstone will see his name on an NHL roster in regular season action.
Considering the lineup and injury struggles surrounding the Penguins, it seems likely Johnstone will make his NHL debut against the Panthers.
Johnstone took a lengthy road to get where he is and has always been seen as an underdog; he didn’t reach the USHL until he was 19-years-old, played four years of college hockey (two as captain), and earned his way to every professional contract he’s signed.
Writer with The Hockey News and former college hockey player Jonny Lazarus played against Johnstone at multiple levels of their young hockey careers.
Lazarus says that he didn’t know Johnstone too well personally but was always a tough competitor.
“We basically went toe-to-toe at every level,” Lazarus said. “He was a late bloomer and a captain on every team he’s played for. Nobody ever had a bad word to say about him.”
The Penguins are hopeful Johnstone can bring that same leadership and competitive nature to the NHL in black and gold.
Johnstone signed his first NHL contract with the Penguins this past offseason and started the year with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
In 21 games with WBS, Johnstone has recorded two goals and three assists for five points.
A fun note about Johnstone is that during his time with the USHL’s Chicago Steel, he threw out the first pitch at a Chicago White Sox game, but made sure there was some hockey flair to it.
Rather than throw a pitch, he used his hockey stick and shot a perfect pitch right down the middle.
After years of hard work and earning every opportunity along the way, Johnstone could soon see his hard work pay off.
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