The Penguins recently called up prospects Owen Pickering and Vasily Ponomarev. What impact can they have on the NHL lineup? On Monday, Team Canada announced 32 invitees to its World Junior Championship camp, with two Pittsburgh Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/] prospects, Tanner Howe and Harrison Brunicke, receiving the call. If they crack the lineup, Brunicke, 18, and Howe, 19, would make their U20 World Junior debuts. They have only represented their home country at the U18 level. Both players play in the Western Hockey League [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/], where Brunicke is an alternate captain with the Kamloops Blazers, and Howe started the year with the Regina Pats but now plays with the Calgary Hitmen. Moreover, both prospects were 2024 draft picks for the Penguins; Brunicke went 44th overall and Howe 46th. Unfortunately, the media overshadowed the announcement of Team Canada invitees, raising questions about which other high-profile NHL prospects would not be in attendance. However, Brunicke (12 points in 15 games) and Howe (15 points in 14 games) both prospects have earned their shot at wearing the Maple Leaf and have a good chance of skating the World Junior Championships [https://thehockeynews.com/tag/world-junior-championship], which begins on Dec. 26 in Ottawa. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEwNjYwNDIwMDI3OTUwOTI5/thnpitbanner.png]
