Saturday marked the return for one of the Pittsburgh Penguins' top forward prospects.
And - suffice to say - he did not disappoint.
Forward Rutger McGroarty - playing in his first AHL game of the 2025-26 season - registered a goal en route to a 3-1 victory for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins over the Springfield Thunderbirds. The 21-year-old forward had been out since the beginning of training camp with an upper-body injury.
Raivis Ansons and Boko Imama also scored for the Penguins, and goaltender Joel Blomqvist - also playing in his first game this season after suffering a lower-body injury during training camp - earned the win in a 23-save effort.
It was an adventure of a game for McGroarty, who impressed the NHL club in a brief five-game stint at the end of last season - when he put up a goal and three points in five games - before an injury ended his season prematurely. In his first period back in action since the spring, he fell victim to friendly fire, as his first-line center, Tristan Broz, struck him in the face with a puck on a clearing attempt.
McGroarty went to the locker room and did not return until the second period. And on his first shift back - and just 66 seconds into the period - he powered around a defender and across the net-front, beating Springfield goaltender Georgii Romanov five-hole for his first goal of the season and putting the Penguins up, 3-0.
"He played great, especially for his first game," WBS head coach Kirk MacDonald told reporters after the game. "Could have easily had a couple goals. But I thought, for not having any training camp - everybody else is two to three months into the season - to jump in there the way he did, I thought he was outstanding.
"Not surprised, but we're definitely happy about it."
Imama - who scored the game's second tally - also dropped the gloves with Springfield forward Kale Kessy prior to his deflection goal in the first period.
WBS defeated the Bridgeport Islanders, 5-3, on Friday, and they currently sit atop the Atlantic Division at 12-3-1 with 25 points. They will look to continue their momentum in a back-to-back set next weekend against the Hartford Wolf Pack and Providence Bruins - who sit just one point behind them in the standings with three games in hand.
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