Penguins

Minor league report: Ville Koivunen leads Penguins past Bears in shootout

Seth Rorabaugh
By Seth Rorabaugh
1 Min Read Jan. 23, 2026 | 4 weeks Ago
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Forward Ville Koivunen scored the lone goal in a shootout and gave the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins a 4-3 win against the rival Hershey Bears at the Giant Center in Hershey on Friday.

Koivunen also had a regulation goal and an assist for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (27-11-2-2) while linemate Rutger McGroarty recorded three assists.

Goaltender Sergei Murashov improved his record to 15-5-0 after stopping 27 of 30 shots in regulation and overtime. He did not allow a goal on three shootout attempts.

Highlights:

Penguins forward Joona Koppanen was scratched due to an undisclosed injury, according to Inside AHL Hockey.

The Penguins’ next game is a home contest against the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday, 6:05 p.m.


Defenseman Brent Johnson and forward Logan Pietila each had a goal and an assist for the Wheeling Nailers in a 3-1 win against the Reading Royals at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling.

Forward Matty De St. Phalle also contributed a goal for Wheeling (26-9-1-0).

Goaltender Taylor Gauthier made 31 saves on 32 shots, boosting his record to 7-2-0.

Highlights:

The Nailers’ next game is a home contest against the Royals on Saturday, 4:10 p.m.

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About the Writers

Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.

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