Former Penguins forward Thomas Di Pauli has signed with the Krefeld Pinguine (German for “Penguins”) in Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
The league announced his signing via Twitter.
After departing the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent following the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, Di Pauli, 27, did not play for any team at any organized level during the 2020-21 campaign.
Di Pauli’s entire NHL existence to date has been limited to two games and no points with the Penguins during 2019-20.
A fourth-round pick (No. 100 overall) in the 2012 draft by the Washington Capitals, Di Pauli never signed with that organization and instead signed with the Penguins after his NCAA eligibility had expired in 2016. The signing was seen as something of a coup for the Penguins as Di Pauli was a highly sought college free agent at that time.
Any hopes Di Pauli would develop into a regular NHLer never materialized, however, as he spent the bulk of his four seasons with the Penguins with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.
