Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Emil Pieniniemi was promoted to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) from Wheeling of the ECHL on Tuesday.
This transaction comes a little more than one month after the team lifted a suspension of Pieniniemi after he failed to report to Wheeling at the start of the season over a dispute regarding his development plan.
In October, the Penguins took the punitive measure against Pieniniemi, who declined an assignment to Wheeling and instead returned home to his native Finland.
The parties largely remained at an impasse for two months while Pieniniemi practiced with his former team, Karpat of Finland’s Liiga. He did not play in any organized games during the suspension.
By mid-December, the 20-year-old Pieniniemi finally agreed to report to Wheeling and made his ECHL debut on Dec. 31. In 10 games with the Wheeling Nailers, he had four points (two goals, two assists) while largely skating on the left side of the top pairing.
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— Wheeling Nailers (@WheelingNailers) January 11, 2026
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A left-handed shot, Pieniniemi was part of president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas’ first draft class with the Penguins in 2023 as a third-round selection (No. 91 overall).
Pieniniemi is in the first year of a three-year entry-level contract.
In a corresponding transaction, defenseman David Breazeale was assigned from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to Wheeling. Breazeale is signed to an AHL contract.
