The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (sometimes known as the WBS Penguins) are a professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

team based in

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( , alternatively or ) is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It ...

. They are the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

(AHL) affiliate of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...

. They play at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania. They have won the

Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy The Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy is presented annually to the AHL team that finishes the regular season with the most points or highest points percentage. The award is named after late former AHL board member Macgregor Kilpatrick. The award was f ...

twice for having the best record in the regular season.

History

The

' top minor league affiliate throughout the 1990s was the

Cleveland Lumberjacks The Cleveland Lumberjacks were an International Hockey League (IHL) team based in Cleveland, Ohio. Facts :Owner: Larry Gordon :Logo design: "Buzz"- A beaver wearing overalls holding a homemade hockey stick framed by a circular saw blade :Divis ...

of the IHL. However, in the mid-1990s, the IHL began moving away from being a developmental league and more towards being an independent minor league. For this reason, the Penguins wanted their top minor league affiliate in the AHL. The Penguins purchased the dormant

Cornwall Aces The Cornwall Aces were the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's Quebec Nordiques from 1993 to 1995 and the relocated Colorado Avalanche in 1995–96. They were based in the eastern Ontario city of Cornwall and p ...

AHL franchise from the

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...

in 1996, but left the team inactive until the 1999–2000 season due to construction delays at their intended home–a new arena in Wilkes-Barre Township. The team is affectionately referred to as the "Baby Penguins" by fans. Their mascot is Tux the penguin, who wears number No. 99 in reference to the team's first season, in 1999. The Penguins have gone to the

Calder Cup The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League (AHL). It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In it ...

final three times but have never won the

championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...

. The team went all the way to the finals in their second season, losing to the

Saint John Flames The Saint John Flames were a Canadian ice hockey team in the American Hockey League from 1993 to 2003 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The Calgary Flames bought and relocated the Utica Devils, to be their AHL affiliate. History The Saint ...

in six games. The Penguins returned to the finals in their fifth season, but were swept by the

Milwaukee Admirals The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team based in Milwaukee. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Nashville Predators. They play their homes games at the UW–Milwaukee Panther ...

. They most recently made it to the finals in

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

by way of beating the

Portland Pirates The Portland Pirates were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). Their home arena was the Cross Insurance Arena in downtown Portland, Maine. The franchise was previously known as the Baltimore Skipjacks ...

in a seven-game series in the Eastern Conference finals. They went on to play the

Chicago Wolves The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team based in Rosemont, Illinois. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena ...

in the final, but lost the series in six games. The WBS Penguins won the

for the best finish in the regular season, in 2011, with 117 points. Goaltender

Brad Thiessen Brad Thiessen (born March 19, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played briefly in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thiessen played three seasons in the British Columbia Hockey League ...

was named the recipient of the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award, an award given to the AHL's most outstanding goaltender for each season. He posted a record of 35–8–1 in 46 appearances, along with a 1.94 goals-against-average and a .922 save percentage. Head coach John Hynes won the

Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award The Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award is an American Hockey League (AHL) trophy awarded annually to the most outstanding coach during the season, as voted upon by members of the AHL media. The award is named for Louis Pieri, a long-time contributor ...

, awarded to the most outstanding AHL coach of the season. Despite the best regular season finish in team history, the Penguins were eliminated in the second round of the 2011 playoffs by the

Charlotte Checkers The Charlotte Checkers are a professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affiliate of the ...

in six games. The Penguins have made the playoffs in all but four seasons of their existence. The Penguins held a playoff streak of 16 seasons from the 2002–03 season to the 2017–18 season. Prior to the 2009–10 season, they held the inaugural Penguins Black and Gold Game, an intra-squad game which featured members of the Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and was the first ever head-to-head meeting between

Sidney Crosby Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and Captain (ice hockey), captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubb ...

and

Evgeni Malkin Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin ( rus, Евге́ний Влади́мирович Ма́лкин, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ˈmalkʲɪn; born 31 July 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and alternate captain (ice hockey ...

. The game was a complete sellout and tickets never reached the general public. The Penguins organization held its second Black and Gold Game prior to the 2010–11 season on September 19, 2010. In 2009, they also spawned an affiliated youth level organization, the Wilkes-Barre Junior Pens. The team is based out of the Ice Rink at Coal Street Park, which also serves as a practice facility for the Penguins. The Penguins' biggest rivals had been the

Philadelphia Phantoms The Philadelphia Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1996 to 2009. The club was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played most of its home games at the Spectrum (arena), Spectrum ...

, the AHL affiliate of Pennsylvania's other NHL team, the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

. After that team moved to

Glens Falls, New York Glens Falls is a City (New York), city in Warren County, New York, Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls, New York metropolitan area, Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,83 ...

, (as the

Adirondack Phantoms The Adirondack Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL), who began play in the 2009–10 AHL season. The Phantoms were based in Glens Falls, New York, playing home games at the Glens Falls Civic Center and ...

) the

Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Bears have played in the American Hockey League (AHL) since the 1938–39 season, making it the longest continuously operating member club of the league still ...

, also located in Pennsylvania, became the major rivals of the Penguins (they are currently the AHL affiliate of another rival of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...

). In 2014, the Adirondack Phantoms relocated back to eastern Pennsylvania as the

Lehigh Valley Phantoms The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are a professional ice hockey team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The team competes in the American Hockey League (AHL) and serves as the primary development team for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey Le ...

Season-by-season results

''Won

for the best record in the regular season''
''Round not held''

Players

Current roster

Updated April 26, 2025.

Team captains

Notable alumni

''Players listed have played at least 100 games with the Penguins and 100 games in the NHL.''

Team records

;Single season :Goals: Chris Minard, 34 (2008–09) :Assists: Jeff Taffe and

Janne Pesonen Janne Tapani Pesonen (born 11 May 1982) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey winger who played for Oulun Kärpät of the Finnish Liiga. Playing career Pesonen began his career with Hokki in 1998, playing in the second-highest division ...

, 50 (2008–09) :Points: Janne Pesonen, 82 (2008–09) :Penalty minutes: Dennis Bonvie, 431 (2005–06) :Goaltending wins:

, 35 (2010–11) :GAA:

Jeff Zatkoff Jeff Zatkoff (born June 9, 1987) is an Americans, American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He most recently played for the Straubing Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Playing career As a youth, Zatkoff played in the 2001 Qu ...

1.93 (2012–13) :SV%: Rich Parent (2000–01), Dany Sabourin (2005–06) and Brad Thiessen (2010–11), .922 ;Career :Career goals: Tom Kostopoulos, 181 :Career assists: Tom Kostopoulos, 269 :Career points: Tom Kostopoulos, 450 :Career penalty minutes: Dennis Bonvie, 1081 :Career goaltending wins:

John Curry John Anthony Curry, (9 September 1949 – 15 April 1994) was a British figure skater. He was the 1976 European, World and Olympic Champion. He was noted for combining ballet and modern dance influences into his skating. Early life Curry was ...

, 103 :Career shutouts:

, 17 :Career games: Tom Kostopoulos, 627

AHL records

As of the 2009–10 AHL Season. Data from the AHL Hall of Fame Website.

Team

:Most road wins, 80-game season: 28 (2010–2011) (tied) :Longest road winning streak (one season): 13 games (October 9 – December 3, 2005) (tied) :Longest road winning streak (overall): 15 games (April 10 – December 3, 2005)

Player

:Most points by a defenseman, career:

John Slaney John G. Slaney (born February 7, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently an assistant coach for the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (AHL). He was formerly the assistant coach of the Portla ...

, 486 (Baltimore, Portland, Cornwall, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Philadelphia) :Most goals by a defenseman, career: John Slaney, 157 :Most goals by a defenseman, season: John Slaney, 30 (1999–2000) :Most PIM, career: Dennis Bonvie, 4,104 (Cape Breton, Hamilton, Portland, Philadelphia, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Providence, Binghamton, Hershey) :Most PIM, game: Steve Parsons, 64 (March 17, 2002 vs. Syracuse)

AHL awards and trophies

Per the AHL Hall of Fame:

(AHL regular season champions) * 2016–17 *

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

Frank Mathers Trophy (Eastern Conference regular season champions from 2004 to 2011) *

Richard F. Canning Trophy (Eastern Conference playoff champions) * 2007–08 * 2003–04 F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy (East Division regular season champions from 2002 to 2011) *

* 2007–08 * 2005–06 Robert W. Clarke Trophy (Western Conference playoff champions) * 2000–01

Eddie Shore Award The Eddie Shore Award is presented annually to the best defenceman on the American Hockey League (AHL) as chosen by AHL media and players. The award is named after Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Shore. Winners NHL-level Eddie Shore Award O ...

(best defenseman) *

: 2000–01 Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award (best goaltender) * Matt Murray: 2014–15 *

* Dany Sabourin: 2005–06 Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award (goalies with lowest goals against avg.) *

Tristan Jarry Tristan Raymond Jarry (born April 29, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Jarry was selected by the Penguins in the second round (44th overall) of the 2013 NHL ...

and

Casey DeSmith Casey DeSmith (born August 13, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He holds the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins record for most saves in a playoff game. DeSmith was nam ...

: 2016–17 * Matt Murray and

: 2014–15 * Jeff Deslauriers and

Eric Hartzell Eric Hartzell (born May 28, 1989) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played abroad for HK Nitra in the Slovak Extraliga (Slovak). Playing career Before turning professional, Hartzell attended Quinnipiac University, ...

: 2013–14 *

and

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

and

* Dany Sabourin: 2005–06

Yanick Dupre Memorial Award The Yanick Dupre Memorial Award is presented annually to the American Hockey League's man of the year for service to his local community. The award winner is chosen by the league president. The award is named after former Hershey Bears player Ya ...

(AHL Man of the Year Service) *

Matt Carkner Matthew Carkner (born November 3, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who most recently served as the head coach and general manager of the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL before he resigned June 17, 2025. He was drafted ...

: 2006–07

Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award The Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award is an American Hockey League (AHL) trophy awarded annually to the most outstanding coach during the season, as voted upon by members of the AHL media. The award is named for Louis Pieri, a long-time contributo ...

(coach of the year) * John Hynes:

References

External links

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Official Website

The Internet Hockey Database – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins American Hockey League teams Pittsburgh Penguins minor league affiliates Professional ice hockey teams in Pennsylvania Sports in the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area Ice hockey clubs established in 1999 1999 establishments in Pennsylvania