The long-awaited return of fans to Mohegan Sun Arena is still happening tonight. All Wilkes-Barre/Scranton needed was another team to play.
COVID-19 issues have put Lehigh Valley — the Penguins’ originally scheduled opponent — out of action. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s game against the Phantoms was postponed with no make-up date announced.
But the AHL took action on Thursday, announcing that Syracuse will now travel to face the Penguins at 7 p.m.
And there will indeed be a limited number of people in the stands. Shortly after the schedule swap was made public, the Penguins announced that their allotment of tickets — set at 15% of capacity — had been sold out for the game against the Crunch.
It will be Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s first home game with fans in attendance in more than a year when the Penguins lost to Binghamton on March 8, 2020. The AHL season was suspended four days later because of the pandemic and was ultimately canceled.
The Penguins (5-3-2-1) have been off since last Saturday, when they lost 3-0 to the Crunch. Syracuse has won two of the three meetings between the teams this season.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will have a different looking lineup this time thanks to a string of injuries to forwards on parent club Pittsburgh’s roster.
Leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton scorer Radim Zohorna got a call-up to the NHL on Thursday morning. Frederick Gaudreau made his Pittsburgh debut on Thursday night because of injuries to centers Evgeni Malkin and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton alum Teddy Blueger.
In addition, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton captain Josh Currie and rookie defenseman Josh Maniscalco were assigned to Pittsburgh’s taxi squad.
The Penguins also made two moves in goal on Thursday, recalling Shane Starrett from ECHL Wheeling and signing college free agent Tommy Nappier to a three-year AHL contract.
Starrett, 26, has appeared in two games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season while also serving as a backup for Emil Larmi or Max Lagace.
As for the newcomer, Nappier, 22, joins the pro ranks from Ohio State, where he was named Big Ten Goalie of the Year in 2018-19 and was voted Buckeyes MVP in 2019-20.
His numbers dipped on a struggling Ohio State team this past season, but he still finished among the program’s career leaders in save percentage (.925), shutouts (8) and goals against average (2.31).
The Penguins had previously gotten a look in person at Nappier when he attended Pittsburgh’s development camp in 2018.