Ville Koivunen’s Unexpected Return: What His Practice with Tristan Broz Means for Penguins’ Next Game

It’s been nearly two weeks since Ville Koivunen last laced up for the Pittsburgh Penguins, sidelined after that bruising outing against the Nashville Predators in Sweden’s NHL Global Series. The young forward’s been on the mend with a pesky lower-body injury, labeled “week-to-week,” leaving fans and the team anxiously awaiting his comeback. This week, though, things are looking up—Koivunen’s back on the ice, skating and throwing down lines alongside Tristan Broz and Tommy Novak. It’s not just any reunion; these guys shared ice time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, so there’s a natural rhythm waiting to ignite once Koivunen’s cleared to face the Buffalo Sabres. He hasn’t found the back of the net yet—hitting posts and missing golden chances—but the determination is crystal clear. With the Penguins stuck in a funk, losing seven out of nine games, his return couldn’t come at a better time. Let’s see if Ville’s spark can help light a fire under this team. LEARN MORE

It’s been 11 days since Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ville Koivunen last played in a game.

He played in the first NHL Global Series game against the Nashville Predators in Sweden before getting banged up. He was eventually placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and designated as “week-to-week.”

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Koivunen is back at practice this week and was taking line rushes on the third line with Tristan Broz and Tommy Novak on Tuesday. Assuming Koivunen gets cleared to return on Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres, he’s excited to get the chance to play with Broz after the two were teammates in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last year and a little bit this year.

“It’s a lot of fun to play with him. Of course, we played a lot together last year, so he’s a great player. He’s great with the puck. He can win some battles, too,” Koivunen said after Tuesday’s practice.

Koivunen is still searching for his first NHL goal, but it’s not for a lack of trying. He has hit multiple posts and has had some other glorious opportunities, but the puck hasn’t found the back of the net.

His confidence had been growing since coming back from WBS before he got hurt. Now, he’ll try and help the Penguins snap out of their rut since they have lost seven of their last nine games and aren’t in a playoff spot going into Wednesday.

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