WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced today that four players are being reassigned to their ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers.
Goaltenders Sergei Murashov and Taylor Gauthier have been reassigned by the Pittsburgh Penguins from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to Wheeling. Furthermore, forwards Gabe Klassen and Logan Pietila have been reassigned by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to the Nailers.
Murashov set several records throughout the organization during his first season in North America. Earlier this year, the 21-year-old racked up a 13-game winning streak with Wheeling, setting a franchise record in the process. It was also the longest winning streak by a rookie in ECHL history.
Murashov’s encore was amassing an 11-0-0 record to start his AHL career with the Penguins. His 11-game winning streak was the longest by a rookie in team history and tied Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s high-water mark for longest win streak overall (John Curry, 2008-09).
In 16 games with the Penguins, Murashov was 12-3-0 with a 2.64 goals against average, .913 save percentage and one shutout. In 26 games as a Nailer, the 2022 fourth-round draft pick went 17-7-1 with a 2.40 goals against average, .922 save percentage and one shutout.
Gauthier appeared in one game for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during the regular season, pitching a shutout in the team’s regular season finale on Apr. 19. In 25 career AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the 24-year-old from Calgary, Alberta is 10-5-7 with a 2.77 goals against average, .908 save percentage and two shutouts.
Gauthier won the Nick Vitucci Award as the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Year last season, the first netminder in Nailers history to do so. This season, his third as a pro, he was 18-10-2 in 30 regular-season net appearances. Gauthier’s 18 wins and two shutouts led the Nailers, his .928 save percentage ranked second overall in the league, and his 2.06 goals against average placed him third among ECHL goalies.
Klassen skated in six games for the Penguins during his first season as a pro, amassing one goal and two assists for three points. He also scored a goal in his Calder Cup Playoffs debut for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday, Apr. 23.
In 65 games with the Nailers, the 21-year-old from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan delivered 43 points (19G-24A), good for fourth on the team and second among Nailers rookies.
Pietila played in five games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season. He earned his first AHL point with an assist on the opening goal in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s 5-2 win on Apr. 13 at Bridgeport. The 25-year-old earned nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points in 69 games during his first full pro season with Wheeling, and suited up on one of its Kelly Cup Playoff games.
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