Maleek McGowan, Tyler Duke, Jack Horbach Signed by Penguins
AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Maleek McGowan, Tyler Duke, Jack Horbach Signed by Penguins

Published on April 16, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced today that they have signed three players to American Hockey League contracts for the 2026-27 season: defensemen Maleek McGowan and Tyler Duke as well as forward Jack Horbach.

McGowan has also signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Penguins and will join the team this weekend.

McGowan posted 14 goals and 22 assists for 36 points this season for the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. His 14 tallies and 36 points placed fifth on the club, leading Frontenacs defensemen in the former category. The 20-year-old rearguard also tied for Kingston's team lead with two shorthanded goals.

In 208 career OHL games, McGowan logged 86 points (24G-62A).

Duke just wrapped up a four-year collegiate career split between the University of Michigan and Ohio State University. This year, Duke helped the Wolverines capture the Big Ten Championship while notching two goals and 16 assists for 18 points and leading the team with 84 penalty minutes.

Duke, 21, secured 59 points (13G-46A) in 147 NCAA games. His brother, Dylan, was drafted in the 4th round (126th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning and currently plays in the AHL for the Syracuse Crunch.

Horbach played four seasons of college hockey at the University of Wisconsin, going on a deep run to the NCAA National Championship Game this season. Horbach gathered eight points (3G-5A) in 39 games during his senior year, including the game-winning goal in their Regional Semifinal victory over Dartmouth College.

Across his 144 NCAA games, the 23-year-old tallied 16 goals and 23 assists for 39 points. During his sophomore year, Horbach took home the Badgers' Mike Richter Most Competitive Player Award.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's next game is tomorrow, Friday, Apr. 17, against the Bridgeport Islanders. Game time between the Penguins and Islanders is set for 7:05 p.m. at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.

The Penguins have two games left in the regular season before starting their run in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Postseason opponents and schedules are yet to be determined, but fans can cheer on the team throughout its entire playoff run by purchasing a Penguins Playoff Package.

Playoff packages, which are billed on a pay-as-we-play basis, include tickets to every confirmed home game during the postseason. Each package also comes with an $8 voucher for every home game, which can be redeemed at Savor concession stands or at the Penguins Igloo Team Store located inside Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza on each designated game date.

Penguins Playoff Packages, as well as individual-game tickets for the remaining regular-season home games are available by reaching out to the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367 or at wbspenguins.com.

Check out the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from April 16, 2026


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