Taylor Gauthier, Emil Pieniniemi Reassigned to Penguins
Published on June 2, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced today that the Pittsburgh Penguins have reassigned goaltender Taylor Gauthier and defenseman Emil Pieniniemi to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from their ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers.
Both players were with Wheeling for the entirety of its long playoff run in this year's Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Nailers were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Final on Saturday, May 30.
Gauthier started every game of the postseason for the Nailers, amassing a 2.23 goals against average, a .922 save percentage and three shutouts. This came after Gauthier went 21-9-5 during the regular season with a league-leading .929 save percentage, a 2.09 goals against average that ranked third overall, and three shutouts.
The 25-year-old from Calgary, Alberta established Wheeling's franchise record for career wins (71) and career shutouts (10) during the 2025-26 campaign, as well.
Gauthier has appeared in 25 career AHL games, all as a member of the Penguins. His AHL career record is 10-5-7 to go along with a 2.77 goals against average, .908 save percentage and two shutouts.
Pieniniemi topped Wheeling defensemen during the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs with seven assists and eight points. During the regular season, the Kuopio, Finland native gathered six goals and five assists for 11 points in 26 games.
A third-round draft pick (91st) by Pittsburgh in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Pieniniemi also skated in nine games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season. He posted three points (1G-2A) and a plus-5 rating in that time.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's next game in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs is tomorrow, Wednesday, June 3, against the Toronto Marlies. Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final is set for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
If necessary, both Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Final will return to Northeast Pennsylvania on Sunday, June 7 and Tuesday, June 9. Individual tickets as well as full playoff packages for the Penguins' postseason run are on sale now. Fans who wish to reserve their seats for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's games in the 2026 Calder Cup Payoffs can call the Penguins' front office at (570) 208-7367 or visit wbspenguins.com.
Penguins 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.
Every minute of the Calder Cup Playoffs can be watched online with the league's streaming service, AHLTV on FloHockey. AHLTV on FloHockey provides its subscribers access to not just every regular-season and Calder Cup Playoff game for all 32 AHL teams, but also more than 21,000 hockey contests from other professional and junior leagues on FloHockey, as well as access to all other live event streams and replays across FloSports.
American Hockey League Stories from June 2, 2026
- Taylor Gauthier, Emil Pieniniemi Reassigned to Penguins - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
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