Scranton Penguins Teddy Bear Toss to Support Tobyhanna Operation Santa Claus December 4 Toss a plush toy onto the ice after the Penguins’ first goal! Support Tobyhanna Operation Santa Claus by bringing a new, unwrapped stuffed animal to the game and toss it onto the ice after the Penguins’ first goal. All toys will be collected and distributed to children in need throughout northeast Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Operation Santa Claus is a charitable private organization operating at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Buy tickets for the game here!
Inaugural Penguins 5k, a Success Runners (and walkers) from around the area dodged the raindrops Sunday morning to take part in the inaugural Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5K, presented by PNC Bank. Eryn Milius paced the field of 87 participants with a time of 19:49.86 on the Back Mountain Trail course, taking home first overall honors among all participants. Twenty-two seconds behind Milius was Nathan Wood, whose 20:11.45 time led all male runners. Awards were presented to the top three overall performers for both men and women, as well as in the 19-and-under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60-plus divisions. All participants received a Penguins’ 5K t-shirt, participation puck, and a voucher good for a Penguins game during the 2021-22 season. Proceeds from the inaugural Penguins 5K, presented by PNC, go to the team’s GOALS Foundation, whose mission is to provide young people and families with the opportunity to experience the game of hockey firsthand. In addition to PNC Bank, the Keystone Mission, Brand Graphics and the Gregory Center also provided support to the inaugural race. A full listing of finishing times for the Penguins 5K is available online via the Falcon Race Timing website.
Penguins Sign Defenseman Christopher Merisier-Ortiz The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced today that they have signed defenseman Christopher Merisier-Ortiz to a two-year, American Hockey League contract set to start in the 2021-22 season. Merisier-Ortiz played the past four seasons in the Québec Major Junior Hockey League. In 231 games, he racked up 129 points (20G-109A). Last season, the 20-year-old blueliner posted 12 points, all assists, for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar before being traded to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. With Blainville-Boisbriand, Merisier-Ortiz was a point-per-game player with four goals and 20 assists in 24 games. Despite the mid-season trade, he still led all Drakkar defensemen with 12 assists and tied for the team lead for points among blueliners at the end of 2020-21. A native of Boisbriand, Québec, Merisier-Ortiz spent three and a half seasons as a teammate of fellow Penguins prospect, Nathan Légaré. Légaré was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round (74th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and will also become a first-year pro this upcoming season. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will open its 2021-22 slate at home against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Oct. 16. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Season tickets for the upcoming 2021-22 season are on sale now. Full-Season, 22-game, 12-game, Flexbook and Premium Seating plans are available by reaching out to the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.
