The Prospect of Being a Penguin

Hockey in July. It’s like Christmas in July if your heart lives and breathes inside the CONSOL Energy Center. On Saturday, the Penguins hosted a scrimmage featuring their prospects that was free to the public. Around 5,000 fans showed up on a blue-skied, 90-degree day in the middle of summer to show support of the future of the Penguins’ franchise.

I’m going to just get it out of the way: Bill Guerin was there. Billy G. was named the Pens’ player-development coach in June, exciting the Pittsburgh fan base. Guerin grew on us like a rash and sealed his fate as a yinzer when he decided after only two seasons that he and his family belong in Pittsburgh. He retired a Pen, and we are all thrilled that he has remained in the organization. (For laughs, follow the parody Guerin account @SoNOTBillyG on Twitter. You won’t regret it.)

All Guerin-gushing aside, fans were rewarded for their patience waiting for October after an early end to the season in April with two 25-minute scrimmage matches. Eric “Big Dog” Tangradi, who is expected to earn a permanent spot on the Penguins’ roster this season, first-round picks Beau Bennett and Simon Depres, second-round pick Keven Veilleux, and others put on a breathtaking show.

The prospects had an opportunity on Saturday to give 110 percent, as they displayed their value and their potential to one day sport a black and Vegas-gold jersey. These young guys displayed unrelenting effort and skill through 50 minutes of play. The White team, comprised of team members such as Depres (comparable to Pens defenseman Kris Letang), Tangradi, Scott Harrington, Dominik Uher and Patrick Killeen between the pipes, won the first game, 4-3. The score was reset for the second game, where Team Black, featuring former Pen Ulf Sammuelson’s son Philip, Bennett, Veilleux and Rob Madore in net, fell again to Team White, 4-2.

Harrington, a 2011 second-round draft pick, stuck out the most to me, and from what I have read in the papers on Sunday, I wasn’t the only one who noticed. His agility and puck-handling was smooth. He ended the day with a goal and three assists, but the young defenseman’s contributions were huge. I look forward to watching him develop on his road to CONSOL.

The other big moment of the day was Bennett’s breakaway goal for Team Black. The forehand goal on Killeen with almost every other player in the other end reminded me of Sidney Crosby’s breakaway goal out of the penalty box against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 17, last season.

In true Pens fashion, the fans were treated to a shootout competition at the end of the games. Unfortunately, this one was not to determine Mustache Boy, but some of the guys decided to get fancy and put on a show. Veilleux won the shootout. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Veilleux at CONSOL again in the near future. It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Is it October yet?