July 18, 2024, 7:18 PM
The Pittsburgh Penguins have agreed to terms with rookie defenceman Harrison Brunicke on a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Thursday.
Brunicke, 18, was the Penguins’ first selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, going 44th overall in the second round.
The Johannesburg, South Africa native has spent parts of the last three seasons of his junior career with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL. He tallied 10 goals and 11 assists in 49 games last season.
Should he take the ice in the NHL, he would become the first skater born in South Africa to play in the league. Former Washington Capital Olaf Kolzig was the first goaltender to do so in 1989.