Penguins Defensive Prospect Sustains Fracture, Will Miss ‘Considerable Time’

Pittsburgh Penguins prospect and Kamloops Blazers (WHL) defenseman Harrison Brunicke has sustained a broken wrist and will be out indefinitely, Marty Hastings of CFJC News in Kamloops, BC reported Thursday.

According to Hastings, the injury occured during a Nov. 10 practice. Although Brunicke played in the Blazers’ game on the 11th, the wrist was bothering him the next day. He went through a series of tests, and a scan showed a fracture.

There is no timetable for his return as of now, and he is expected to get an x-ray next week to develop more of a timetable and determine next steps.

Brunicke, 18, is a native of South Africa and was Pittsburgh’s 44th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-3, 193-pound defenseman – who signed his three-year, entry-level contract this summer – turned heads during Penguins training camp to the point that some thought he might have earned a nine-game trial run in the NHL.

He used his smooth skating and offensive smarts to register an assist in the pre-season on a Rickard Rakell goal:

“He looks the part when he practices with our top players, and we like so much about his game,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of Brunicke during training camp. “That’s one of the reasons why we’ve given him the looks we’ve given him. He’s certainly earned them through his performance, and that’s how we feel.”

However, with forward injuries piling up during the pre-season and limited roster spots available, Brunicke was assigned to Kamloops on Oct. 7, just two days before the start of the regular season.

“We couldn’t be more encouraged with Harry’s overall camp,” Sullivan said. “We thought he played terrific in the games that he played in. He made a huge impression on everybody.”

With Kamloops this season, Brunicke has put up three goals and 12 points in 15 games.