Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sam Poulin, currently assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, is taking a leave of absence for personal reasons.
Penguins general manager Ron Hextall said the organization stands behind Poulin, 21.
“The Penguins support Sam’s decision to take time away from hockey to focus on himself,” Hextall said in a team news release Wednesday. “As with all of our players, our priority is them as individuals first. We look forward to having him back with the team when he is ready.”
The Penguins said Poulin is going home to Quebec and will continue his workouts there.
Pittsburgh selected Poulin with the No. 21 overall selection of the 2019 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut on Oct. 25 and notched an assist. Before returning to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he appeared in three games, averaging just under 10 minutes of ice time.
He has played in 85 games with the AHL club, tallying 41 points (20 goals, 21 assists).
–Field Level Media