Pittsburgh Penguins recall Bennett, sign Kostopoulos
By Matt Shetler
The message boards lit up and the talk shows were filled with angry Pittsburgh Penguins fans yesterday when they found out that young forward Beau Bennett was sent down to Wilkes-Barre Scranton.
But Pens fans can relax as one day later Bennett is back on the big clubs roster.
What wasn’t realized during yesterday’s panic is that sending Bennett down for a day was the only move that Penguins’ general manager Ray Shero could have made as Zach Boychuk wouldn’t clear waivers until 12:00pm on Tuesday and Shero needed to create a roster spot for Evgeni Malkin’s return Monday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
March 20 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Calgary Flames right wing Tom Kostopoulos (16) warms up before the start of the game against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Boychuk ended up being claimed by Nashville, freeing up a spot for Bennett to immediately return.
In other roster news, the Penguins have signed forward Tom Kostopoulos to a one-year contract.
Kostopoulos’ contract is a two-way deal worth $600,000 at the NHL level. He will be placed on waivers on Tuesday at noon and if he clears waivers, he will be re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday afternoon.
The 34-year old re-joins the Penguins organization for his second stint after previously playing for the team from 2001-04, when he tallied 26 points (10G-16A) and 76 penalty minutes in 79 regular-season games.