SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League introduced in the present day that Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins ahead Ville Koivunen has been chosen because the Fortune Tires “Anticipate Extra” AHL Participant of the Month for February.
Every month, the Fortune Tires “Anticipate Extra” AHL Participant of the Month award will honor one standout participant from the league for distinctive efficiency. Fortune Tires, the Official Tire of the AHL, will contribute $500 to the participant’s charity of alternative – and $2,500 to the Participant of the Yr’s charity – highlighting the corporate’s dedication to each excellence and group impression.
Koivunen tallied six targets and 10 assists for 16 factors in 11 video games for the Penguins final month, together with a six-game scoring streak and his first two-goal sport of the season.
Koivunen assisted on the game-winning aim within the third interval of a 4-1 victory over Hershey on Feb. 4, then matched a career-high 4 factors with a aim and three assists in a 6-5 win at Lehigh Valley on Feb. 6. He registered two extra assists, together with establishing the extra time winner, in a 4-3 choice at Hershey on Feb. 7 and picked up a aim and an help in a 4-3 extra time loss to Cleveland on Feb. 15. Koivunen closed the month by discovering the scoresheet in six straight video games, highlighted by a two-goal sport at Springfield on Feb. 18 and one other game-winning aim vs. Bridgeport on Feb. 21.
The 22-year-old Koivunen leads the Penguins with 21 assists and ranks second on the group with 32 factors regardless of skating in simply 27 AHL video games this season, whereas including two targets and three assists in 27 NHL contests with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Koivunen, who was voted to the AHL All-Rookie Crew in 2024-25 after posting 56 factors in 63 video games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, was initially a second-round alternative by Carolina within the 2021 NHL Draft and was acquired by the Penguins through commerce on Mar. 7, 2024. The native of Oulu, Finland, beforehand spent three seasons with Liiga group Kärpät Oulu and gained a silver medal with Finland on the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.
