Heading into his second pro season, things are looking very different for Tanner Howe than his first campaign.
He was healthy.
After injuring his right knee in April 2025 during his final junior season with the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen, Howe’s recovery lasted until the 2025-26 season and kept the Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect out of action until this past February, when he suited up for the American League’s WilcrakesnA-Hitmen. Penguins.
Being off the ice for nearly 10 months, at least competitively, offered perspective to the 20-year-old.
“It’s definitely been a tough injury for so long,” Howe said on Sept. 11 in Cranberry. “But I was grateful to join (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton). They received me very well. The group of guys they have there is family there.
“He’s got a few games to play after Christmas. The promotion to the playoffs that we had was pretty special. Overall, I was pretty happy with the season after the injury.”
When Howe joined the lineup, he showed the intriguing potential that prompted the Penguins to select him in the second round (No. 46 overall) of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
The outspoken, opposing winger played in 27 games and scored 16 points in the final months of the regular season. Then in the postseason, he was a regular on the second line right wing and had five points (three goals, two assists) in 14 games as Wilkes-Barren/Scranton reached the Eastern Conference final of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 4, 2026
“It’s great to play those minutes, especially in those meaningful games,” said the left-handed Howe. “It means a lot to go out there and be on those lines. It was wonderful. I was grateful.”
Even with the hurdle of being sidelined for the first four months of last season, Howe (5-foot-11, 183 pounds) learned the ins and outs of the professional game on and off the ice.
“Away from the game, at home, how you treat your body, how you take care of it, it goes a long way,” Howe said. “There’s a lot to it. Most behind the scenes.”
With a year of professional experience on his resume, Howe looks different in one way.
“You could see the confidence,” Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach Kirk McDonald said. “He’s more comfortable with the group. You can see him hanging out with the guys who have been here a little bit. He takes charge.
“(Howe) was great for us in the playoffs. Maybe the stats, goals and assists, didn’t really show how much of an impact he had on our team during the playoffs. I hope he takes that confidence and can run with it this year.”
Primarily deployed on the left side of the third line this season, Howe has two points (one goal, one assist) in six games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 4, 2026
Just being healthy is a significant step in the right direction for Howe in his second pro campaign.
He would like to make another move before the end of this season.
“I want to be consistent every night,” Howe said. “I want to bring my best and not take it easy.
“If I can do that, I think there’s a chance at the (NHL) level. That’s the ultimate goal to play with the (Pittsburgh) Penguins. It will definitely be possible this year.”
Notes: The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned defenseman Ryan Johnson to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday afternoon.