Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Owen Pickering. Allie Debe / WBS Penguins
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Owen Pickering. Allie Debe / WBS Penguins
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Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Owen Pickering. Allie Debe / WBS Penguins
Entering his second season of professional hockey, Owen Pickering has a better understanding of what to expect at the pro level and what it will take to break through to the NHL andstay there full time.
“Yeah, I mean, I’d say for sure, there’s value to having a year under my belt,” Pickering said after last weekend’s season-opening win over Hartford. “I think it’s a big step to pro hockey from junior and something that an added year, and obviously knowing the staff and knowing everybody around here, that (all) helps for sure.”
After all, Pickering appeared in 25 NHL games last season as a rookie with Pittsburgh, and was also Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s lone representation at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic last February.
That taste of the NHL — and the life that comes with it — only further motivates young players to get back there and it’s no different for Pickering, who won’t turn 22 years old until the end of January.
For Pickering, it’s not necessarily a game predicated on offense from the blue line, but one that kills plays in the defensive zone and transitions the puck up ice in a hurry — also allowing the defenders to join the rush.
“It’s continuing to defend really well, being a guy that we can put out in different situations — kill penalties, kill the rush, move pucks north quickly, making a really good first pass,” Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach Kirk MacDonald quickly listed, referring to the finer points of Pickering’s game. “The way we want to play, I think offense is going to come from our(defensemen) just because we want them active in everything that they do.”
That sentiment was evidenced on the Penguins’ game-winning goal last Saturday, with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton shutting things down defensively in the third period and a defenseman, Pickering, ending up the beneficiary of sustained offensive zone pressure and puck possession after forward Raivis Ansons won a puck battle and got the puck up to Pickeringat the blue line.
Pickering’s opening-night goal came after beginning last season without goals in his first 11 games.
“Yeah, I mean, it was nice. Obviously fun to score and to get a big one like that and have it hold up as a game-winner,” Pickering said. “It’s fun. I mean, Raivis (Ansons) makes an unbelievable play to win that battle, and then boys get to the net front and it was kind of a seeing-eye shot. So it wasn’t just me, but it’s nice to put one in.”
As MacDonald puts it, playing defense well allows for more opportunities in the offensive end of the rink.
“That’s the thing. People are like, well, it’s a good defensive team. In my opinion, if you are good defensively, you end up with puck more,” MacDonald said. “So, I think the better (Pickering) defends, the more offensive chances he’s going to get.”
Ultimately, playing well in a shutdown role with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, beginning the season on the team’s top pairing alongside another steady defender in Phil Kemp, will go a long way for preparing Pickering for the NHL.
“I think it’s just keeping consistency in my game. That’s probably the biggest thing,” Pickering said. “I want to, obviously, get to the NHL and stay there. So, I mean, it’s just about understanding what I need to bring to the table and executing that every night.”
Originally Published: October 19, 2025 at 12:00 AM EDT