Penn State Hockey: Nittany Lions All Across NHL For Development Camps

Penn State hockey might be a few months from its season but that doesn’t mean the Nittany Lions are staying away from the ice. With a handful of NHL development camps are already underway and others set to begin, 11 current players, three former players and one incoming freshman are slated to hone their skills across the nation.

Of the returning draft picks Cole Hults (LA), Evan Barratt (Chicago), Aarne Talvitie (NJ) and Denis Smirnov (Colorado) will all head to their respective clubs as well as incoming freshman Kevin Wall (Carolina) who was picked up in the sixth round of last week’s NHL Entry Draft.

As far as former players, 2018-19 captain Chase Berger (Pittsburgh) and Penn State all-time leading goal scorer Andrew Sturtz (Ottawa) are both currently participating with their new teams. Ludvig Larsson (New Jersey) will also be attending Devils camp after signing an AHL contract with Binghamton back in May.

The Nittany Lions also sent a trio of players to New York Islanders camp, which began on Sunday, as Liam Folkes, Peyton Jonesand Sam Sternschein each made the trip to Long Island over the weekend. Former Penn State goalie Eamon McAdam is a member of the Islanders’ organization.

Last season’s leading point getter Alex Limoges is currently in Detroit at Red Wings camp through Saturday while 2019-20 captain Brandon Biro is at Penguins camp with Berger.

Undrafted Nittany Lions Nate Sucese (Boston) and Paul DeNaples(Vancouver) round out the Nittany Lion representation across the league this summer.

NCAA student-athletes participating in NHL development camps do not have their eligibility affected.
Penn State opens the 2019-20 season when the puck drops against Sacred Heart on October 11.