Chad Ruhwedel News

Ruhwedel missed the Penguins' previous game due to an upper-body injury but will be a game-time decision for the Winter Classic Monday. The 32-year-old has one assist, 10 SOG, 10 PIMs and a +2 plus/minus through 17 games this season

Ruhwedel missed the Penguins' previous game due to an upper-body injury but will be a game-time decision for the Winter Classic Monday. The 32-year-old has one assist, 10 SOG, 10 PIMs and a +2 plus/minus through 17 games this season.

Ruhwedel has appeared in a career-high 47 games this season, registering one goal and five assists (six points). Ruhwedel has been a key penalty killer for the Penguins, who rank No.2 in the NHL.

Ruhwedel will not be available for Tuesday's game vs. the Capitals, so look for Mark Friedman to draw into the lineup for the first time since January 8th.

Ruhwedel was activated from the COVID-19 protocol list for Thursday's game but he is ineligible to travel to Canada due to the Canadian government’s mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement following his previous positive tests for COVID-19.

Ruhwedel has missed the last three games while in COVID-19 protocol but was on the ice for Wednesday's practice and will be a game-time decision on Thursday. Ruhwedel skated on the third pairing with Marcus Pettersson (also a game-time decision) in the session.

Ruhwedel replaced Zach Trotman in the lineup on Wednesday but they will swap places again on Friday. Ruhwedel has no points in three NHL games this season.

Ruhwedel split his 2019 campaign between the NHL and AHL. Ruhwedel had one goal and one assist in 18 games with the Penguins and five points (1G / 4A) in five AHL games. Ruhwedel figures to serve as the Penguins No.7 defenseman in 2019-20.

Ruhwedel has been in the lineup for five consecutive games, but will be replaced by Juuso Riikola tonight vs. the Devils. Ruhwedel failed to record a point and was a minus-6 in those five games.

Ruhwedel is expected to make his season debut on Thursday, replacing Juuso Riikola. Ruhwedel had just five points (2G / 3A) in 44 games with the Penguins last year.

Ruhwedel departed Wednesday’s game early and did not return. He will likely miss at least a couple of weeks with an upper-body injury so Frank Corrado has been recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).

The Penguins did not provide an update on Ruhwedel’s status after the game so consider him as questionable leading up to Friday’s game in Carolina. This is a bad time to lose Ruhwedel as the Penguins were without Kris Letang for Wednesday’s game.