Being called up to the NHL is every young player’s dream. But for Sam Poulin, learning that he’d be joining Pittsburgh for their game against Carolina on Tuesday was particularly special.
When he last got called up in the first half of the 2022-23 season and played three NHL games, a couple of weeks later, the Penguins 2019 first-round pick was back home in Quebec after deciding to take a break from hockey to focus on his mental health.
“I think I've come a long way since last year and did a lot of work on myself to get to this point and be in this position right now and this shape, too,” Poulin said after a recent practice with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
When asked what it would mean to be back with Pittsburgh at some point, he said, “I feel like it would be just a nice way to make me realize that every time that I work hard or that there are challenges or there's something along the way, that I'm able to get through those things. So, I would feel differently than last year when I got called up, that's for sure. But obviously, that would be still the same great feeling to get.”
This was clear from how Poulin couldn't stop smiling in the Penguins locker room.
"Honestly, I'm just so excited to be here. It feels so good," he grinned.
The 23-year-old came to Pittsburgh amid his best professional season, the third of his career, as Poulin has rediscovered his love for the game. “For a long time, I didn't really enjoy playing hockey this much,” he said with a smile. “It just feels good to come to the rink and have a blast every day and be with the boys.”
"Just that he’s playing and enjoying it, back to doing what he loves, I think that’s the most important thing - and the fact that he’s been called up is just a product of that," Sidney Crosby said. "I think the main thing is just that he’s happy, and it seems like that’s the case."
Poulin’s production in the AHL has been excellent, with 13 goals and 27 points in just 36 games. Many in the Penguins hockey community have questioned why the young forward remained in the minors for most of the season despite looking like a player who could help Pittsburgh, and WBS head coach J.D. Forrest had the answer, acknowledging that Poulin has been scratching at the door and possesses a lot of translatable skills.
“I think some of it this year has been a little bit of timing, like he had a couple injuries at kind of unlucky times there that kind of prevented it, and he missed a lot of time last year,” Forrest said. “So, it's more about getting him on a roll, having him play these games – important games – for us, and take on a large role and tons of ice time for him in all kinds of different situations.”
Poulin returned to play two games for WBS last April before their season ended, which was his first game action since December 2022. He opted to participate in Penguins development camp in July as part of the process of getting back into game shape, and once the puck dropped on the 2023-24 campaign, Poulin played in five contests before getting hurt.
He returned in mid-December and started to round into form once the calendar flipped. Poulin tallied seven times in 10 games from Jan. 7-26, which included a four-game goal-scoring streak, before getting sidelined again for most of February, coming back on March 1.
Poulin said he feels in a much better place to deal with the mental aspect of injuries, which is something he’s been working on, particularly during his time away. His approach has been, “try to use that time off to work on other things that I wouldn't necessarily work on. I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason. So, I used that time to work on something else. (In the gym), and mental stuff, too. I still have some stuff to work on, mentally. So that gave me that time to work on that.”
When Poulin has been in the lineup, he’s pleased with his consistency. While the offense has certainly stood out, Forrest describes the 6-foot-2, 213-pound forward as someone who’s hard to play against and battles down low better than most players his age, calling him a ‘moose.’
“Every game, I feel like I bring something to the team and I can help the team win in a way,” Poulin said. “So, sometimes it will be more defensively, sometimes it will be more offensively. So, it doesn't matter to me as long as I can help the team win.”
Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas said he’s proud of how Poulin has come on during the year, and Forrest feels the same way.
“The fact that he's operating at the level that he is, and he's able to kind of manage any difficult situations that come up, he's just grown a lot,” Forrest said. “Some of those moments where you're looking for the tools to get through hard times, I think he's been able (to), and he's had some good help and resources that have given him some tools to move past some things. We’re really proud of where he’s at. It's hard work to do that, too. So, he's done a lot of work, and it’s showing.”
"He gets the call up late in the season like this, but I think certainly it's a reward for his efforts and his persistence and continuing to push to improve and get better both on the ice and off the ice," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said. "He deserves a lot of credit."
