Live Wire: Back to practice today ... Kapanen has hearing, cleared to arrive today

Welcome to our Penguins Live Wire, a round-the-clock feature that offers news that's fast, friendly to use and fun. Older Live Wire updates can be found here.

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KAPANEN CLEARED TO COME HERE

9:40 a.m. Thursday: Kasperi Kapanen had his immigration hearing in Finland today and has been cleared to travel to Pittsburgh, Jim Rutherford said.

"He just had it," Rutherford said. "He just got approved."

He added that Kapanen is expected to arrive here Friday.

Because of the pandemic, Kapanen will have to serve a seven-day quarantine after reaching Pittsburgh, during which time Rutherford said "I don't believe" he will be allowed to skate.

Nonetheless, Rutherford suggested that Kapanen will need only "a couple of days" of practice before being added to the lineiup, where he is expected to play on the No. 1 line with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel.

Under that scenario, Rutherford said that a projection that Kapanen would miss the first three games of the regular season -- Jan. 13 and 15 in Philadelphia and Jan. 17 at home against Washington -- "is a fair ballpark (estimate)." -- Dave Molinari

ZUCKER, CECI,
BLUEGER SPEAK

3:45 p.m. Wednesday: Here's the full video from today's player media availabilities, starting with Jason Zucker, who is a little richer after winning some locker room bets on the U.S.-Canada World Junior game:

Cody Ceci:

Teddy Blueger:

SIGHTS, SOUNDS

3:30 p.m. Wednesday: Here are some clips of Day 3 of camp, courtesy of the Penguins. -- Taylor

Here's a couple of pictures from today, too:

PENGUINS

Mike Sullivan speaks during Day 3

PENGUINS

Brandon Tanev and his hair

PENGUINS

Sidney Crosby smiles during Day 3 of camp despite Canada's World Junior loss the previous night.

SCRIMMAGE TIME

11:52 a.m. Wednesday: The Penguins are scheduled to have a noon scrimmage, two 20-minute periods with a running clock. The stream can be found here.-- Taylor

• The scrimmage is starting with special teams work and is using the main roster players, not the full camp roster. They aren't keeping score on the scoreboard and the taxi squad guys are starting to come to the bench, so I don't think this counts as the actual scrimmage yet.

• The actual scrimmage is starting now, at 12:17 p.m., with the full roster. The first 15 minutes or so was just special teams work and didn't count toward the actual score. Just in case you were concerned about the final score of a Wednesday afternoon training camp scrimmage. 

The lines are here:

• No score after the first half. Not many chances, either.

• Finally, we have a goal. Zucker skated into the zone with a good amount of speed and finished with a top-shelf backhand shot. 1-0 Gold.

• Malkin put the puck in the net after a whistle and nobody made him answer for it. Soft. (sarcasm)

• Malkin is on the ice chirping the opposition's bench. It sounded like he was yelling at them in Russian.

• That's a final. Team Gold wins 1-0. Zucker gets the lone goal, Jarry gets the shutout.

DAY 3 UNDERWAY! 

10:39 a.m. Wednesday: Players are starting to trickle onto the ice in advance of the 11 a.m. start time for today's session. Sam Lafferty, John Marino, and Drew O'Connor were the first guys on the ice today. I'll keep you posted with more notes below. -- Taylor

• What looks like 12 rows of seats were removed for the sportsbook-style lounge coming to PPG Paints Arena, which the Penguins announced back in September.

• Same lines and pairings as yesterday. 

Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Evan Rodrigues
Jason Zucker-Evgeni Malkin-Bryan Rust
Jared McCann-Mark Jankowski-Sam Lafferty
Brandon Tanev-Teddy Blueger-Colton Sceviour

Brian Dumoulin-Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson-John Marino
Mike Matheson-Cody Ceci
Juuso Riikola-Chad Ruhwedel

• The Penguins announced that they will be streaming today's noon scrimmage, which will be two 20-minute halves. I'll share the link here when they have it.

• Assistant coach Mike Vellucci has been leading much of the practice so far. 

• Top power play is Guentzel in front of the net, Crosby in the slot, Letang at the point, Rust on the left and Malkin on the right.

• Marino, Pettersson, McCann, Rodrigues, Zucker comprise the second PP unit. Riikola rotated in in place of Pettersson at the end.

ANOTHER SCRIMMAGE TODAY

3:29 a.m. Wednesday: The Penguins are back on the ice for another very full session, same as yesterday, beginning at 11 a.m. It'll wrap two practices around an intrasquad scrimmage. I've got a Grind written off my time at PPG Paints Arena yesterday, as well as the podcast below. Taylor Haase will have your coverage from the arena today. -- DK

GUENTZEL, MATHESON
SPEAK AFTER PRACTICE

3:25 p.m. Tuesday: Hear from Jake Guentzel and Mike Matheson following Day 2 of camp. -- Taylor

SIGHTS, SOUNDS

3:02 p.m. Tuesday: Here's the video from Day 2 of camp, courtesy of the Penguins:

Notice how empty the seats are, too. Usually, there are scouts and evaluators everywhere. -- DK

MURRAY WELCOMES DAUGHTER

2:25 p.m. Tuesday: Matt Murray and his wife Christina welcomed their first child, a daughter, on Saturday. He spoke about what this time has been like after Senators practice. -- Taylor

TIME TO TALK

1 p.m. Tuesday: The taxi squad guys are out here for their own practice following the scrimmage. Within 15 minutes, we'll meet virtually with Jake Guentzel, Mike Matheson and Evan Rodrigues. I'll bullet highlights of those just below. -- DK

• I asked Jake if, per my eye test here, he felt a lot more comfortable in this session than how he appeared in Cranberry this past summer. "No question," he replied. "I have had a chance to recover more, and I feel a lot more comfortable now."

• That said, he rejected any notion that he was impacted by the shoulder when facing the Canadiens. "I really wasn't thinking about it against Montreal, no."

• Jake, on Todd Reirden: "He brings a lot of energy, a new voice, comes with a lot of ideas. We're definitely lucky to have him."

• Mike Matheson on the team's speed in camp: "I've been really impressed with the place of play. This training camp is different for everybody on a lot of levels. ... I think everyone is trying to find their game as quickly as possible to get ready for that first game."

• Matheson on his focuses in film studies: "Going back for pucks, breaking pucks out. Defending the rush, all types of areas. I could sit here and talk to you about it for hours."

• Matheson said that he's familiar with Cody Ceci from their time in the World Championship, even playing a few games together then. 

• Mike Sullivan on Colton Sceviour: "A real good role player. A good penalty-killer. Hard to play against, a good, sound, defensive conscience. He's hard to play against. ... I refer to those guys as 'glue guys.'

LIVE SCRIMMAGE REPORT

12:05 p.m. Tuesday: Time for a scrimmage: Same lines, 45 minutes. First real action of camp. -- DK

• Well, the John Marino extension apparently was a massive mistake. Hilarious giveaway in front of his own net to Jason Zucker for a super-easy goal. (I'm joking, for the humor-impaired.)

• Gold takes a 2-0 lead on Black courtesy of Colton Sceviour finishing a slick backhand feed from Teddy Blueger below the goal line.

• Good sustained attack-zone shift -- and chemistry -- between Mark Jankowski and Sam Lafferty. 

• Jake Guentzel grabs a Brian Dumoulin muff inside the attacking blue line, skates 150 feet ... and gets stoned by Tristan Jarry standing tall.

• Evgeni Malkin gains the blue line one-on-four and somehow sustains possession all the way below the goal line. His touch has been a bit off here, but the legs are going.

• Generally speaking, Guentzel looks so much smoother today than he did through that summer training camp. Understandably. Just attempted a round-the-world wrap. You don't do that if you aren't feeling it.

• Ouch. Samuel Poulin with the terribly ill-advised forehand drop pass just since the attacking blue line with both fellow forwards already deep. Turnover. This won't score him any Sully points.

• Now it's Pierre-Olivier Joseph's turn to try something insane for a rookie (or anyone). Attempts a bank pass off the far boards -- as the last man back in the zone -- to give up a three-on-none. Bryan Rust puts it away. 3-0 Gold.

• Poor Evan Rodrigues. He's had a hundred chances out here with Sid and Jake and can't even get off a decent shot. Looks like he's trying too hard, actually.

• Remarkable billiards-like pass by Sid to spring Jake. Scary reminiscent of Larry Murphy to Mario Lemieux in Minnesota, for those of you who go way back. (Slightly smaller stage.) Oh, and Jake again couldn't beat Jarry.

• That's the end. And not a millisecond too soon. Was really dragging. 3-0 for Gold over Black. 

LIVE PRACTICE REPORT

11 a.m. Tuesday: There'll be a 45-minute session leading into the scrimmage at noon, and I'll use this section to drop random observations, beginning with John Marino again being the first player on the ice. -- DK

• Colton Sceviour has joined the team for practice after missing yesterday to the birth of his child. Round of stick taps from the group after Mike Sullivan acknowledges that.

• No change in lines or pairings, but the scrimmage will be more telling on that front.

• Everything Bryan Rust's touching is finding the back of the net. It's been kind of funny, actually.

• Sullivan's punctuating every other drill with a good, hard skate around the perimeter of the rink. Bet you can feel the churning of that ice out on Fifth Avenue.

• One-on-one drills now. These can be fun, but the defensemen are just so far ahead of the forwards in something like this at the beginning of a camp. That said, Mike Matheson's been a poking machine.

• As Sullivan promised, lots and lots of five-on-five. But, for as much as he's barking down there ... yeah, this isn't game quality. It'll take a while. 

• Full lines and pairings, with the only change from yesterday being Sceviour reclaiming his spot on the fourth line from Drew O'Connor, a top prospect who was given a carrot:

Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Evan Rodrigues
Jason Zucker-Evgeni Malkin-Bryan Rust
Jared McCann-Mark Jankowski-Sam Lafferty
Drew O'Connor-Teddy Blueger-Brandon Tanev

Brian Dumoulin-Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson-John Marino
Mike Matheson-Cody Ceci
Juuso Riikola-Chad Ruhwedel

• Session ends at 11:47 a.m., a couple minutes past schedule. Ice being resurfaced for the scrimmage. This could be ... gross. 

USE THE WHOLE PLACE

10:38 a.m. Tuesday: Mike Sullivan and a good many of the players in camp just walked down the steps from one of the lounges, where they were conducting an off-ice session. This has become common in coronavirus times, for teams to spread throughout their facility. At PNC Park, the Pirates had the opponents' training/equipment up on the main concourse, which was wild. -- DK

NICE!

10:05 a.m. Tuesday: So cool being back here. Walk with me upstairs. -- DK

CAMP GETS SERIOUS TODAY

3:18 a.m. Tuesday: The second day of training camp gets going at 11 a.m. inside PPG Paints Arena, and it'll include the first scrimmage shortly after the practice. I'll be back in the building for the first time in 10 months -- and that'll be cool in and of itself -- and happy to drench you with details throughout the day, as well as a full Grind afterward. In the interim, here's my Daily Shot of Penguins podcast below. -- DK

THREE AHL TEAMS
OPT OUT, WBS WILL PLAY

5:05 p.m. Monday: Three AHL teams -- the Charlotte Checkers, Milwaukee Admirals, and Springfield Thunderbirds -- have opted out of participating in the 2020-21 AHL season, which begins on Feb. 5. The new division alignment is here:

“I’ll be frank, this is going to be a difficult financial year for both the AHL team and the NHL team," Wilkes-Barre CEO Jeff Barrett said Monday. "But when we look at the big picture ... (Jim Rutherford) just decided that it was in the best interest of the Pittsburgh Penguins to keep our young kids playing.”

Barrett said that the AHL schedule will likely be in the range of 32 games. Fans will not be permitted in the building to start the season, but may be later in the season. -- Taylor

CROSBY, JARRY, LETANG 
SPEAK AFTER PRACTICE

5 p.m Monday: Here are the media availabilities with select players from Day 1 of camp. -- Taylor

Sidney Crosby:

Tristan Jarry:

Kris Letang:

GAME TIMES ANNOUNCED

3:15 p.m. Monday: The Penguins' home opener Jan. 17 will be a noon start. The second game of that series, Jan. 19, will be a 7 p.m. start. The full-season schedule with broadcast times and information can now be found here. -- Taylor

SCEVIOUR MISSES PRACTICE

3:05 p.m. Monday: Aside from Kapanen, Colton Sceviour was the only other healthy player missing from practice, and he had a good reason. Mike Sullivan said after practice that Sceviour was excused because his wife had a baby. -- Taylor

SCENES FROM DAY 1

3 p.m. Monday: Here's video from the first day of camp, courtesy of the Penguins:

Here's a few bonus shots of all the hockey hair that made an appearance. -- Taylor

MEANWHILE, AT RANGERS CAMP

1:45 p.m. Monday: Meanwhile, at the first day of Rangers camp, who scored the first goal of intra-squad scrimmage? No. 1 pick Alexis Lafreniere? Artemi Panarin, maybe?

Well ... 

The Jack Johnson comeback tour begins now. -- Taylor

OTHER EUROPEANS
LATE TO CAMPS

1:40 p.m. Monday: Kasperi Kapanen isn't alone in the struggle with immigration. Oliver Kylington (Flames), Carl Soderberg (Blackhawks), Anton Khudobin (Stars), and Mikael Granlund (Predators) are among those missing the start of training camp over the immigration process being delayed. As noted below, since the NHL requires players who travel from out of the country to quarantine before joining their teams, Kapanen and others won't be ready for the start of the season. -- Taylor

RUST GETS SPOT 
ON TOP POWER PLAY

12:05 p.m. Monday: Bryan Rust is the fifth man on the Penguins' No. 1 power play, at least for today. He was deployed in front of the net at times, in the slot at others. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel also spent some time in Patric Hornqvist's old net-front spot during the final drill of the practice, which just ended. -- Molinari

HERE ARE LINES, DEFENSE PAIRINGS

11:05 a.m Monday: The Penguins' first on-ice session of training camp is underway, and these are the personnel combinations deployed by Mike Sullivan and his staff, with adjustments reflecting the absence of Kasperi Kapanen:

Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Evan Rodrigues
Jason Zucker-Evgeni Malkin-Bryan Rust
Jared McCann-Mark Jankowski-Sam Lafferty
Drew O'Connor-Teddy Blueger-Brandon Tanev

Brian Dumoulin-Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson-John Marino
Mike Matheson-Cody Ceci
Juuso Riikola-Chad Ruhwedel

The goalies at this session are Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith. The rest of the 40-man training camp roster is scheduled to work out after this group. -- Molinari

PPG IS HELMET SPONSOR

10:55 a.m. Monday: To help compensate for the lack of gate revenue this season, the Penguins have added PPG as a helmet sponsor. The PPG logo will be on both sides of the helmet, for both road and home games. 

"We are proud to showcase PPG on our helmets as the first corporate partner on Penguins' game equipment," said David Morehouse, president and CEO of the Pnguins. "It's exciting to expand our long-term partnership with PPG, an iconic Pittsburgh company, by providing additional exposure to millions of fans, viewers and social media followers across the world - especially during our games at PPG Paints Arena." -- Taylor

CAMP STARTS TODAY!

10 a.m. Monday: On-ice sessions begin today at PPG Paints Arena! Only one reporter per outlet is allowed in the building at a time, and Dave will be taking today's session for us. All updates will go here. -- Taylor

KAPANEN TO MISS 
START OF SEASON

10 a.m. Monday: Kasperi Kapanen will not be available for at least the Penguins' season opener on Jan. 13 in Philadelphia, Jim Rutherford confirmed to DKPittsburghSports.com. Kapanen's immigration hearing appointment has been delayed, and he'll still have to quarantine once he arrives in Pittsburgh. -- Molinari

PICTURE DAY

1:40 p.m. Sunday: Players took their pictures and fulfilled other multimedia obligations today, the first day of off-ice activities. -- Taylor

ON-ICE SESSIONS
BEGIN MONDAY

1:30 p.m. Sunday: Players reported to PPG Paints Arena today for physicals and headshot pictures, and the on-ice sessions begin Monday. We aren't permitted to disclose practice times, but we can tell you that training camp will include seven days of on-ice work from Monday through Jan. 12, with two off-days mixed in. Most days include a practice and a short scrimmage, with the taxi squad practicing separately after the main roster practices. Next weekend will include a full team scrimmage. -- Taylor

MARINO SIGNS 
CONTRACT EXTENSION

10:10 a.m. Sunday: The Penguins have signed John Marino to a six-year contract extension that carries an average annual value of $4.4 million. The contract kicks in for the 2021-22 season, after Marino's current deal expires, and runs through 2026-27. Dave has a full story on this here. -- Taylor