PITTSBURGH SIGNS PROSPECT TIFFELS, DEFENSEMAN RUHWEDEL
The Pittsburgh Penguins made two player moves on Thursday, signing prospect forward Freddie Tiffels to a two-year, entry-level contract, and re-signing defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to a two-year contract, it was announced by by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford
Tiffels, 22, enjoyed a successful junior season at Western Michigan this past year, scoring nine goals and setting personal highs with 12 assists and 21 points in 37 games played. One of his best games of the season came in the Broncos’ NCAA Tournament loss to Air Force when Tiffels scored twice.
The 6-foot, 192-pound Tiffels was named to the NCHC All-Academic Team following both his sophomore and junior years at Western Michigan. He wrapped up his three-year collegiate career by scoring 27 goals, notching 32 assists and totaling 59 points in 105 career games, and was the Broncos’ Rookie of the Year as a freshman.
Pittsburgh’s sixth round (167th overall) selection in the 2015 NHL Draft, Tiffels skated for Germany at the 2017 World Championship this spring, scoring a pair of goals.
Earlier in his international career, the Cologne, Germany native played in three World Junior Championships for his country, tallying nine points (5G-4A).
His deal will begin with the 2017-18 season and run through the 2018-19 campaign.
Ruhwedel, 27, enjoyed his best season at the NHL level this past year, skating in a career-high 34 regular-season contests, collecting 10 points (2G-8A) and a plus-9. He also skated in six playoff games with Pittsburgh on the way to helping the Pens earn a second-straight Stanley Cup victory.
A native of San Diego, California, Ruhwedel made his Pittsburgh debut on Dec. 20 against the New York Rangers, and scored his first NHL goal three nights later versus Cory Schneider and the New Jersey Devils. On March 8 at Winnipeg, Ruhwedel had the best game of his NHL career, picking up three assists.
The 5-foot-11, 191-pound defenseman spent half of his first season in the Pittsburgh organization with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League, tallying 16 points (4G-12A) in 28 contests.
Ruhwedel broke into the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres organization as an undrafted free agent following a three-year collegiate career at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Ruhwedel has appeared in a combined 67 career NHL regular-season games with Pittsburgh and Buffalo, netting 12 points (2G-10A).
Ruhwedel joined the Pittsburgh organization as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2016. His new deal runs through the 2018-19 season and has an average annual value of $650,000.
