WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced today that they have signed goaltender Taylor Gauthier and forward Aidan McDonough to American Hockey League contracts for the 2025-26 season.
Gauthier is entering his fourth season as a pro and his fourth season in the Penguins organization. In 25 career AHL games, all with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Calgary, Alberta native boasts a 10-5-7 record to go along with a 2.77 goals against average, .908 save percentage and two shutouts.
The 24-year-old has also dominated the ECHL ranks during the previous three seasons. In 2023-24, Gauthier became the first netminder in Wheeling Nailers history to win the Nick Vitucci Award as the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Year after posting a 24-16-2 record, 2.23 goals against average, .923 save percentage and four shutouts. He improved upon several of those categories this past season with Wheeling, as he placed second in the league with a .928 save percentage and third overall with a 2.06 goals against average.
In 88 games as a Nailer, Gauthier has gone 50-33-5 with a 2.33 goals against average, .920 save percentage and seven shutouts.
Gauthier made only one start for the Penguins last season, but he recorded 32 saves for a shutout victory in that singular start on Apr. 19, 2025. Two of Gauthier’s last four AHL games have resulted in a shutout.
McDonough, 25, is embarking on his third season as a pro. The former captain of the Northeastern University Huskies posted 10 goals and six assists for 16 points in 16 games last season for the Charlotte Checkers. His hot start included being named the AHL Player of the Week on Oct. 13 as well as an opening-night hat trick against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. McDonough’s season then ended prematurely due to injury.
In 74 career AHL contests with the Checkers and Abbotsford Canucks, McDonough has gathered 35 points (21G-14A).
McDonough was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the seventh round (195th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He also appeared in six NHL games as a Canuck at the end of the 2022-23 season. The native of Milton, Massachusetts scored one goal in those six contests.
Every minute of Penguins hockey can be watched online with the league’s streaming service, AHLTV on FloHockey. AHLTV on FloHockey provides its subscribers access to not just every regular-season and Calder Cup Playoff game for all 32 AHL teams, but also more than 21,000 hockey contests from other professional and junior leagues on FloHockey, as well as access to all other live event streams and replays across FloSports.
By providing a telephone number, e-mail address, and submitting this form, you are consenting to be contacted by e-mail & SMS text message. Message & data rates may apply. You can reply STOP to opt-out of further messaging. See our privacy policy for more information.
