Jelsma Looking To Earn Contract with Penguins
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Clearly, the Pittsburgh Penguins were impressed with Beau Jelsma's stint with their AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the tail end of last season.
While he hasn't been offered a contract with the organization just yet, the Penguins brought Jelsma back this fall for the team's participation in the annual Prospects Challenge in Buffalo, NY this upcoming weekend - a sign that things might be leaning that way as a strong showing in this tournament might green-light an AHL contract.
Jelsma first joined the AHL Penguins on an amateur tryout contract (ATO) following his third season in the OHL with the Barrie Colts in 2023-24, a season in which he captained the team and scored 37 goals and 81 points in 67 games.
He made a good first impression, scoring off a deflection in his pro debut with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on April 12 while also delivering a big open-ice hit and recording an assist in his second pro game the following night.
"Just kind of do my thing, win my battles. And, you know, I was lucky enough to score a goal," Jelsma said of his AHL debut and first pro goal back in mid-April. "It's great to get in front of the net and when you go to the dirty areas anything can happen so I'm going to keep doing that."
In all, Jelsma tallied three points in four AHL games to close out the Penguins' regular season and despite his smallish frame - listed at 5-10, 174 pounds - he didn't look all that out of place in the AHL in terms of his pace of play and abilities.
"It's quite the jump from the junior level to this level. But I thought he worked hard," former Penguins head coach JD Forrest said of Jelsma's play in April. "That's his thing. He's got a really good motor. He's got a pretty good package of skills there, too."
Another good showing for Jelsma in this weekend's Prospects Challenge would certainly help his chances of re-joining the AHL Penguins this fall should he get a contract and turn pro full-time. He should certainly be a player to keep an eye on for the Penguins in Buffalo, NY.
