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Your view: Country has lost its way

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Their view: Time in the wilderness has many benefits

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Usually when a team loses one of its top scorers, panic sets in.</p><p>But in the case of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins losing Carter Rowney, his teammates couldn&#8217;t be happier.</p><p>Rowney was recalled by Pittsburgh on Thursday, marking the first trip to the NHL for the fourth-year pro. For Rowney, who wasn&#8217;t drafted, the NHL call is a reward for a career that began with uncertainty.</p><p>After graduating from North Dakota in 2013, Rowney began his first pro season on an AHL deal in Wheeling. He bounced between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the Nailers for most of the 2013-14 season, and the he began the next year in Wheeling as well, on another AHL deal.</p><p>Things changed in 2015-16 when, on yet another AHL contract, Rowney began the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. This time, he went on to score 24 goals and 56 points and ultimately earned his first NHL contract &#8212; a two-year deal.</p><p>His recall to Pittsburgh brings completion to a path that many young players hope to follow.</p><p>&#8220;He did it the right way. The hard way,&#8221; captain Tom Kostopoulos said. &#8220;I&#8217;m ecstatic for him. He really deserves it.&#8221;</p><p>After being sidelined by an injury since late November, Rowney returned to the lineup on Jan. 13 and responded with a goal and an assist. He went on to register at least a point in all six games since his return (5-3-8) and was producing at nearly a point-per-game pace at the time of his recall.</p><p>But nobody in the Penguins&#8217; locker room was mourning Rowney&#8217;s loss on Thursday.</p><p>&#8220;Everybody&#8217;s really excited for him,&#8221; winger Patrick McGrath said. &#8220;Last year when all those guys went up and he was here, he was our best player. He deserves this.&#8221;</p><p>Penguins coach Clark Donatelli coached Rowney during those early days in Wheeling and said his path to the NHL is a tribute to his character.</p><p>&#8220;He played three years without an NHL deal to prove himself. He committed himself to doing it,&#8221; Donatelli said. &#8220;He can go out and prove himself (in the NHL). It&#8217;s a great story.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Blueline addition</strong></p><p>In addition to recalling Rowney, Pittsburgh reassigned defenseman Steve Oleksy to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The veteran blueliner had four points in 10 AHL games earlier this season.</p><p><strong>Filling the void</strong></p><p>With Rowney gone for the time-being, Donatelli singled out Sahir Gill as one player expected to step up and take advantage of the open slot. Donatelli said there are also players performing well in Wheeling that could be called upon, such as Jarrett Burton, Nick Sorkin and Gage Quinney.</p><p><strong>Injury update</strong></p><p>Center Oskar Sundqvist practiced on Thursday and Donatelli said he could be cleared to return to action this weekend. Defenseman Tim Erixon is ready to return to the lineup, Donatelli said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Carter Rowney earned his first trip to the NHL on Thursday after being recalled by Pittsburgh. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_pens_hb3_faaCMYK.jpg</photo0><caption0>Carter Rowney earned his first trip to the NHL on Thursday after being recalled by Pittsburgh. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>UP NEXT</strong></p><p>&#8226; Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (31-9-3-0, 65 points, 1st place in the Atlantic Division) at Utica Comets (18-16-6-1, 43 points, 4th place in the North Division)</p><p>7 p.m. Friday</p><p>Utica Memorial Auditorium</p><p>Listen live on 103.1 WILK-FM</p><p><strong>Players to watch</strong></p><p>Utica: Alexander Grenier leads the Comets with 32 points in 39 games.</p><p>Penguins: Tom Kostopoulos needs one point to give him 500 for his AHL career.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TomVenesky</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Penguins’ Carter Rowney recalled by Pittsburgh for his first trip to the NHL