The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed Tom Kostopoulos to an American Hockey League contract, it was announced today.
Kostopoulos returns to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for his third stint as a Penguin, and is the organization’s all-time leader in games played (335), goals (100), assists (153) and points (253). He also ranks first on the team’s playoff scoring list with 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 51 postseason games.
Entering his 15th year of professional hockey, Kostopoulos was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1999, and was a member of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ inaugural team in 1999-2000.
In 2001-02, he led Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in scoring with 53 points (27g, 26a) in 70 games, while earning a selection to the AHL All-Star Classic. He also made his NHL debut with Pittsburgh during the season.
After eight seasons away from Northeast Pennsylvania, Kostopoulos returned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton roster this past January, signing a tryout contract with the club. He posted seven points (3g, 4a) in 17 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, including his 100th career goal with the club on Mar. 1 against the Hershey Bears.
Kostopoulos inked an NHL deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Mar. 5; however, he was claimed by the New Jersey Devils on waivers before suiting up a second time for the NHL Penguins. He recorded one goal and 18 penalty minutes in 15 games with the Devils.
Kostopoulos has appeared in 630 NHL games with Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Montreal, Carolina, Calgary and New Jersey, totaling 61 goals, 96 assists, 157 points and 723 penalty minutes.
In 399 career AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Manchester, Kostopoulos has totaled 125 goals and 199 assists for 324 points. He had a career year with the Monarchs in 2004-05, notching 71 points and a plus-30 rating in 64 games.
