Sergei Murashov arrived in Cranberry earlier this month as a late addition to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ annual development camp, following several impressive seasons in his native Russia.
The 20-year-old goaltender, drafted in the fourth round (No. 118 overall) by the Penguins in 2022, made his first trip to North America and quickly stood out at camp.
Now, Murashov will officially transition to North American hockey, as the Penguins announced Tuesday that he has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the club.
This likely means Murashov will be assigned to either the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL or the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League.
How Murashov fits into the Penguins’ goaltending plans remains to be seen. The organization already has promising goalie prospects with Taylor Gauthier, 23, excelling with the Nailers, and Joel Blomqvist, 22, performing well with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Regardless, the Penguins are eager to closely evaluate a player who has intrigued them from afar.
“Getting to know him was great,” said Penguins director of player development Tom Kostopoulos at the now-completed camp. “All of our staff think he’s a fantastic kid. His English is really good. Just spending time with him on and off the ice, everyone has really enjoyed that. Watching him compete in drills, he’s relentless on the puck, which is a great asset for goalies. Then watching him in the games, it was impressive. We’re all really excited that he’s here.”
The 6-foot, 167-pound Murashov has played in seven Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) games over two seasons, posting a 4-1-2 record, 1.71 goals-against average, and .928 save percentage at the highest level of Russian professional hockey.
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Last year, in 34 games with Loko Yaroslavl of the Molodezhnaya Hokkeinaya Liga (MHL), Russia’s top junior league, Murashov recorded a 24-4-2 record with a 2.03 GAA and .930 save percentage.
Now, he is poised to take the next step in his developmental journey in a country he enjoyed visiting earlier in July.
“I like it (in the U.S.),” Murashov told reporters in Cranberry during development camp. “I like it because there are so many friendly people. Of course, there are some differences between Russia and the USA, but I thought it would be harder to adapt here. It’s been OK.”
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