Hendrix Lapierre has successfully taken the next step in his fresh start with the Pittsburgh Penguins: making the team out of training camp.
Lapierre, who the Washington Capitals traded for draft picks this summer, was announced on Monday as one of 22 players on Pittsburgh’s Opening Night roster.
Not only did Lapierre make the Penguins out of camp, a slew of injuries among Pittsburgh’s forward corps means Lapierre is set to take on a decently-sized role to start the season. With players like Bryan Rust, Andrei Kuzmenko, Blake Lizotte, Justin Brazeau, and Ben Kindel all unavailable, Lapierre has slotted in as the Penguins’ third-line center.
According to Penguins team reporter Michelle Crechiolo, Lapierre skated between wingers Filip Hallander and Ville Koivunen at the team’s practice on Tuesday.
Penguins forward lines (via @PensInsideScoop/X)
The 2025-26 campaign was Lapierre’s first full year spent at the NHL level, and he recorded 16 points (4g, 12a) in 74 games. He went the first 48 games of the year without scoring a goal, a drought that stretched to a league-leading 90 total games going back to the 2023-24 season.
Lapierre, who Washington selected 22nd overall in 2020, struggled to find a consistent and productive role with the Capitals after graduating to the NHL, skating just 8:50 of ice time per game last year. He’s hoping to change his fortunes with the Penguins after signing a two-year, $2.6 million contract with the club this past July.
“I’m going to try to show that I can bring a lot of speed and make some good, smart plays, and with the confidence, there’ll be better plays coming,” Lapierre told Pittsburgh’s Brandon Karafilis. “I just want to give a good first impression here and battle night in, night out. I don’t take this position for granted, and I’ll do my best to have an impact every night.”
Lapierre is already familiar with a few faces in Pittsburgh’s locker room, including assistant coach Todd Nelson, who was the head coach of the Hershey Bears for all three seasons Lapierre played in the AHL, and former Capitals teammate Trevor van Riemsdyk, who signed with the Penguins in free agency.
“It’s a comforting presence,” Lapierre said of Nelson. “In Hershey, he was kind of like a dad to all of us. It’s true, just with the way that he coached. It’s kind of like we still have that same relationship here, so it’s awesome. He’s a tremendous coach, and I’m super happy to be with him.”
Pittsburgh will open its 2026-27 regular season with a road matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night. Lapierre won’t wait long before facing his former team: the Penguins will be in DC for the Capitals’ home opener on October 7.
