Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

Kostopoulos

When Tom Kostopoulos cleaned out his locker on May 15, days after the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins playoff run concluded, he was faced with uncertainty.

Kostopoulos didn’t know if he would return for a 17th season of pro hockey, but if he did it would only be with the Penguins.

Two weeks later and Kostopoulos decided he’s ready to come back. On Wednesday he inked one-year AHL deal with the Penguins for what will be his ninth season with the team.

“I’m very excited to be back with the Penguins,” Kostopoulos said in an interview with the team’s web site. “It was either come here or retire. I didn’t want to play anywhere else.”

The 36-year old native of Mississauga, Ontario appeared in 72 games last year for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, finishing tied for second on the team with 44 points, second with 28 assists and fifth with 16 goals.

A two-time captain for the Penguins, Kostopoulos is the organization’s all-time leader in games played (478), goals (138), assists (206) and points (344). He is also first in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s postseason rankings with 18 goals and 35 assists for 53 points in 76 contests.

Kostopoulos was selected to the AHL All-Star Game for the third time (2002 and 2005) when he was named captain of the Eastern Conference AHL All-Stars on Dec. 19, 2014.

Since beginning his pro career in 1999-2000 as a member of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins inaugural team, Kostopoulos has played in 1172 regular season games between the AHL and National Hockey League. He is one of seven players in hockey history to have appeared in 500 games in both leagues.

In 630 NHL games with Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Montreal, Carolina, Calgary and New Jersey, Kostopoulos has totaled 61 goals, 96 assists, 157 points and 723 penalty minutes. He has compiled 415 points (163G-252A) over 542 AHL contests between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Manchester. Kostopoulos registered his 400th AHL point with an assist on Feb. 22, 2015 at Hartford.

Kostopoulos was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the seventh round (204th overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

“My body feels pretty good for my age,” Kostopoulos said. “It’s holding up OK. The playoffs were a bit rough. Everyone comes out with bumps and bruises.

“I still love the game. I still have a lot of fun with my teammates out there playing. I still want to compete.”