Penguins’ Caleb Jones Suspended 20 Games For PED Use

The league announced Wednesday that they’ve assessed Penguins defenseman Caleb Jones an automatic 20-game suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. As a result, he’s been required to enter the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program “for evaluation and possible treatment.”

Jones, 28, hasn’t played in the NHL since late October due to a lower-body injury. He was assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a conditioning loan last month but hasn’t played since suiting up for them once on Jan. 14. He sustained a separate upper-body injury in that game and has been unavailable since.

“Throughout the process, Caleb has been forthcoming with the organization as to how he believes the positive test occurred,” general manager Kyle Dubas said. “Caleb takes full responsibility for his actions, despite him being unaware that what he consumed was a prohibited substance at the time.”

Jones looked to get back into a more regular NHL role with the Pens after he spent most of last year in the minors in the Kings organization, only suiting up for six big-league games with Los Angeles. He landed a two-year, $1.8MM offer from Pittsburgh and skated in seven games to begin the year, recording one assist with a +1 rating while pairing with rookie Harrison Brunicke, before landing on the injured list.

Even when Jones is eligible to return, there won’t be much of a spot for him. The Pens’ acquisition of Brett Kulak from the Oilers in the Tristan Jarry/Stuart Skinner deal pushed Jones further down the left-shot D depth chart. With Kulak and Kris Letang gelling well and Ryan Shea excelling as Pittsburgh’s third-pairing lefty, there’s no longer a regular role for him – especially after the Pens added some additional left-shot depth in Ilya Solovyov last month. It’s likely he’ll end up on waivers and finish the season in Wilkes-Barre when he’s cleared to return.