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.
Injury Updates: Wild, Ristolainen, Jones
The injuries just keep piling up for Minnesota. Already missing several key regulars, Marcus Johansson can now be added to the list as Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (Twitter links) that the veteran is among the list of players who aren’t with the team on their three-game road trip that began this afternoon. The 35-year-old is dealing with a lower-body injury. Johansson has had a resurgent season, notching 13 goals and 21 assists in 46 games, matching his point total from 2024-25 in 26 fewer appearances. With his absence, the Wild are now without their entire second line for this trip.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- Also from Russo’s note, the injury to winger Matt Boldy that landed him on IR is a nagging issue that head coach John Hynes feels will only keep him out of the lineup for a week or two. Boldy is Minnesota’s top goalscorer with 27 on the season and is only one point behind Kirill Kaprizov for the team lead in points, earning him a spot on Team USA for the Olympics. With this short timeline for a return, he should be good to go for that event.
- Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen will miss at least the next four games as he has been ruled out of action through their upcoming road trip, relays Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link). The veteran has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury. Injuries have limited Ristolainen to only 13 games this season. He’s averaging just under 21 minutes per night of action when in the lineup but the lack of availability certainly doesn’t help his value at a time the team is believed to be open to trading him.
- Earlier this week, the Penguins assigned defenseman Caleb Jones to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a conditioning stint. Unfortunately, Jones suffered an upper-body injury in his first game in the minors, according to Inside AHL Hockey’s Tony Androckitis (Twitter link). As a result, he was out of the lineup on Friday. There’s no word yet on the severity of the injury. Jones remains on Pittsburgh’s active roster while on assignment to the minors but if he’s going to be out much longer, he’ll likely be recalled and placed on injured reserve.
Penguins Assign Caleb Jones On Conditioning Loan
The Penguins announced they’ve assigned defenseman Caleb Jones to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a conditioning loan. Since he is on standard injured reserve and not long-term injured reserve, he can remain in the minors for up to 14 days without needing to be activated from IR or placed on waivers.
Jones, 28, hasn’t played since October. The 6’1″ lefty appeared in seven of Pittsburgh’s first eight games before sustaining a lower-body injury that’s now kept him on IR for well over two months, blowing past his initial eight-week return timeline.
Last Friday, Jones told Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he was targeting a return next weekend. That either means his conditioning stint in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will be brief, or he won’t get into game action with the Baby Pens until then. WBS has two games this week: Wednesday at Providence and Friday at home against Hartford, marking the first half of a back-to-back.
The AHL is a familiar environment for Jones. A lineup regular with the Oilers and Blackhawks a few years back, he’s split the last couple of seasons between leagues and played almost exclusively in the AHL last season while in the Kings organization. His fortunes appeared to change after making Pittsburgh’s opening night roster. However, with their defense group stabilizing and the acquisition of Brett Kulak taking away a spot on the left side, it remains to be seen whether Jones will remain on the active roster or land on waivers once he’s activated from IR in the coming days.
The Texas native played solid bottom-pairing hockey to open the season. In seven appearances, he registered an assist and a +1 rating while averaging 17:10 of ice time per game. He was credited with 15 blocks and 10 hits, but controlled only 41.4% of shot attempts at 5-on-5 in a taxing defensive deployment.
Jones signed a two-year, $1.8MM deal with Pittsburgh in the offseason and is due $1MM in actual salary next season. If he’s placed on waivers, a claim is unlikely.
Caleb Jones To Miss Eight Weeks
After spending most of last season in the minors, Caleb Jones was off to a nice start to his season with Pittsburgh, playing largely a regular role on their third pairing. However, that early momentum will be on hold for a while as the team announced (Twitter link) that Jones has been placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury that will keep him out of the lineup for roughly eight weeks. He suffered the injury in the third period of Thursday’s victory over Florida.
The 28-year-old is in his first season with the Penguins after signing a two-year, $1.8MM contract with them in free agency, securing a one-way commitment despite his limited NHL action the year before. Jones has suited up in seven of eight games so far this season, picking up an assist along with 15 blocked shots and 10 hits in a little over 17 minutes a night of playing time.
Jones has 255 career NHL appearances under his belt over parts of eight seasons with five different organizations. When he has been in the lineup, it has typically been in the role he had with Pittsburgh to start the year, spending time on their third pairing with a bit of penalty killing action when needed.
With seven other healthy blueliners on their active roster, the Penguins don’t necessarily need to call anyone up to replace Jones on the roster. However, fellow blueliner Harrison Brunicke can only play in three more NHL games before a decision needs to be made about burning the first year of his contract. If they decide to send him back to junior, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a recall come within the next week or so, earlier if they decide they want to take more time before making that choice.
Caleb Jones Eyeing Roster Spot With Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Kyle Dubas have made a number of acquisitions since the start of free agency, but one under-the-radar move may prove impactful. On the opening day of free agency, the team agreed to terms with left-handed defenseman Caleb Jones on a two-year, $1.8 million deal. While the signing didn’t generate much buzz, Jones could quietly become a meaningful contributor in Pittsburgh as he sets his sights on earning a spot on the team’s opening night roster.
As Justin Guerriero of TribLive.com outlines, Jones is joining a franchise in the midst of a significant transition — not only will the team be adapting to new head coach Dan Muse’s philosophies, but the names on the blue line have changed considerably as well. He joins newly signed defenders Parker Wotherspoon, Alexander Alexeyev, and a host of other options on the left side vying for a spot in the lineup.
The organization is particularly thin on the left side of the blue line, with embattled veteran Ryan Graves likely the only lock for the opening night roster. Competing for spots behind him are promising prospect Owen Pickering and journeymen Ryan Shea and Sebastian Aho. While Jones admitted to not knowing much about Muse or his preferred style of play, he is confident his performance can make an impact at the NHL level.
“I just felt like the opportunity to come to Pittsburgh and kind of be a regular guy every night and really fully be established was something too good to pass up,” he said. “I had a lot of communication with management and the coaches, and I just felt really good about the opportunity I was going to have. I’m really excited. I think we’ll have a good team, and I think it’s going to be a great chance for me to come in, show what I can do and really earn a spot.”
Jones, 28, has 248 games at the NHL level under his belt across seven seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, and LA Kings. He appeared in six games with the Kings last season, but spent the majority of the year in the AHL with the Ontario Reign. His most extended look in the NHL came during the 2022-23 season, when he registered career highs in games played (73), points (16), penalty minutes (40), blocked shots (118), and hits (116).
Penguins Sign Justin Brazeau, Caleb Jones To Two-Year Deals
The Penguins have signed UFA winger Justin Brazeau to a two-year, $3MM contract with a $1.5MM cap hit, Darren Dreger of TSN reports. The team confirmed that deal and also announced a two-year, $1.8MM contract for defenseman Caleb Jones with a cap hit of $900,000.
While the Penguins haven’t been involved with any of the big-name free agents (as expected), GM Kyle Dubas has been busy adding depth pieces, including signing defender Parker Wotherspoon and bringing back forwards Connor Dewar and Philip Tomasino on one-year deals. The strategy aligns with what Dubas outlined for free agency: targeting players under 30 who can compete for roster spots alongside emerging prospects.
Brazeau, 27, provides the Penguins with a physical depth winger with some offensive upside. The 6-foot-6, 227-pound Brazeau recorded 11 goals and 22 points over 76 games last season, split between the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild. However, his offensive production dipped during his 19-game stint with the Wild, where he managed just two points while averaging 8:33 of ice time per game. He’ll likely compete for a spot on the Penguins’ bottom-six, with prospects like Joona Koppanen, Avery Hayes, Samuel Poulin, and Filip Hallander waiting in the wings. The Penguins currently have 12 forwards on one-way contracts for next season — not including Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, who are expected to start the year in Pittsburgh’s lineup — so it’s likely Dubas still has moves to make to trim that group.
Jones, 28, skated in six games for the Los Angeles Kings last season and spent the rest of the season with their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. The lefty has skated in 248 games at the NHL level across seven seasons, producing 14 goals and 55 points. While he’ll compete for a spot on the Penguins’ bottom pairing, he’s likely to start the season in the AHL, where he provides valuable veteran depth if needed.
Los Angeles Kings Recall Six Black Aces
As they look to stave off elimination in Game 6, the Los Angeles Kings announced several recalls. According to the announcement, forwards Andre Lee, Francesco Pinelli, Jack Studnicka, Taylor Ward, defenseman Caleb Jones, and netminder Pheonix Copley have been recalled as black aces.
Pinelli is the only player of the group who hasn’t debuted in the NHL yet. Although he has mild NHL experience, Studnicka did not play with the Kings during the regular season.
The remaining four all enjoyed limited playing time with Los Angeles this year. Lee appeared in the most contests, scoring one goal and two assists in 19 games while averaging 9:10 of ice time per game.
Los Angeles likely recalled players solely based on their past NHL experience. They did not promote any of the Reign’s top four point scorers (although Jeff Malott is already on the team) or the top five players with the best +/- ratings.
Still, it’s unlikely any of the six call-ups will play in Game 6 for the Kings. Entering their first elimination game of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, Tanner Jeannot remains the only injured member on the roster. Without any meaningful injury updates after Game 5, it’s unlikely any of today’s recalls will suit up for the Kings.
Kings Recall Taylor Ward, Reassign Caleb Jones
There will now be two Taylor Wards in the Los Angeles area. The Kings announced they’ve recalled Ward from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on an emergency basis and reassigned defenseman Caleb Jones in a corresponding roster move.
While the other Ward has patrolled left field for the MLB’s Los Angeles Angels for the last eight years, the Kings’ Ward has spent the last three-and-a-half years with AHL Ontario, including the 2024-25 AHL season. After a four-year career with the NCAA’s University of Nebraska-Omaha program, Los Angeles brought Ward into the organization as a collegiate free agent in 2022.
He’s been a capable tertiary scorer for the Reign, scoring 35 goals and 59 points in 223 AHL contests. Without having much in the way of postseason experience, Ward has registered two goals and eight points in 14 playoff games. There’s no word on whether or not he’ll suit up for the Kings tonight. Still, they have nothing to lose by allowing him to make his NHL debut.
Meanwhile, Jones was recalled on an emergency basis only a few days ago. He appeared in his first NHL contest in five months, registering zero points against the Seattle Kraken after accruing 11:20 of ice time. Jones, as Ward will eventually, will now be tasked with helping the Reign in their pursuit of the Calder Cup.
Transactions Notes: Hurricanes, Jones, Carrick, Bjarnason, Copponi
Having already clinched the second playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes had the opportunity to rest a few players for tomorrow night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. Keeping that in mind, the Hurricanes announced they’ve recalled forwards Skyler Brind’Amour and Bradly Nadeau and defensemen Domenick Fensore and Riley Stillman from their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to fill in for the resting players.
Brind’Amour’s recall is significant for a few reasons. He’ll make his NHL debut tomorrow night against the Canadiens and will be the first NHL player to be coached by his father at the top level since Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry was briefly coached by his father, Dave Lowry, for 54 games in the 2021-22 NHL season.
Meanwhile, Nadeau and Fensore (who will also debut tomorrow night) are two of Carolina’s top prospects already playing in North America. Nadeau led the Wolves in scoring this season, managing 30 goals and 56 points in 63 games, while Fensore scored nine goals and 32 points in 66 contests.
Other transactions from around the league:
- According to a team announcement, the Los Angeles Kings have recalled defenseman Caleb Jones from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on an emergency basis. Although he won’t be filling in for a defenseman, Jones’s recall is likely in response to Quinton Byfield sustaining an injury in last night’s contest against the Edmonton Oilers. Per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, Oilers’ defenseman Darnell Nurse will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Byfield, leading to his injury.
- In another emergency recall, the Oilers have promoted defenseman Connor Carrick to the NHL level. Carrick’s recall could be due to the five defensemen injured on the Oilers’ blue line or because of the expected suspension looming for Nurse. The 31-year-old defenseman has scored 17 goals and 39 points in 60 games for the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors this year.
- Per the AHL transactions page and publicized by Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Flyers have reassigned goaltender prospect Carson Bjarnason to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Bjarnason was the fourth netminder taken off the board in the 2023 NHL Draft as the 51st overall pick and recently produced a 22-15-3 record in 40 games with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings with a .913 SV% and 2.93 GAA.
- In another move by the Oilers organization, their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield announced they’ve signed forward Matt Copponi to an amateur tryout agreement for the rest of the 2024-25 AHL season. Copponi, drafted by Edmonton with the 216th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, recently lost the 2025 NCAA National Championship with Boston University. Still, he was an effective secondary scorer for the Terriers’ program, putting up eight goals and 24 points in 40 contests this season.
Kings’ Caleb Jones Clears Waivers, Reassigned To AHL
12/9: The Kings organization confirmed Jones has successfully cleared waivers as the team announced they’ve reassigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.
12/8: The Los Angeles Kings have placed defender Caleb Jones on waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Jones was placed on injured reserve on November 15th, after sustaining an upper-body injury in November 13th’s loss to Colorado. He’s missed nine games since, nearly double the five games he’s played in so far this season. Jones hasn’t recorded any scoring thus far. This move will give him a chance to find his health, and scoring, with more minutes in the minor leagues.
Jones played in 12 AHL games last season – scoring six points – but has otherwise been a full-time NHL defender since the 2019-20 season. He’s played with four different clubs in that span, starting his career in 2018-19 with Edmonton. Jones gradually climbed the Oilers’ depth chart, working from the AHL, to a role as a routine call-up, then eventually becoming Edmonton’s seventh defender. He scored 19 points across three seasons and 93 games in Edmonton, all before the age of 23. That was enough promise to make Jones a focal piece in the trade that sent an aged Duncan Keith from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Edmonton Oilers. The Blackhawks continued to rotate Jones through the lineup, awarding him 51 games in 2021-22 and 73 games in 2022-23. He scored 15 and 16 points in the respective seasons, prompting Chicago to leave Jones unsigned in the 2023 off-season. He signed in Carolina, but was traded to Colorado before the start of the 2023-24 season. Jones continued to serve a minor role with the Avalanche, recording five assists in 25 NHL games and six assists in 12 AHL games.