While the NHL and many leagues in North America are in the the midst of their offseasons because of the coronavirus pandemic, several leagues in Europe and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League have already opened play for the 2020-21 season.

Seventeen of the Penguins’ prospects or minor leaguers are currently playing, primarily in Europe. Here is a weekly look at their progress:

• On Saturday, forward Jan Drozg and HK Olimpija Ljubljana, a Slovenian team in the multi-country Alps Hockey League, played for the first time since Oct. 24, having been on hiatus because of coronavirus concerns. In a 5-1 win against the Wipptal Broncos, Drozg returned in a big way by scoring two goals and recording an assist.

Drozg, 21, was the Penguins’ fifth-round pick (No. 152 overall) in 2017 and is entering the second year of a three-year entry-level contract.

• Also on Saturday, in the Latvian Hockey Higher League, forward Raivis Ansons and HK Zemgale returned to action after being sidelined since Sept. 30 because of coronavirus concerns. In a 6-4 home loss to HK Dinaburga, Ansons was held without a point and recorded four penalty minutes. A fifth-round pick (No. 149 overall), in this year’s draft, Ansons has yet to sign with the Penguins.

• Forward Drew O’Connor made his debut Saturday for the Manglerud Star during a 6-3 home victory against Gruner in Norway’s Eliteserien. In 15:08 of ice time, O’Connor was held without a point. He followed that up on Sunday by scoring his first goal in a 5-4 home loss to Frisk Asker. The 22-year-old O’Connor was an undrafted free agent signing in March and is entering the first year of a two-year entry-level contract.

• Forward Sam Poulin and the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) are not scheduled to play again until Dec. 4. The QMJHL will stage a seven-team tournament in Quebec City from Nov. 17 through 27 and will exclude teams such as Sherbooke which have not met league-mandated quarantine protocols. Poulin will not be completely idle, however, as he is participating in Hockey Canada’s national junior team selection camp which began in Red Deer, Alberta on Sunday.

Poulin, 19, was the Penguins’ first-round pick (No. 21 overall) in 2019. He is signed to a three-year entry-level contract which has yet to begin.

• Defenseman Santeri Airola made his season debut Thursday after being transferred from Ilves of Finland’s top-tier Liiga to Koovee of the second-tier Mestis. Airola, sidelined since suffering an undisclosed injury in the preseason, recorded an assist for Koovee, which defeated Vantaa, 4-3. A seventh-round pick in 2019 (No. 211 overall), Airola, 21, has yet to sign with the Penguins.

• In the Liiga, forward Kasper Bjorkqvist had a goal for KooKoo in a 5-2 home win against Pelicans on Friday.

The 23-year-old Bjorkqvist, a second-round pick (No. 61 overall) in 2016, is entering the second year of a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.

• Defenseman Niclas Almari, currently assigned to Pelicans, will remain sidelined for two to four weeks with an undisclosed injury. The 22-year-old Almari, a fifth-round pick (No. 151) in 2016, is entering the second year of a three-year entry-level contract.

• Elsewhere in the Liiga, forward Valtteri Puustinen had a goal for HPK in a 3-2 road loss to Assat on Friday.

On Saturday, Puustinen recorded two assists in a 3-2 shootout loss at home against KooKoo. Puustinen, 21, was a seventh-round pick (No. 203 overall) in 2019 who has yet to sign with the Penguins.

• Also with HPK, goaltender Emil Larmi made 24 saves on 27 shots against Assat then stopped 25 of 27 shots versus KooKoo. The undrafted Larmi, 24, is entering the second-year of a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.

• Forward Nathan Legare had a power-play goal for Baie-Comeau Drakkar in a 4-2 home loss to Rimouski Oceanic on Sunday in the QMJHL.

Legare, 19, was a third-round pick (No. 74 overall) in 2019 who is signed to a three-year entry-level contract (which has yet to begin) with the Penguins.

• Forward Radim Zohorna had goal for BK Mladá Boleslav in a 2-1 road win against HC Kometa Brno on Wednesday. He followed that up on Friday with another goal during a 3-2 home loss to HC Kometa Brno.

The undrafted Zohorna, 24, is signed to a one-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.

• In Sweden’s HockeyAllsvensken, defenseman Jesper Lindgren recorded a primary assist for MODO in a 5-2 road win against Vasby on Wednesday.

Lindgren, 23, is entering the final year of a three-year entry-level contract. The Penguins acquired him in a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs in August.

• Defenseman Cam Lee recorded a secondary assist for HC Slovan Bratislava in a 7-4 road win against HK Dukla Ingema Michalovce on Thursday. The 23-year-old Lee was an undrafted free agent signing in March who is entering the first year of a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.

• Goaltender Joel Blomqvist made 25 saves on 27 shots for Hermes in a 3-1 road loss to RoKi on Friday in the Mestis. Blomqvist, 18, was a second-round pick (No. 52 overall) in this year’s draft who has yet to sign with the Penguins.

• Forward Pontus Aberg recorded a secondary assist for Traktor Chelyabinsk in a 5-3 home win against Kunlun Red Star during a game in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League on Saturday. The 24-year-old Aberg is an unsigned restricted free agent whose rights the Penguins acquired from the Maple Leafs in an August trade.

Statistics

Forwards and defensemen

Goaltenders

*-Current team

(All figures are through Sunday.)

Follow the Penguins all season long.

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