Penguins forward Boko Imama seeks ways 'to be relevant here'

The energy was easy to recognize.

Or just hear.

When Pittsburgh Penguins forward Boko Imama threw three checks in the span of 17 seconds midway through a 3-2 overtime home win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, it captivated a rapt audience that offered plenty of hoots and hollers at the action.

And in this case, the audience was contained in the suite on the press box level that houses Penguins management. Members of the team’s front office offered audibly vocal approval on the trio of checks Imama landed on Golden Knights defensemen.

Nicolas Hague was the lucky one. He was tagged only once. His defensive partner, Alex Pietrangelo, was peppered twice by the imposing Imama.

The reaction in the management suite might have only been surpassed by Imama’s teammates on the bench.

“He just fires everybody up,” Penguins forward Bryan Rust said. “He’s going out there doing what he likes to do, doing what he does best. It brought a lot of energy to the bench.”

That sequence unfolded over Imama’s fifth and final shift of the contest. In total, he logged a game-low 4 minutes, 6 seconds of ice time.

That correlation largely illustrates Imama’s recognition of needing to maximize his limited ice time.

“Just trying to make a difference out there,” Imama said Wednesday in Cranberry. “Make sure my presence is being felt. Physicality is a big part of my game. I’ve got to do what I can to be relevant here.”

Imama’s relevancy increased a bit during Wednesday’s practice when he was elevated to the left wing of the third line that included Kevin Hayes at center and Emil Bemstrom at the right wing.

It’s curious if those changes will hold until Thursday’s home contest against the St. Louis Blues. But Imama, who has all of 25 career games in the NHL, is grateful for any station he can inhabit.

“Every time just being in the lineup, it’s very precious for me,” said Imama, who was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Jan. 25. “I don’t take anything for granted. I just want to maximize the opportunity that is given to me. I’m just staying true to myself. Focusing on what I have to do, what I can bring to the team. It doesn’t matter where I play in the lineup.”

In his eighth professional season, Imama has set a modest career-high with 10 games this season (along with no points). While he isn’t fixated on the figures, just being — existing — in the NHL for this much time has been a profound experience for Imama, a pending unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason.

“Every day I wake up, I wake up with a big smile on my face,” Imama said. “Walking to the rink, it’s just so great. But obviously, I’m looking at the long term. I want to be back here next year with this group. I don’t really look at the career highs or whatnot. I’m just trying to make sure that I can be in this league. I just want to prove to the staff as well, the coaches, that I belong here for sure.”

Hallander leads the way

AP

The Swedish Hockey League completed its regular season Wednesday, and Penguins forward prospect Filip Hallander finished the campaign’s scoring race in second place with 53 points (26 goals, 27 assists) while skating in 51 games for Timra.

A second-round draft pick (No. 58 overall) in 2018, Hallander, 24, also set a single-season scoring record for Timra, breaking a mark previously established by NHL All-Star forward Henrik Zetterberg, who had 50 points (19 goals, 31 assists) in 50 games during the 2004-05 season.

Målet som gör att Filip Hållander passerar Henrik Zetterberg, Filip gick under gårdagen upp på 52 poäng och är därmed klubbens mesta poänggörare i SHL genom tiderna. pic.twitter.com/eFtj66kqKr

— Timrå IK (@timra_ik) March 9, 2025

(Note: The record Hallander established is for seasons when Timra competed in Sweden’s top-tier league. Relegation to lower-tier leagues is common in that country.)

Hallander briefly skated for the Penguins, appearing in three NHL games over two seasons before returning to his home country as a free agent in 2023.

But the Penguins still retain his NHL rights and have expressed interest in a reunion after this season.

“Timra has done an excellent job with Filip, and he has continued to make major strides developmentally the last two seasons,” Penguins president of hockey operations Dubas communicated to TribLive in December. “Though (bringing) Filip over to North America remains a great priority for the Penguins, our primary focus right now is continuing to try and support him and Timra to allow Filip to help Timra win a championship this season and continue being called for the Swedish National Team.

“Per the transfer agreement in place, we are not eligible to sign and register a contract for Filip until after Timra’s season concludes.”

Practice notes

AP

In 30 games this season, Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea has five points (two goals, three assists).

• Injured Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea took to the ice for a workout before Wednesday’s practice. He remains “week-to-week” due to an undisclosed injury, according to coach Mike Sullivan.

Forward Tommy Novak (day-to-day) and P.O Joseph (indefinite) remain status quo in their recoveries from unspecified maladies. Joseph is designated to injured reserve.

• Defenseman Sebastien Aho and forward Matt Nieto were quietly shuffled between the NHL and American Hockey League rosters overnight after being recalled Tuesday under emergency roster conditions. Both participated in Wednesday’s practice and operated as a fourth defensive pairing.

• Defensive prospect Chase Pietila, who signed a three-year entry-level contract with the team Sunday, took to the ice following practice Wednesday.

A fourth-round draft pick (No. 111 overall) in 2024, Pietila is expected to join Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an amateur tryout basis for the remainder of the season.