Three players from the current U18 Pens roster will capitalize on their status as Affiliate Players, and utilize the upcoming off-weekend to gain valuable junior hockey experience.

Leading scorer Roman Kraemer (23 G / 23 A / 46 PTS) will join the Johnstown Tomahawks for a Saturday/Sunday weekend road set against the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Knights (and former Pens Elite forward Paul Maust). Kraemer will join past Pens Elite players Logan Stork, Adam Pilewicz, Dalton Hunter, and Tommy Horn on the Tomahawks roster, as the list of Pens Elite players to make an impact in Johnstown continues to grow. Head Coach Kevin Quinn on Kraemer, "Roman has really stood out as one of the top forwards in the Tier 1 Elite League. He has worked extremely hard and has earned this opportunity. We are excited to see all of our players play at the next level and he is definitely a next level player." And Kraemer on his expectations for this week, "I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to practice and play with Johnstown this weekend. I believe that my development throughout the year with the Pens has prepared me for this opportunity to play at the next level of hockey. My goal for the weekend is to push myself during each game and practice and to not only gain the experience of playing junior hockey, but also to succeed and be a contributing factor in both games for the Tomahawks. I am also looking forward to getting to know the guys on the team and the coaching staff better throughout this week."

Assistant Captain Stephen Rex (12 G / 28 A / 40 PTS) will join the first-place Aston Rebels as they battle the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Knights on Friday at home. Rex has made the most of his second year with the Midget Majors, as he has already exceeded his goals, assists, and points totals from the previous year in addition to pacing the team in Plus/Minus with a +29 marker. He is also one of four Pens Elite players to average over a point a game so far this year, joining Kraemer, Johns, and Olen. Rex had this to say about his weekend, "I'm very thankful to the Aston Rebels for the opportunity to join them this weekend, it's great to see how a team experiencing success at the next level prepares and maintains those high standards throughout the season. It's been a good test to see how my speed and my overall style of play will translate to junior hockey and this experience will help me not only the rest of this season, but also ready me to make the jump to the next level the following year."

Defenseman Tanner Palocsik (2 G / 16 A / 18 PTS) will make the long journey into the heart of the NAHL South Division, as he will suit up for the Amarillo Bulls in the Texas Panhandle as they battle the Topeka RoadRunners in a two-game home set. Palocsik has separated himself with his skating and high hockey-IQ during the course of the 2016-2017 season, and gained a ton of confidence from his experience at the T1EHL All-Star Showcase in Minnesota last month. Defensive Coach Aaron Siegel had this to say about Palocsik and his development, "It's great to see Tanner get this opportunity. He's the type of kid who is constantly working hard on and off the ice to get himself to the next level. Getting chances like this to showcase his speed and skills is an indicator that teams at the next level are seeing what we've seen all season from him. We certainly wish him well this weekend."

Best of luck guys!