AHL suspends Howe, Imama, forcing Penguins to open semifinal short-handed

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton lost two forwards for the first game of its Atlantic Division semifinal, a blow that changes the shape of the series before the puck drops. On April 22, the AHL Player Safety Committee suspended Tanner Howe and Bokondji Imama, leaving the Penguins short-handed at a stage of the playoffs where one lineup hole can alter matchups, minutes and special teams from the opening shift.

Howe’s case carries the clearest playoff impact. The suspension came out of the April 18 game against Rochester, when he was assessed a major cross-checking penalty and a game misconduct at 10:58 of the second period. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton still rolled to an 8-0 win, but Howe’s availability for the semifinal opener is gone, and that removes a forward who had already been at the center of the game’s nastiest exchange.

Imama’s absence is different, but just as costly for the Penguins’ opening-night plans. The league ruled that he received an automatic one-game suspension under AHL Rule 23.4 after collecting his second game misconduct in the abuse-of-officials category this season. In that same April 18 game, he was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, then misconduct, then a game misconduct for abuse of officials at 10:37 of the third period. The rule-based suspension means Wilkes-Barre/Scranton now has to replace not just a body, but a player whose discipline history has already pushed him out of the lineup.

The effect is immediate for a Penguins team that clinched its 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs berth on March 20 and is making its 21st postseason appearance in 25 tries since joining the AHL in 1999. In a 2026 playoff field of 23 teams, with best-of-three first rounds and best-of-five division semifinals, the opening game matters more because there is less time to recover from a bad start. Losing two forwards before the first semifinal faceoff forces Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to reshuffle its lines and absorb the load elsewhere.

The same league announcement also handed Belleville defenseman Djibril Touré two games for an illegal check to the head and Rockford defenseman Andrew Perrott one game under Rule 23.7 after his 11th fighting major. Tucson defenseman Max Szuber was suspended for two games for slashing against Henderson, though because the Roadrunners’ season was complete, that penalty will be served the next time he is active on an AHL roster. For Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, though, the consequence is right now: Game 1 of the semifinal arrives with two forwards already sitting out.