Kyle Crnkovic nets first AHL goal as Barracuda celebrate milestone

Kyle Crnkovic finally put his name on an AHL scoresheet in the way every young forward remembers: with his first goal, a milestone the San Jose Barracuda celebrated with a highlight video and a reminder that his development is still moving forward.

For San Jose, the goal mattered for more than the personal milestone. Crnkovic is a 23-year-old winger from Chestermere, Alberta, listed at 5-foot-7 and 165 pounds, and his path has been built on production at lower levels. He signed a one-year, two-way AHL contract with the Barracuda on Sept. 30, 2025, after a 52-point season in 72 ECHL games split between the Allen Americans and Fort Wayne Komets.

The Barracuda were betting on offense when they brought him in, and the early returns showed he could help in other ways before the first goal arrived. Crnkovic had played 17 games for San Jose this season and had collected five assists for six points before scoring, evidence that he had already found a way to stay involved in the lineup. For an AHL club tied directly to the San Jose Sharks, that kind of secondary scoring matters when the parent organization is looking for forwards who can eventually push for NHL depth roles.

Crnkovic’s profile also makes the milestone more interesting as a development marker. Before joining San Jose, he had appeared in six AHL games with the San Diego Gulls over his first two pro seasons and logged 132 ECHL games overall. Across those stops, he produced 106 points, 34 goals and 72 assists, plus 47 penalty minutes. That track record suggested a player who could score, but the first AHL goal is the clearest sign yet that his game may be starting to translate against stronger competition.

The Barracuda list Crnkovic among their forwards, and his first goal added another data point to a season that has increasingly looked like more than just an audition. At Tech CU Arena in San Jose, the franchise needs contributions from beyond the top names, and Crnkovic’s breakthrough hinted at a winger who could become part of that answer rather than just a placeholder on the roster.