Penguins sign Peyton Kettles to three-year, entry-level contract

The Pittsburgh Penguins have agreed to terms with defense prospect Peyton Kettles on a three-year, entry-level contract, the club announced Monday afternoon.

Kettles, 18, has appeared in three games with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets this season, collecting one assist. He started the season with the Swift Current Broncos, playing in two games before being traded to Kelowna in exchange for Jackson Gillespie and five WHL draft picks.

The Penguins originally selected Kettles in the second round (No. 39 overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft. The 6’5″ right-handed defenseman underwent surgery late last week to address a shoulder injury and is currently sidelined indefinitely, according to the Rockets.

Kettles collected five goals and 14 points in 53 games with Swift Current in the 2024-25 regular season, adding two assists in five playoff contests with the club. If healthy, Kettles will be counted upon to play a significant role for Kelowna when they host the Memorial Cup next spring.

According to the Penguins, the expected recovery time for Kettles’ injury is six to seven months, which would make it somewhat tricky — but certainly not impossible — for him to return in time for the Memorial Cup in late May.

The Penguins selected four players inside the first 40 picks of the 2025 draft, with Kettles following immediately after their three first-round selections: Ben Kindel, Bill Zonnon, and William Horcoff. The early returns from the Penguins’ 2025 class have been outstanding, with Kindel already in the NHL and Horcoff among the NCAA’s scoring leaders.

A Winnipeg product and one of the youngest players in the 2025 draft, Kettles won gold with Team Canada at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He made his WHL debut with Swift Current in the 2022-23 season and emerged as a regular with the Broncos the following year. In 121 career games over four WHL seasons, Kettles has collected eight goals and 30 points; he’s added four assists in 13 playoff contests.