Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have a goaltender Sergei Murashov often leaving opposing shooters wondering.
And at 21 years old, the Pittsburgh prospect is providing plenty of answers in his first full AHL season, while also learning.
Murashov has been near the top of the leaderboard among American Hockey League goaltenders for 2025-26. He is currently 20-6-1 in 28 games for the Penguins, ranked third with a 2.13 goals-against average, fourth with a .924 save percentage and tied for third with three shutouts — most recently a 25-save shutout of Bridgeport on Sunday afternoon.
By Murashov and Joel Blomqvist (9-4-3, 2.57, .911) by splitting the scoring duties, the Penguins can present a one-two challenge to opponents, creating a dangerous playing time to come.
Murashov’s quickness and agility are immediately apparent. However, above all, a strong willingness to challenge yourself and learn. It’s a combination of pragmatism, gratitude and longing, and an acknowledgment that even though fear exists, it can be controlled.
“One of the greatest things in life is to just accept what is offered,” explains Murashov.
Murashov wasn’t a certain prospect on a fast track to the NHL. Pittsburgh made him a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and he came through Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s junior development program, appearing in seven games in the KHL. It would have been easier for him to stay in Yaroslavl, the city of his birth, to continue playing until he felt ready to come to North America.
Murashov showed real promise, but many young players have promise.
So he took a chance and pushed himself into an uncomfortable position. First came the development camp with Pittsburgh in 2024, his first trip to the United States – although he arrived already able to speak English. It was a chance for the Penguins to see him up close, but it also gave the 20-year-old Murashov a chance to test what he might be up against in North America.
Three weeks later, he signed a three-year contract with Pittsburgh. It was an opportunity, sure, but one with a significant uphill climb attached to it.
Pittsburgh’s president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas has long believed in the organization’s three-tier system that prioritizes development at both the AHL and ECHL levels, dating back to his time with the Toronto Marlies and Maple Leafs. With a depth chart that includes Blomqvist, Philip Larsson again Taylor GauthierMurashov went to Wheeling in the ECHL to start his rookie season.
Indeed, the opportunities open to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Murashov played so well that he even got a game in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
This season, Murashov has taken another big step forward. After a strong NHL preseason, he was named the AHL’s Goaltender of the Month for October. Soon after, he made his NHL debut, looking good in a 24-save effort against Los Angeles. He stayed with Pittsburgh in the 2025 NHL Global Series and earned his first NHL win – shutout – against Nashville in a game played in Stockholm, Sweden.
He has even slowed down. He has helped Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to a 35-13-3-2 record thus far, good for third in the league standings. He also represented the Penguins at the AHL All-Star Classic in Rockford earlier this month.
Murashov is able to embrace both process and routine while being able to step outside of them when the opportunity to do so presents itself.
“I really like our team – getting to the rank, working with high-level people, learning from the coaches, and focusing on the process,” explained Murashov. “But at the same time, we have these moments in the season where you – I wouldn’t say we turn off our minds, but we just change the place and we get new feelings, new memories, which are really precious.”
A new age brings life challenges and changes for anyone, hockey player or otherwise. For Murashov, he had to do it far from home and in a second language while trying to play for himself in the NHL. If a person likes to read, as Murashov does, it has brought ample opportunity for learning and self-examination.
So what did he learn about himself?
“That’s a really good question,” said Murashov. “I think that first of all I can be confident and confident that I have the inner strength to face any challenges I have in my life. I can also say that learning this culture, Hockey is just a game, you have to enjoy playing it.
“I think a lot of different things, actually. Always be grateful for whatever is given to you. Accept the truth as it is … I can also thank the many really precious people I have met along the way and I am grateful for them.”
AHL coaches often point out that they have players in front of them several hours a day. That means most of the time you are not in the ranks. As with any area of life, that time can be good or those hours without a person’s passion can cause problems. Murashov used this time to grow. If a player’s off-ice life is stressful or homesick or feels inadequate, problems on the ice may follow.
Murashov cites his curiosity and coaching ability as factors that have helped him succeed.
“That’s the lesson I learned about myself – that I have it inside me,” he said. “Thank you to the Penguins organization and all the coaches. They helped a lot with the adjustments to make me comfortable. But I’m always curious. Even now, I’m still learning. I’m afraid to go to Amazon and look for what you have here.
“But, at the same time, just do new things. Don’t be afraid. Get over your fear and enjoy it.”
In the American Hockey League for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams and currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the league’s top scorer in 2016.
