CHL notebook: Penguins prospect Howe blossoming after WHL trade to Calgary

Future NHL stars are developing in the Canadian Hockey League this season. Each week, NHL.com will highlight a few of the top NHL-affiliated prospects in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.

Tanner Howe has gotten a crash course on how to handle adversity this season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect had to deal with his first trade and a disappointing finish at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, but has managed to stay on the right track for a jump to pro hockey next season.

Howe was 10 games into his fourth full season with Regina of the WHL, and his second as captain, when he was traded to Calgary on Nov. 21.

After missing the WHL playoffs last season and struggling this season, Regina shifted into a rebuild and traded several older players, including Howe.

"It was definitely shocking," the 19-year-old said. "I had an idea that the team was kind of going through a bit of a rebuild. There was a couple trades before me. ... You have thoughts in your head, but you don't really expect it until it actually happens. It hit me pretty hard, but I was just super happy to come to a contender and such a great team like I am in Calgary."

Howe said he needed about 10 games to find his footing in an entirely new situation.

"There's definitely a bit of adjustment," he said. "I put my four years in Regina. My billets there, they're a really big part of who I was and stuff like that. It was a little bit of an adjustment moving here, much bigger city and stuff like that. Obviously the first couple games felt a little weird, but kind of after you play those first 10 games, you feel comfortable, you know everyone and you've made good connections with coaches, things like that. I'd say probably took a good 10 games."

Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza was able to lend his experience to the adjustment; during his four seasons in the OHL, he was traded twice.

"I think the biggest thing that I tried to share with him,” Spezza said, “is just not to go in and expect to be an impact player right away, or put too much pressure on yourself. When you go to a good team, which he went to, you'll find your way amongst that team. Just don't expect it to be easy. And he didn't. And I think that that's why he's been able to come out and now be on the other side of it and feel really good and be a big contributor."

Howe has done that, with 39 points (12 goals, 27 assists) in 35 games with Calgary, including 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in his past seven games to help the team clinch a playoff spot with the third-best record in the league (44-16-6).

He has also remained productive after being part of a Canada team that finished fifth at the World Juniors. His only goal in five games came in a 4-3 loss to Czechia in the quarterfinals.

Howe said the early elimination "felt like we kind of let the country down in a way." But after a few days off, his mindset shifted from disappointment to motivation to show he could be part of a winning team.

"We have a job to do here in Calgary, and it's my main focus now," he said. "Coming back to Calgary, since I wasn't able to win anything there, we come back here so I can win something here."

The Penguins player development group was there for support, but Spezza said Howe handled things well.

In the long run, Spezza believes having these kind of tough moments now will serve Howe well when he begins his pro career next season.

"The NHL is not for the faint of heart," Spezza said. "Every game is a must-win. For younger junior players to get hardened through experience is great, and it can really benefit these guys as they become pro hockey players. I have no concerns with Tanner in that front because he's handled it well and had a good second half here."

The biggest gains for Howe, a second-round pick (No. 46) in the 2024 NHL Draft, has been in what Spezza called his "pro habits."

"I would say probably his consistency off the puck has gotten better in terms of his ability to reload, his ability to kind of keep a high pace during a shift, and I think he's just grown in a lot of his kind of smaller habits that I call pro habits that we're trying to really encourage him to get better at," he said. "I think that's been, for me, the biggest area of growth."

Howe's immediate focus is helping Calgary go as far as it can in the WHL playoffs, but he said he also understands what comes next.

"During the past three years here, I think each year I've made a lot of progress," he said. "I think each summer I've gotten more determined to play pro hockey, and I have that mindset of being there next year. With a good summer I have a really good shot."

OTHERS TO WATCH

Sam Dickinson, D, London: The San Jose Sharks prospect had two goals and an assist in a 6-2 win against Windsor on Friday to give him 91 points (29 goals, 62 assists) in 55 games, the most in a season by a London defenseman, passing the previous mark of 87 points held by Evan Bouchard (2017-18) and Rick Corriveau (1990-91). The 18-year-old was selected by the Sharks with the No. 11 pick in the 2024 draft.

Rudy Guimond, G, Moncton: The Detroit Red Wings prospect made 26 saves in a 3-0 win against Cape Breton on March 13 for his third shutout in 15 games this season. Since making his QMJHL debut Dec. 8, the 19-year-old is 15-0-0 with a 1.52 goals-against average and .948 save percentage, and has allowed two goals or fewer in 13 of his 15 games. He was selected by the Red Wings in the sixth round (No. 169) of the 2023 NHL Draft.

Evan Gardner, G, Saskatoon: The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect made 20 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to Prince Albert on Friday, and is 5-0-1 with a 1.51 goals-against average, .949 save percentage and two shutouts in seven games since returning March 5 from a lower-body injury that kept him out for a month. He also had a personal shutout streak of 178:06 that included back-to-back shutouts against Swift Current and Regina on March 14 and March 16. The news got even better for the 19-year-old, a second-round pick (No. 60) in the 2024 draft, when he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. In 43 games this season, Gardner is 23-12-5 with a 2.79 GAA, .912 save percentage and three shutouts.