Penguins forward prospect Tanner Howe offers a blend of offense, agitation

Tanner Howe has a pretty obvious idol for anyone who has grown up in Canada over the past 18 years.

“Sidney Crosby,” said Howe, a native of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. “Just growing up, watching and seeing what he’s done. It’s crazy. To be drafted to the same team is pretty cool. It’s just how he carries himself off the ice. The career he’s had so far, it’s pretty crazy.

“He’s definitely someone that I look up to.”

Howe, a forward who the Pittsburgh Penguins selected in the second round (No. 46 overall) in last month’s draft, may hold Crosby up in a reverential fashion. But as far as Howe’s playing style goes, another star from Nova Scotia is the archetype he tries to mimic as an offensively gifted agitator.

“You look at (Boston Bruins forward) Brad Marchand, he’s really good at that,” Howe said. “It just adds some fun to the game, brings some excitement. It’s something that I enjoy doing. There’s not a lot of people that do it. I take pride in it.”

Another point of pride presumably came Wednesday as the Penguins signed Howe to a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $875,000 according to Puckpedia.

While Howe will likely return to the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League next season (and could remain with that team until the 2025-26 campaign), the fact that Penguins management saw it as a priority to collect his autograph barely a week after drafting him suggests how much the organization values him.

“A highly competitive player,” Penguins director of amateur scouting Nick Pryor said. “Undersized in stature. But he’s a strong kid for being undersized. High compete, a high-motor player that has skill and offense to his game as well. We were really excited to get Tanner. We felt good about the spot that we got him.”

Howe, 18, stepped into a challenging spot last season with the Pats. After linemate Connor Bedard’s departure as the first overall selection of the 2023 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, Howe replaced him as captain.

Without Bedard driving the offense, Howe’s figures dropped. After posting 85 points (36 goals, 49 assists) in 67 games in 2022-23, Howe generated a team-leading 77 points (28 goals, 49 assists) in 68 contests.

Tanner Howe, checking in!@WHLPats pic.twitter.com/htauidvsSy

— The WHL (@TheWHL) October 8, 2023

Howe’s personal feats took a backseat to team success (or lack thereof).

“It was a little bit of a different season,” said Howe, who participated in the Penguins’ development camp in Cranberry this week. “Last year (2022-23), making the playoffs and having a little bit better of a team and doing well in the standings. This year (2023-24), it went different. Not making the playoffs … it was tough. Being a younger captain, it was definitely hard.”

Hard is a pretty accurate way to describe what it’s like to play against Howe. If nothing else, it’s the only four-letter word suitable for this publication in detailing his abrasive nature.

“He’s hard to play against,” said fellow Penguins forward prospect Brayden Yager, a childhood friend who competes against Howe in the WHL. “He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s got a big heart and he plays with so much passion. Super hard to play against in the corners. Little cheap shots sometimes. He gets under your skin.”

For Howe, his preferred method of bellicosity is more physical than verbal.

“I’m not the biggest chirper, but if things need to be said, I’ll say it,” explained Howe, who was second on the Pats last season with 77 penalty minutes. “But I think it’s just stopping in front of the net, agitating a goalie, getting him off his game. Behind the play, slashing a guy, something like that. There’s so many little details that go into it and help teams win.”

At 5-foot-11 and 182 pounds, Howe isn’t blessed with size. But he doesn’t suffer from a deficit of courage.

“When I play, I play a lot bigger than I look,” Howe said. “Maybe that comes from my parents. Growing up, my childhood, I always hung around bigger, stronger people, people that were older than me. Working out with older people, I think helps a lot because that pushes you to try to be stronger.

“I’m a very competitive person. I like that side of the game.”