KOSTOPOULOS SETS TONE, EXAMPLE AT DEVELOPMENT CAMP

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Tom Kostopoulos had a 19-year career in pro hockey, including over 600 games in the National Hockey League. However, he had to grind for close to five years before solidifying himself as a regular NHLer.

Now that his playing days are over, he’s climbed the ranks in the Pittsburgh Penguins front office at a similar pace.

Kostopoulos was promoted to the Penguins Director of Player Development in late June, taking over the role from the departed Scott Young. Kostopoulos had spent the past four seasons as Development Coach, working with the team’s prospects not only in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but also throughout college and major junior ranks.

This year’s development camp was Kostopoulos’ first in his new role, but also the club’s first since 2019. Kostopoulos, 43, said that the players at the camp would use this week to understand what the organization expects from its players, especially in the categories of compete level and work ethic. Moreover, he wanted to use this camp as an opportunity to show these players how hard he and the team’s staff will work for them, as well.

“We really wanted them to get to know how things work here and know that we’re all here for them,” Kostopoulos said. “It’s basically letting them know that there’s all these resources, there’s a team of people here for them. We’ll do anything we can to help them develop and reach the potential as a hockey player and young men.”

Kostopoulos knows all about development from his accomplished playing career. Growing up in Mississauga, Ontario, hockey came naturally. He idolized the Toronto Maple Leafs, particularly Wendell Clark, and eventually left home to play junior hockey. It took until his final year of draft eligibility to hear his name called by an NHL team, but Pittsburgh took a flyer on Kostopoulos in the seventh round of the 1999 draft.

He turned pro that fall and joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for their inaugural season. It didn’t take long for Kostopoulos’ hard-nosed and unrelenting style to win over the hearts of Northeastern Pennsylvania hockey fans, and eventually, he parlayed that style into a long NHL career. Kostopoulos is one of four players in hockey history to play 600 games at both the NHL and AHL levels.

Now, Kostopoulos uses the lessons he learned over that 19-year career to help the Penguins of tomorrow reach their ceilings.

“Tom has done an excellent job developing and monitoring players at…