AHL: Matt Dumba Named Player of The Week

Originally posted on Inside The Rink | By JC Giff | Last updated Feb 2, 2026 4:34 PM ET

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are gaining momentum after winning two straight games. On Sunday, they dominated the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 6–2. One night earlier, they handled the Syracuse Crunch with a convincing 4–1 victory. As a result, the Penguins now hold a 3-1-1-0 record over their last five games. More importantly, after 41 games, they sit second in the Atlantic Division. With a 29-12-2-2 record and 62 points, they trail the Providence Bruins by just three points. Meanwhile, defenseman Matt Dumba earned AHL Player of the Week honors following a standout weekend. He played a major role in both victories, recording one goal and five assists while posting a plus-four rating. Notably, Dumba tallied four assists in Sunday’s win over Lehigh Valley. In addition, he added a goal and an assist in Saturday’s victory against Syracuse.

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Matt Dumba

Dumba continues to make an immediate impact with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Originally, the Minnesota Wild selected him seventh overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He then spent the first ten years of his NHL career within the Wild organization. During the 2017–18 season, Dumba delivered the best offensive campaign of his career. That year, he recorded career highs with 14 goals, 36 assists, and 50 points. However, his career path shifted in 2023 when he signed as a free agent with the Arizona Coyotes. Later that season, Arizona traded him to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he appeared in 18 games. In July 2024, Dumba signed a free-agent contract with the Dallas Stars. While there, he played 63 games and contributed one goal and nine assists. Eventually, on July 10, 2025, Dallas traded him to the Penguins organization. Before joining Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Dumba had limited AHL experience. In fact, he had played only 23 AHL games during the 2012–13 season with the Iowa Wild and Houston Aeros. This season, however, he has become a key contributor. Through 17 games with the Penguins, Dumba has recorded two goals and nine assists, totaling 11 points.