CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — For as long as they’ve been playing hockey, the Pittsburgh Penguins have endured violence on the ice in Philadelphia.

On Monday, though, the Penguins probably didn’t even need to wear helmets. They would have been just fine, since the Philadelphia Flyers didn’t look too interested in causing trouble.

Boko Imama had something to do with that.

Imama, one of the NHL’s more feared heavyweights, made his season debut in Philadelphia and will travel with the Penguins as their road trip continues in Tampa Bay and Dallas.

“They definitely weren’t going to try and out-number us or anything like that, like the last time we played,” Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea said. “Not with Boko on the bench. He’s just one of those guys who has a presence about him.”

Indeed, the Penguins and Flyers’ meeting in Philadelphia a month earlier featured a couple of significant incidents, especially once the game went to overtime.

Monday’s game had a different feel.

Trevor Zegras, perhaps the noisiest of the Flyers, wasn’t going to challenge Imama. He wasn’t even interested in fighting Connor Clifton, whom Zegras gave a couple of fake headbutts to try to make Clifton flinch. Clifton just stood and stared.

Zegras was out here trying to pump fake Clifton into a penalty 😭 pic.twitter.com/V1eq3LE57M

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 2, 2025

The Penguins defenseman said Wednesday that he said something to Zegras before the flinch attempts.

“It’s happened to me before, people doing the fake things like that,” Clifton said. “But it never happened before with Zegras. I said, ‘As if I’m scared of you.’ Maybe someone else could have gotten me. But he wasn’t getting me.”

No Flyers wanted to get any Penguins on Monday. Not with Imama on the ice.

“Boko is one of those guys,” Clifton said. “I think everyone at the rink knows when that guy is on the ice. It’s always been that way with him.”

Imama offered a hearty laugh when he was told about Clifton’s comments. The 6-foot-1, 223-pound big man from Montreal is jolly — until he’s not.

The 29-year-old Imama, who has spent the past nine seasons largely in the AHL with the occasional NHL call-up mixed in, knows he’s responsible for protecting Sidney Crosby and the rest of the Penguins’ stars.

“I always think that having a so-called tough guy in the lineup can definitely help a hockey team,” Imama said. “Part of my job is to hold people in check. Your teammates can play with more of an edge and with more confidence when they have a guy like that on their team, and I know that. I don’t want to say I’m the only reason for that, of course, but it’s a part of what I bring. I think everyone in this organization knows that I’m very willing to do my job.”

Boko Imama is perfectly willing to fight if the situation calls for it, as it did against Columbus’ Mathieu Olivier last season. (Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)

Imama and noted Flyers pest Gartnet Hathaway had their moments last season. A blindside hit from Imama on Hathaway enraged former Flyers coach John Tortorella, who called for Imama to be suspended. After the game, Imama said he asked Hathaway to fight a few times, but Hathaway declined each time.

Imama again asked Hathaway to fight on Monday.

No dice.

“There’s just a difference when he’s out there,” Shea said of Imama. “I realize they didn’t have (Nick) Deslauriers (who has fought three times this season) on the ice. Hathaway is probably going to do his stuff no matter what. It’s unfortunate he didn’t answer with Boks.”

Though Imama’s ability to intimidate is a significant reason he’s in Pittsburgh — he fought twice last year in 16 NHL games (and another five times in 24 AHL games) — the organization doesn’t view him as a goon. The forward hit the post in the third period on Monday and enjoyed several solid shifts on the fourth line.

It was the best game the fourth line has played in weeks, and Imama’s teammates attributed that to his presence.

“That guy can play,” Clifton said. “He played a really good game. Don’t leave that part out. He can play.”

Reports from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have been glowing. Imama has three goals in 19 AHL games this season, and his game is progressively improving. He underwent biceps surgery in March and was unable to enjoy a typical summer of training. As a result, he probably wasn’t at his best in training camp.

“I hate making excuses, but of course that hurt me,” Imama said. “In the summer, when I’m in Montreal, I love to take part in games. It’s competitive. Keeps you sharp in the summer. It slowed me down a bit because I wasn’t able to do that kind of stuff. I was still in great shape when I got to camp, but it wasn’t quite the same.”

Imama said he was “very disappointed” when he didn’t make the Penguins roster out of training camp. But he went to work in Wilkes-Barre, and he showed growth from October to November.

“To be honest, I thought he was impressive in training camp,” Shea said. “I think his skill level has taken a huge climb from when he came into this organization to now. In my opinion, he’s a good hockey player, probably better than people realize. He looked great the other night.”

So did the scoreboard. While Zegras and Hathaway may have made a little noise, most of the Flyers were nowhere to be found in the Penguins’ 5-1 win.

“When he’s in the lineup, it’s funny how a lot of guys just keep their mouths shut,” Shea said. “That’s part of what he brings. But he knows our system really well, and he can help us with his ability to play, too. Everyone in here loves that guy. I’m happy for him.”

Notes

• Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari practiced with the Penguins on Wednesday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, and both traveled with the Penguins to Tampa. On Wednesday night, the Penguins announced Brazeau and Acciari are expected to miss another seven to 10 days, which means they’re unlikely to play until after the team returns to Pittsburgh from the two-game trip.

• The Penguins also announced that injured forward Rickard Rakell, who broke his hand and needed surgery in late October, will be out another three to four weeks.

Some updated @penguins injury timelines from Kyle Dubas on tonight’s GM Show:

Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari – Roughly 7-10 days.

Rickard Rakell – Approximately 3-4 weeks. pic.twitter.com/4evkvPADS1

— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) December 3, 2025

• Anthony Mantha was given a maintenance day from practice on Wednesday, but was at the facility and made the trip with the Penguins.

• The Penguins practiced for nearly an hour on Wednesday after receiving a day off on Tuesday.