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New York Times
30-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen fitting right in as Penguins embrace youth movement
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — There was a moment in the Penguins' locker room following Saturday's practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex that was too precious to ignore, and also may have subsequently told the story of the day. Rutger McGroarty, who immediately became the best Penguins' prospect when he was acquired in August, finds his stall beside Sidney Crosby's in the locker room. Even better, McGroarty looks to be playing on Crosby's left wing when the Penguins host the Senators on Sunday, which happens to be McGroarty's 21st birthday. Advertisement McGroarty's personality is larger than life. He's smart. He's funny. He's personable. He's got loads of charisma. He's so cool, the kids would say he's got rizz. If he can play at all — and I think he can — he's going to be a very popular young man in Pittsburgh sooner rather than later. There's only one recent problem: McGroarty fought once in the AHL, and it didn't go so well. FIGHT. Rutger McGroarty vs Michael Buchinger! McGroarty made contact with Thunderbirds goaltender Colten Ellis at the side of the net, drawing the ire of Buchinger. McGroarty eventually obliged the request, but didn't fare well against Buchinger in the fight. @InsideAHLHockey — Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) February 23, 2025 McGroarty had already met with the media, who had walked about two feet to the left for the usual gathering with Crosby. Before Crosby could start, however, McGroarty was still chatting away. 'Anyone see my fight?' I'm not sure who he was talking to, maybe all of us. We nodded. 'It was so bad,' he said with a laugh. 'I ran their goalie, and then we fought. And …' McGroarty explained that he couldn't get himself maneuvered properly to throw a punch. 'And he just hammered away,' McGroarty said with a laugh. 'It was awful.' Crosby, who was patiently waiting for the questions from the media while we were all enjoying McGroarty's undeniable enthusiasm, finally chimed in. The Penguins' captain looked at McGroarty and asked, 'Was he bigger than you at least?' Michael Buchinger, who pummeled McGroarty, is listed at 6 feet and 185 pounds. McGroarty is listed at 6-1, 203. 'Yeah, it's always worse when the other guy isn't bigger,' Crosby said with a grin. The interaction between the two was endearing, and it's also necessary. What parts of Sidney Crosby's game does Rutger McGroarty want to try and emulate? 'I mean, seriously, everything. Like, actually, everything." Potentially playing on a line with the captain in an NHL game on his 21st birthday is one heck of a gift. Hear from the rookie ⬇️ — Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) March 29, 2025 This is an organization that is desperate for an infusion of youth. And not just young players, but talented young players. And young players who feel like they belong. McGroarty feels like he belongs. He doesn't come off as the least bit arrogant or entitled. There's just a confidence about him that you don't typically see in prospects, especially when sitting within five feet of a living legend. Advertisement To McGroarty's left sat Ville Koivunen, who will make his NHL debut against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. He'll be playing on the second line with Rickard Rakell serving as his center. Only eight games are remaining in what is a lost season for the Penguins, but it's very much noteworthy that the organization has decided to let McGroarty and Koivunen play out the season in Pittsburgh before returning them to Wilkes-Barre for the AHL postseason. Consider it symbolism. Or a change in philosophy. Or, maybe the Penguins have good prospects on their hands, something that hasn't been the case since Jake Guentzel exploded onto the scene in 2016. • Typically, the Penguins wouldn't recall arguably their two most talented forward prospects with only eight games remaining in the season. • Typically, they wouldn't immediately insert said two players onto the top two lines immediately upon their arrival. • Typically, the Penguins' veterans wouldn't show this much eagerness about pushing for these two kids to receive heavy playing time. Consider the conversation I had with Rakell, who is playing out of position to accommodate these two youngsters. It would be understandable if Rakell were annoyed by all of this, since he's having a career year while playing on Crosby's line. Now, he has to play an unfamiliar position on Sunday because of Evgeni Malkin's lingering injury. If Rakell has a problem with it, he has a funny way of showing it. 'Let me tell you something,' Rakell said. 'These two kids, they should be playing in the top six right now. I'm glad they are. You know why they should be? Because they're going to be top-six guys. They just are. You can see the talent. So why not play them there now? I'm glad.' Rakell played with Koivunen enough in training camp to know what he needed to see. Advertisement 'He's really fast and really good with the puck,' Rakell said. 'He just needs to play. He's really good.' Bryan Rust offered similar sentiments about Koivunen and McGroarty being thrown into the fire. 'I think when you've got guys you plan on potentially down the road playing that role … when they get an opportunity, those are the players they probably play the best with,' he said. The energy that McGroarty and Koivunen brought to the locker room was very clear after Saturday's practice. 'You always pay attention,' Rust said when speaking of the new guys. 'Obviously, prospects of pedigree are a little more interesting.' Koivunen was unable to remove the smile from his face while talking about his pending debut. His parents and girlfriend were en route to Pittsburgh on Saturday. McGroarty couldn't stop commenting on how welcome he felt. 'I've got Sid making small talk with me and Ville,' he said. 'Crazy stuff.' Crosby has been waiting for this day. The Penguins didn't want to rush these two to the NHL, so they've let them strut their stuff in Wilkes-Barre. But make no mistake, Crosby and the veterans on this team who truly matter realize an infusion of youth is mandatory if the Penguins are to make their rebuilding process a brief one. Crosby and the Penguins were in a funk during the 2015-16 season. Then along came Rust, Matt Murray, Conor Sheary, Tom Kühnhackl and Scott Wilson. A few months later, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup, and while that team was a lot better than this one, one thing can't be denied: The youth movement altered the dynamic of the locker room and Crosby, then 28, loved being the old man while showing the kids the ropes. Now, Crosby is 37. The grin on his face while McGroarty was talking was mindful of the time when Rust and the others came along. Advertisement 'Once upon a time,' Rust said, 'I wasn't one of those guys.' Rust was explaining that he hadn't received the hype that McGroarty and Koivunen are receiving. 'Sid treated me just the same,' Rust said. 'That goes a long way.' Rust gets it. So does Rakell. And no one gets it more than Crosby. Those three fully intend on being in Pittsburgh when the Penguins return to glory. So does coach Mike Sullivan. It's noteworthy, then, that Sullivan is throwing the two kids right to the top six. Rust is in favor of it. Rakell, too. And Crosby couldn't take the smile off his face all morning, even staying on the ice with the kids long after practice ended to work with them. The Penguins aren't making the playoffs this season. There's a long way to go. The rebuilding is just beginning. And yet, when you consider the surprising decision to bring these two to the NHL, and you see how welcome they are, and how eager the Penguins' best players are to welcome them, and with Sullivan throwing them into the fire as opposed to bringing them along slowly, you wonder if maybe this isn't a lost season after all. (Photo of Rutger McGroarty: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
February Penguins Prospects Update: Defensemen
There are some exciting developments down on the farm for the Pittsburgh Penguins. With more talent in the system than they've had in recent memory, the Penguins have several prospects of interest to keep an eye on. We will take a look at how some of the organization's top defensive prospects are faring right now in our February prospects update. Pickering spent 25 games at the NHL level this season and impressed early on. Known more as an offensive defenseman at the time of his draft, he actually showed flashes of being a pretty decent shutdown defenseman during his time in the NHL. But as the grind of the schedule bore on, Pickering began to struggle a bit. As a result, he was sent back down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to refine his game and continue his development. Even though he endured a bit of a funk upon getting sent down initially - as detailed by Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza - Pickering is finding his game again at the AHL level. He is known to be very coachable and has a "high aptitude for the game," as head coach Mike Sullivan has said. GOAL. A Filip Kral BLAST. 4-2 # McGroarty and Owen Pickering pick up the assists on Kral's 6th of the season. @InsideAHLHockey — Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) February 16, 2025 He has two goals and five points in 26 AHL games and had one goal and three points in 25 NHL games. The offensive side of his game needs to see some growth, but he's becoming more and more of a well-rounded defenseman. Brunicke, 18, missed a good chunk of the 2024-25 season for his junior team, the Kamloops Blazers, after sustaining a wrist fracture on Nov. 14. Despite missing a couple of months and facing some adversity because of his injury, the Penguins' 44th overall pick in 2024 hasn't missed a beat. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound defenseman's mobility and prowess in the transition game were two of the many things that stood out about him during Penguins training camp in October, and they have been on display throughout his junior season. In 29 games for Kamloops, Brunicke has four goals and 24 points, and his defensive game is shining as well. — Arnold Slick From Turtle Creek (@ASFTCProspects) February 19, 2025 He can both aid the offensive transition game and thwart the opposing transition game. His puck carrying skills are tremendous, and he uses his high-IQ to read and react accordingly on both sides of the puck. He's still very raw and prone to some turnovers, but the skill is there, and he can be a high-impact player in the Penguins' future. The Penguins have a good two-way blueliner in Brunicke, and he has the highest ceiling of any defensive prospect. If Brunicke continues to impress, he may just get a crack at the NHL roster next season. Like Brunicke, Pieniniemi is very raw. There is still a lot of refinement that has to happen once he makes the jump to professional hockey. In any case, though, he just continues to do the work highlighted in our January defensive prospects update at the junior level with the Kingston Frontenacs. Emil Pieniniemi is back like he never left🥵🔥@penguins | #LetsGoPens — Kingston Frontenacs (@KingstonFronts) February 19, 2025 Pieniniemi - who turns 20 on Mar. 2 - won silver with Finland at the World Junior Championship at the turn of the new year and has eight goals and 53 points in 50 games on the season. He is sixth in scoring among defenseman in the OHL - one spot behind another Penguins' defensive prospect - and this is considering that he was, primarily, drafted for his defense and "play-killing" instincts. 🚨Emil Pieniniemi gets Finland's first of the #WorldJuniors 👏#GERFIN #IIHF @leijonat — IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 27, 2024 His skating should improve through development - thought his footspeed isn't great - but his defense in the neutral zone and his physicality are already pretty refined. The development on the offensive side of the puck is what makes him intriguing. Pieniniemi doesn't have as high a ceiling as Brunicke, or even Pickering, but the talent is evident - especially the shutdown potential. And his stock has risen considerably over the course of this season. 🚨 Prospect Spotlight: Finn HardingFinn Harding has been hot lately. He's a key piece of Brampton's offense this season. The 7rd pick in 2024, has 6G and 38A in 49 games, showcasing his playmaking ability while remaining a strong presence defensively. #LetsGoPens1/2 — Pens Prospects (@pensprospects_) February 10, 2025 Who is the prospect right in front of Pieniniemi for OHL scoring among defenseman? That would be Finn Harding, who was drafted in the seventh and final round by the Penguins in 2024. Harding - sharing the same exact birthday as Pieniniemi - was actually a re-entry draft selection for the Penguins, which means he entered the draft but was not selected in 2023. However, some scouts had projected that he could be a sneaky-good mid-round pickup for an NHL team. And so far, he hasn't proven them wrong. TIC-TAC-GOAL🚨🤯@DallasStars prospect Angus MacDonell finishes off a beauty play with Porter Martone and Finn Harding, giving @OHLSteelheads their second of the night!🐟#OHL | @CHLHockey | #TexasHockey — Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 22, 2025 FINN HARDING WINS IT IN OVERTIME🤩🐟@penguins 2024 #NHLDraft pick Finn Harding made a beautiful move to the backhand and buried it, securing the overtime game-winner for @OHLSteelheads Saturday night!🚨#OHL | @CHLHockey | #LetsGoPens📽️: @BringerOfRaine — Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 5, 2025 Harding has seven goals and 54 points in 56 games for the Brampton Steelheads this season, and his offensive game has seen massive growth. He was already known defensively for his ability to defend the rush and his gap control, and the growth in his offensive game has led to his stock rising pretty substantially within the Penguins' organization. Harding certainly doesn't have the same NHL track as any of the aforementioned players, but he's certainly making things more interesting for the Penguins as far as defensive prospect depth. Yes, Hollowell and Kral are 26 and 25, respectively, so they can't be talked about in the same light as the other younger Penguins prospects. But both have been good at the AHL this season, and they were both drafted by current Penguins GM and POHO Kyle Dubas in 2018 - which was Dubas's first draft as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. D Filip Kral now 1-4-5 tonight for WBS. Team record for points in one game is 6 (Chris Conner). — Bob Grove (@bobgrove91) January 30, 2025 Some good puck movement in the closing seconds of the period gives #WBSPens a PPG and a 3-0 now, the goal has been credited to Mac Hollowell on the point shot through traffic from Emil Bemstrom and Ville Koivunen. @InsideAHLHockey — Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) January 26, 2025 The familiarity with both players is what likely led Dubas to sign them, and they've been a big part of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's success this season. Hollowell has one goal and 28 points in 44 games, while Kral has seven goals and 24 points in 40 games. Neither is particularly great on the defensive side of the puck, but they're serviceable enough - and they provide the Penguins with some veteran depth at the position. They may be two to keep an eye on once the NHL trade deadline passes. Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
New York Times
30-01-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Penguins Today: Vintage Sidney Crosby and a family reunion
Anyone who stayed awake to watch the Penguins' stretch of late games deserves a treat. And for most of their game in Utah last night, you probably figured on settling for a Pop-Tart or anything else hiding in the cupboards. But your favorite team is captained by Sidney Crosby, and well … good gravy! BACKHAND KING 👑 — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 30, 2025 Josh Yohe captured the moment from Salt Lake City. There isn't much more I can add, other than a reminder that Crosby's backhand is as wicked a weapon as the NHL has known. The Penguins really needed that victory over Utah Hockey Club. Not because the two points dramatically improve their playoff chances. Not because it's a signal that a second run of winning is about to start. Advertisement They just needed something good to happen at the end of a seven-game road trip. That return flight to Pittsburgh today won't feel as long. The Hershey Bears are the standard-bearing AHL franchise, and the Penguins' AHL affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, put it to them last night. Where to begin? Ville Koivunen has his FOURTH goal of the game. 7-0 #WBSPens. A nifty move & Koivunen pokes it through the five-hole. WOW!@InsideAHLHockey — Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) January 30, 2025 • Ville Koivunen and Vasily Ponomarev, two of the prospects acquired in the Penguins' Jake Guentzel trade last season, each turned hat tricks. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton had never had two players score hat tricks in the same game. • Emil Bemström recorded four assists, as did Filip Král, who also added a goal. • The 9-0 victory was the largest margin for a win in franchise history. Two of Kyle Dubas' objectives when he was hired to run the Penguins' hockey side two years ago were to improve the prospect system and make Wilkes-Barre/Scranton competitive. This is hardly a mission-accomplished moment, but things are going well. Koivunen and Ponomarev are two prospects fans want to see in Pittsburgh soon. The AHL Penguins are 23-10-4-0 with several games in hand because of an arena issue, so it's fair to consider them a contender for the Calder Cup. Things might look bleak for the Penguins at the NHL level, but that's not the case throughout the entire organization — and that's not nothing. There is no shortage of Pittsburgh ties to Utah Hockey Club. One could become the best NHL player Pittsburgh has produced: Logan Cooley. He's skilled. He's smart. He's growing into his frame. He goes to the net. Offensively, Cooley checks all the boxes. He's the type of talent a franchise builds a top line around and expects it to work for a decade. Advertisement Former Penguins defenseman Ian Cole, one of four notable former Penguins on Utah's roster, compared Cooley to 'a young Nathan MacKinnon.' Enough said, right? The Penguins donned Pittsburgh's colors — black and gold — for the first time on this date in 1980. Original general manager Jack Riley picked the original colors (Columbia blue, navy blue, black). I asked the late Riley years ago why he didn't pick black and gold, and he said he wanted the Penguins to stand out from the Pirates and Steelers and the Pittsburgh Hornets, a popular minor-league team that predated the Penguins. Also, he said, 'I'm from Toronto, and the team there wore blue — blue is a hockey color.' I miss Riley. He attended games at Civic Arena and PPG Paints Arena until late in a life well-lived. He was a gentleman. More Penguins fans should know about him. I'm a fan of the Penguins' blue uniforms, especially the mid-to-late 1970s ones that have never been reimagined as a third kit. Here's hoping that changes. Anyway, as the story goes, the Penguins had to win approval from the NHL to change to black and gold. The Boston Bruins fought them on the issue. Precedent from Pittsbugh's original NHL franchise, the Pirates, carried the day for the Penguins' quest. And they broke out the black and gold on Super Bowl Sunday a few hours before the Steelers won their fourth title in six seasons against the Los Angeles Rams. • Yesterday, Utah Hockey Club announced three potential team names and will put them to a fan vote. Yeti, sadly, won't be one. Nor will Blizzard, which was my personal choice. Anything other than Utah Hockey Club will do. • The Devils have struggled since the NHL's holiday break. They'll probably be fine, especially given the relatively weak state of the Eastern Conference. Might the NHL's first woman GM be honing her craft in New Jersey? Peter Baugh documents Meghan Duggan's 'huge, lofty goal' in this story. Advertisement • The Athletic has launched an Alex Ovechkin tracker as he closes in on Wayne Gretzky's goal record. It forecasts a 10 percent chance he will do the deed in Pittsburgh at the end of the season. The hockey gods should let him break it at home, but if not, in Pittsburgh against the Penguins would be fitting given the eternal link between Ovechkin and Crosby. Enjoy the weekend, everyone. The Penguins will finally play a home game! (Photo of Sidney Crosby: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
