Rutger McGroarty couldn’t stop smiling when he hit the ice for the first time in a Pittsburgh Penguins uniform.
OK, it wasn’t exactly the real thing. The club is using practice jerseys for the Buffalo Prospects Challenge this weekend. But he was finally one step closer to living out his childhood dream.
He wasted little time making an impact, registering two hits on his first shift of the opening game against the Boston Bruins. He then set up the 2-1 goal on the power play midway through the second before scoring the 5-3 goal in a comeback effort for the Penguins late in the second period. McGroarty even got testy a few times, most notably getting into a chirping match against 6-foot-3 defender Jackson Edward in the first period.
The results don’t matter much — there’s no real winner in a tournament like this, but pride’s still on the line. And for McGroarty, it was all about getting in the groove with his new organization in his first rookie showcase event.
“The past couple of weeks have been very hectic,” McGroarty said after the game. “It was good to just go out there and do what I love. Throwing on the Penguins jersey, that was awesome.”
McGroarty is set to play his first season of pro this year after putting up a career-best 36 assists and 52 points in 36 games with the University of Michigan last year. McGroarty was also one of USA’s most productive players at the 2024 World Juniors, scoring five goals and nine points in seven games.
McGroarty looked ready to make the jump to pro, but didn’t sign a deal with the Winnipeg Jets — the club that drafted him 14th overall in 2022. The Jets then traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins last month in a 1-for-1 deal with Brayden Yager. Suddenly, McGroarty looks set to challenge for a top-six spot on a Penguins team that wants to find a way back into the playoff conversation again.
The Penguins have struggled to develop quality NHLers through their pipeline in recent years in their pursuit to stay relevant in the playoff picture. But they haven’t won just one playoff series since snagging their second consecutive Cup in 2017 and haven’t made the playoffs in each of the past two years. The glory days of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin ripping up the league are done, but the Penguins aren’t ready to give things up just yet. By adding Erik Karlsson last summer, and then getting immediate scoring help from McGroarty, the Penguins hope to keep things interesting in the near future.
“I feel like everything’s right here — the development path, the veteran guys that they have, the organization that they have and the town as well,” McGroarty told reporters after the trade. “The sports town atmosphere is unbelievable.”
McGroarty does so much with and without the puck that sometimes can be overlooked. He’s got size and speed, and the offense has been incredible this year, with him blasting past the 50-point mark as a sophomore in college. McGroarty battles so hard that, if he isn’t scoring, he’s still doing enough to keep himself relevant on the scoresheet. The World Juniors was proof of that.
And with the skills McGroarty brings to the table, there’s absolutely no reason why he couldn’t play with Crosby or Malkin this season. The potential for that excites the young American winger.
“It’s super cool to think about,” McGroarty said. “But right now, I got to get there. I feel like today was a good first step and I’ll just keep building on it, keeping getting better and better and hopefully leave a good impression at training camp.”
Even though it’s been a crazy few weeks, with the trade and his first pro contract, McGroarty has stayed focused on improving his game so that he can make the big step up to the next level.
“I skated with my dad (Jim McGroarty, a former pro player) and a lot of Michigan guys through the summer, just working on everything,” McGroarty said. “I’ve been working on my skating, especially cutbacks down low. I feel like my game is the best when I’m playing below the dots.”
Training camp will be a big test to see his capabilities. Many expect McGroarty to be a top-six threat this year while acknowledging that he still needs to work on his two-way game. But for a Penguins team in need of a nice boost — and soon — McGroarty’s arrival is coming at the right time.
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