The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired top prospect Rutger McGroarty from the Winnipeg Jets. Here are five things you should know about him.
On August 22, the Pittsburgh Penguins pulled the trigger on a deal, swapping top prospects as general manager Kyle Dubas dealt Brayden Yager to the Jets in exchange for Rutger McGroarty.
The 20-year-old from Lincoln, Nebraska, has a chance to make the team out of training camp and, if not, at least be the next in line for a call-up during the 2024-25 season.
Here are five things to know about McGroarty.
Drafted 14th Overall by the Jets in 2022
The top 11 picks from the 2022 Draft have all skated at least one game in the NHL, with first-overall selection Juraj Slafkovsky logging the most with 121. The only players out of the top 15 yet to make an appearance are Denton Mateychuk (Columbus, 12th overall), McGroarty (Winnipeg, 14th overall), and Jonathan Lekkerimaki (Buffalo, 15th overall).
Interestingly, McGroarty was traded for Yager, Pittsburgh's 14th overall pick in the 2023 Draft. So far, only four of the top 15 of Yager's class, including Connor Bedard (Chicago), Leo Carlsson (Anaheim), Adam Fantilli (Columbus), and Zach Benson (Buffalo), have played a game.
Former Hobey Baker Award Nominee
In McGroarty's second season at the University of Michigan, he scored 52 points in 36 games to finish ninth in NCAA scoring, earning a nomination for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey.
Surprisingly, the Wolverines advanced to the Frozen Four despite McGroarty not scoring a point in the tournament. Michigan would eventually lose to first-round pick Macklin Celebrini and the Boston College Eagles 4-0.
In 74 NCAA games, McGroarty has scored 34 goals with 55 assists for 89 points on 250 shots. He's taken only eight penalties in two seasons and has 12 power play goals.
Son of Jim McGroarty
Jim McGroarty never played in the NHL but built an extension career in various North American leagues, including the ECHL, SUHL, PHL-Sr., WCHL, UHL, and a season in Austria.
Upon retiring after the 1999-00 season, McGroarty became an assistant coach in the USHL with the River City Lancers in 2003, who became the Omaha Lancers in 2004.
He eventually moved around the USHL, becoming a general manager and head coach with the Lincoln Stars, before earning a scouting role with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the OHL.
Since 2019-20, McGroarty has been head coach of the Honeybaked 15U AAA team and the Muskegon Lumberjacks general manager in the USHL.
Born in a Non-Hockey Market
McGroaty was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, which has produced just four NHL players thus far: Johnny Matz, Jed Ortmeyer, Neal Pionk, and former Penguins star Jake Guentzel.
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By playing with the United States National Team Development Program, McGroarty became the first skater from Nebraska to join the program. Meanwhile, getting drafted 14th overall, he surpassed Guentzel's place as the highest-drafted Nebraskian skater at 77th overall.
Captain of the United States U18 and U20 Medal Winning Squads
In 2002, McGroarty was named captain of the American U18 WJC team, which won a silver medal that year but lost 6-4 to Canada in the gold medal game.
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Two seasons later, McGroarty led the United States to a gold medal at the U20 WJC by defeating the host, Sweden, 6-2 in the final. He also earned a bronze medal at the 2023 WJC, with a wild 8-7 victory over Sweden.