A Sitdown With 'Stu': Skinner Talks Hockey, Transition To Pittsburgh

On Dec. 12, 2025, the Pittsburgh Penguins made one of the biggest trades of the 2025-26 season when they sent longtime team goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick. 

Fast forward a little more than a month later, and - suffice to say - Skinner is taking pretty well to being a Penguin. After a small period of adjustment, the 27-year-old netminder has enjoyed four consecutive quality starts, with goals-against averages coming in at .964, .917, .966, and .947, sequentially. He looks more and more comfortable with each passing game, and he - along with tandem partner Arturs Silovs - has helped keep the Penguins in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

So how has this adjustment period played out for Skinner, going from a Canadian hockey hotbed in Edmonton to a smaller American market in Pittsburgh?

I had the chance to sit down with Skinner and talk about hockey, his transition to Pittsburgh, and having the opportunity to play alongside some all-time great players. 

Q: You’ve spent a couple of weeks in Pittsburgh now. How has the transition been for you on and off the ice?

Skinner: Oh, it’s been great. On the ice, I think, has been awesome. It took me a couple of days just to kind of get in the rhythm and the routine of my day, and game day, and practices, and what not. Honestly, with the group of guys here, they made it an extremely easy transition. I felt like I was part of this family right off the bat, so that obviously allows you to kind of settle down quicker. So yeah, that’s been awesome.

And then, off the ice, it’s been great, too. I got my family here really quickly, which really allows you to settle down. I was able to find a house, get some cars, and get all those little small things settled in. And, yeah, I’ve been driving around the city a little bit more, finding some spots to eat and cafes, and just driving around the neighborhood finding my way around the highways and everything. It’s pretty easy to get around, and it’s also extremely beautiful here. All the trees, it’s very open, but it’s still a big city.

So, it’s really cool here. I’ve been loving it.

Q: How do you enjoy the vibe of the city so far? It’s a little bit different, I imagine, from Edmonton, just with the market and the “small-town city” feel.

Skinner: Yeah, it feels great. Definitely a big difference in terms of, kind of, the feelings. I think here, it’s honestly just a great feeling. I feel like everyone’s really rooting for you and is really ‘all together.’ It feels like Pittsburgh is one big family, and we’re a very united city.

So, I mean, the feelings here have been nothing but amazing. Everyone seems to be wonderful. Even the first day here, me and ‘Kuly’ [Brett Kulak] were saying how nice people are here. People are helping me with finding my way on the road, and everyone is saying ‘hi’ and opening doors for you. I mean, everyone I’ve seen and talked to are really nice and kind people. So I have nothing to complain about.

Q: That’s awesome to hear. Switching back to the hockey side of things, what has been your experience with this coaching staff so far? How has that transition been?

Skinner: It’s been great. Right from the get-go - I think it was the first day we got in - I was talking to [head coach Dan Muse], and we had a really good chat. A lot about just life in general, which was amazing. You get to build that relationship, and you also get to see the different types of people that we all are as a team.

The coaching staff’s just been incredible. Obviously, I do a lot of my work with ‘Chico’ [goaltending coach Andy Chiodo], and he and I have already been able to build a really good relationship and a relationship with a lot of open communication and a lot of good work. But, on top of that, just being people and being able to talk about the family and everything like that. So, it’s been really wonderful. Honestly, just a seamless transition all-around.

Q: In terms of the two organizations you’ve now played for, obviously, Edmonton’s a really storied franchise. Same with Pittsburgh. There’s a lot of history with both organizations. Are there any similarities or differences between the culture around the organizations, being that there’s such a long history of success with these two franchises?

Skinner: I think there are similarities, and there are a lot of differences as well. But one thing that, I think, will never leave any team that you go to is the competitive nature to want to win. Obviously, we want to win the Stanley Cup just as badly as anybody else, so I think that feeling will always be there.

But just the whole feeling around this room, it’s been nothing but positive here. It’s been really, honestly - again - just family-oriented. It’s just been really enjoyable, and I already kind of forget what it was like in Edmonton.

Q: Obviously, you had the chance to share a locker room with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, future all-time great players like that, over in Edmonton. Now, you’re playing with Sid. You’re playing with Evgeni Malkin. What have you learned from those players and the guys here, even in just a short amount of time? What about them has, kind of, rubbed off on you?

Skinner: It is really cool, thinking about it, that I got to play with, I mean, the best players that have ever played the game. Obviously, being able to play with ‘Leo’ and ‘Davo’ for quite some time - really getting to know them and what they’re doing - they’re very determined, very hard-working people that are just extremely disciplined. Same thing goes for the guys here.

I think, for me, just what I’ve been seeing is that discipline and the actions that Sid brings every single day. You can tell he really cares, and the way that he leads this team comes from a very grounded approach, I feel like. And I think that really rubs off on everybody here and brings the energy that you do feel here. You know, it is very family and very positive, and we’re always in it, you know? It’s pretty cool that I get to watch this and try to learn as much as I can.

Q: Finally, as far as your game, how do you feel like it’s come together since you’ve been here, and do you feel comfortable with where you're at right now in general?

Skinner: I feel like it’s gotten better and better every single game that I’ve played. I think the first game that I played here [against Edmonton] was a little bit of a different scenario and a different situation, obviously. So, yeah, it started off - just my game, personally - not bad, probably not the greatest spot that I thought I could have been in. Then, as the games have happened with the communication and the work that I’ve put in with Chico, I think he’s brought some really good points into my game that have just allowed me to, really, just focus on my process of getting better every game. And I think you’ve been seeing that. You just kind of see, every single game, I take a little bit more of a step.

So, I’m just going to continue that, and, hopefully, things end up going the way that I would like them to. It’s really exciting that things are going in the right direction here.

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