It will be a homecoming for one of the Pittsburgh Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins]' third-round draft selections. With the 73rd overall selection, the Penguins took defenseman Charlie Trethewey, who is committed to Boston University for the 2025-26 season. Trethewey is a product of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite youth program - where he played from 2020-22 - and his father, Kyle, is from Mt. Lebanon, which is a suburb just outside of Pittsburgh. Suffice to say, Trethewey was excited to hear his name called by his hometown team. "Having a lot of family in the area, went down for Sunday dinners and stuff like that down in Mt. Lebanon," Trethewey said. "Being drafted by the Penguins is just an unbelievable feeling. I'm going to be so close to a lot of family, and I just can't wait to get started." There was a point early last season where some draft boards had Trethewey as a late first-round pick [https://www.draftnation.com/articles/pittsburgh-penguins-elite-prospect-charlie-trethewey]. Although his stock fell a little bit, the Penguins are still getting a promising player out of this selection. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound right defenseman - after being part of the Penguins Elite program - went on to the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) for the next two seasons, which is where he really developed his two-way game. He is an excellent playmaker with a booming shot - and he can also deliver a booming hit. His reliability could become a hallmark of his game - even if it's something he's still developing - and he has potential to be a dynamic offensive blueliner.Cred Image Credit: Pittsburgh Penguins Elite [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8ba2203a-7b01-4c53-830b-2464ed466408.jpeg] Image Credit: Pittsburgh Penguins Elite Trethewey's performance for Little Caesar’s 15U AAA in 2022-23 - when he registered 20 goals and 86 points in 82 games - earned him a ticket to the USNTDP the year after. In two seasons there, he put up six goals and 23 points in 57 games. But his standout performance came for Team USA during the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where he recorded four goals and 10 points in 7 games. He was also a member of the winning 2025 World Junior Championship squad, contributing an assist through seven games. If Trethewey develops to his ceiling, this will be a third-round steal by the Penguins. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwquDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
