As much as Jake Guentzel wanted to wear a Penguins jersey throughout his career, it would not happen. The Pittsburgh Penguins let go of their longtime winger early this month in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes. And on Tuesday, Guentzel made his emotional return to the PPG Paints Arena during the Hurricanes' 4-1 defeat to the Penguins.
Following the game, Guentzel uttered words that would make any Pittsburgh fan long for a future return.
âMy intention was to stay,â Guentzel said, per beat writer Josh Yohe. âThey (Penguins) thought there was a better direction.â
Moments before Tuesday's face-off, the organization decided to play a tribute to their Stanley Cup champ. The video showcased a number of Guetnzel's highlight plays as a Penguin as well as several mic'd-up moments. To end the video, a narrating voice loudly says âThanks for the memories, Jake. Stay cool. Never change.â
This brought Guentzel and his wife to the verge of tears in what was an overall emotional moment. (via Bleacher Report Open Ice)
Jake Guentzel and his family are emotional as he receives a standing ovation in his return to Pittsburgh đ„č pic.twitter.com/oKNtOwJSd1
â B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 26, 2024
The Penguins would eventually spoil the 29-year-old's return, however. Pittsburgh star Sydney Crosby finished with a goal and two assists while Bryan Rust, Jesse Puljujarvi and Drew Connor all added one goal each.
The lone goal for the Hurricanes came from defenseman Dmitry Orlov â a wrist shot midway through the second period. Guentzel finished the game with six shots in 21 minutes of action.
Despite the loss, Carolina still holds a winning record (45-21-7) and ranks second in the Metropolitan Division.
Jake Guentzel starts a new chapter with the Hurricanes
Guentzel moves to a Hurricanes team that's poised to make another playoff appearance. Through nine games with Carolina, the winger has scored two goals and dished out 10 assists for a total of 12 points.
Guentzel joins Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis to make up a formidable Hurricanes first line. In addition, the team's top-six rotation includes Andrei Svechnikov, Martin Necas and the newly acquired Evgeny Kuznetsov.
The Hurricanes have reached the playoffs consistently for the last five years, but somehow, they seem to have trouble making a Stanley Cup finals appearance. The furthest they've been in recent years was the Conference Finals, appearing last season and during their 2018-19 campaign.
With Guentzel's offensive talents entering the picture, Carolina might finally break through and achieve what was last done in 2006.
Guentzel's Penguins tenure
Looking at the crowd reactions to Guentzel's tribute video, there's a reason why the winger is loved in the city of Pittsburgh. Drafted by the Penguins in 2013, Guentzel made his debut in November of 2016, winning the Stanley Cup as a rookie that year. Guentzel scored a total of 21 points during the Penguins' postseason campaign, tying Ville Leino and Dino Ciccarelli for the most points by a rookie in a single NHL playoff run.
He would continue his stellar showing with the team in the years after, garnering two All-Star selections (missing out on one cause of injury) while appearing in the playoffs for five more seasons. The Penguins failed to make a postseason berth during their 2022-23 campaign, marking the first time Guentzel has missed a playoff appearance.
All in all, the winger amassed 219 goals and 247 assists for 466 total points in 503 games as a Penguin. He might be wearing a different jersey now, but Jake Guentzel will always have a place in the hearts of the Pittsburgh faithful.
Follow Us
Subscribe