When McGroarty spoke with Mike Sullivan in his office, part of the conversation revolved around how this isn’t just a milestone for Rutger, it’s a milestone for everyone who’s supported him over the years. He’ll have 11 of those people in the stands supporting him tonight.
Another part of the conversation revolved around how McGroarty earned this opportunity with his play.
“We just all feel strongly that you've just gotten better and better from the start of the Prospects Camp in Buffalo to now,” Sullivan told McGroarty. He went on to say this is just the first step in what they hope will be a long journey.
“You got to stay hungry,” Sullivan said. “You got to work at it every day. We're going to push you real hard to be at your best. But we're really excited about where you're at and potentially where you're going to go. You're going to be in the lineup tomorrow night, because we think you can help us win. So, this isn't anything that you've been handed. You've earned every aspect of it. You should be proud of that.”
He told McGroarty to enjoy every moment, but when the puck drops, to focus on the details and take it one shift at a time. His approach is to stay consistent and play his game, “don’t try to be something I’m not.”
As for what McGroarty is? “He’s just a hockey player,” Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas said with a smile. “I know that gets thrown around a lot, but that, to me, is what he is. He's smart, he's competitive, and that was why we wanted to make the trade for him.
“I think more so than his skill set, it's his intelligence and his instincts and his strength and his ability to make reads and make plays, even defensively. It's not always the highlight-reel stuff that you see in other markets on their prospects. It's just solid hockey.”
What Penguins fans will see from McGroarty here in Pittsburgh is plenty of fire. “I come ready to compete every single day, so I feel like the fans will definitely see my compete and my hunger to win,” said McGroarty, who captained Team USA to the gold medal at the 2024 World Junior Championship. “I feel like I've done a good job adapting to the speed, and my game has translated pretty well.”
McGroarty also brings such a love for the game that began during his rink rat days as a kid, with Jimmy serving as head coach and later GM of the USHL’s Lincoln Stars. In the weeks since turning professional, Rutger has moments where he can’t believe he gets to make a living out of this sport.
He’s soaking up everything that comes with it, from the practices and games to the recovery and nutrition. He's embracing what’s sort of a trial by fire versus being overwhelmed or daunted by it despite being the ninth-youngest player in the Sidney Crosby era (since 2005-06) to make their NHL debut with Pittsburgh.
“You're busy pretty much all day. Like this is my job now,” McGroarty said with a grin. “So, I mean, you might as well just take care of your body and continue to work on your craft. I love the game, too. So just being around the rink all day, there's been a lot of preseason games on too, and first games tonight for the NHL. So, just watching a lot of hockey, watching my buddies play, it's been pretty cool.”
That list of now-former Wolverines includes Adam Fantilli and Gavin Brindley (Columbus), Seamus Casey (New Jersey), and Mackie Samsoskevich (Florida).
“We looked at each other at one point, like, what are we doing? We're like, this is insane,” McGroarty laughed. “We're all trying to make NHL teams, and it feels like yesterday we were just freshmen at Michigan and walking in the dorms and trying to make new friends.
“Every year we take a class trip. So yesterday, we were kind of talking about that and our class trip at the end of the end of the year, like eight months from now.”
Hopefully, McGroarty will have a lot to report about his experiences this season.
“Playing your first NHL game, obviously that's really cool. But it's hockey, so just continue to go out there and I mean, I’m trying to stay up in the NHL now,” he said. “So, just go out there and continue to play my game and continue to leave an impression."
