"We were in limbo for such a long time not knowing what was going to happen with the season," he said. "And for me coming to a new place, I was kind of eager just to get going. So, it's nice that it's finally here."
This will mark Ceci's first time living in the U.S., as he had played his entire career up to this point north of the border - with the majority of it spent right in his hometown of Ottawa.
After playing for the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League, Ceci spent the first six seasons of his professional career with the Ottawa Senators. Ceci then spent last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs before signing a one-year contract with the Penguins in free agency.
Fortunately, Pittsburgh is a city that's not unfamiliar to him, as Ceci was taken in the first round (15th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft held at PPG Paints Arena.
"It's funny how some things work out like that," Ceci said. "That was a special moment for me, so it'll be nice to go back and get a chance to play in that building for the Penguins. It's always a nice building to go to as a visitor, so I'm sure it's even better to be a part of the Penguins organization."
Get to know more about the 26-year-old in this series presented by HBK CPAS & Consultants.
None of Parri's kids ended up following in his footsteps, as all three of them played hockey. Their mother, Karen, was a figure skater and got them all on the ice when they were young. "My sister was the first one to get into hockey," Cody said. "Chelsea played all growing up. Cole is a goalie and still playing at York University."
Even though Parri never played hockey, Cody still counts him as the biggest influence in his career. "He always ended up coaching me growing up," Cody said. "He was usually an assistant coach and he would take care of the defense."
There will also be another wedding in the family in the near future, as Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone is engaged to Jamie's sister Hayley. Mark and Cody were both drafted by Ottawa and played together in the Senators organization for years.
"They kind of met through us," Cody said. "I played with Mark in Binghamton, the farm team for Ottawa. Then that summer after our first season, he came up and lived with me in Ottawa. We lived together for our first year and then just became really close."
Cody is also very close with New York Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau, as they got called up from Binghamton together and were also teammates for years in Ottawa. "We still see each other in the summer all the time," Cody said.
He's looking forward to getting back into that once the puck drops to officially start the season on Jan. 13, when the Penguins will play the Flyers in Philadelphia at 5:30 p.m.
