During my freshman year playing hockey at Michigan State University, my teammates and I were thrilled to watch our counterparts on the men's team win the 2007 national championship. The following season, there was definitely some buzz going around campus as a local kid named Jeff Petry - a second-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers - headlined the incoming freshman class ready to help the Spartans defend their title.
Petry ended up playing three seasons, recording 67 points (9G-58A) in 118 career collegiate games. And ever since then, it's been really cool to watch Petry's career progress and see him develop into what Mike Sullivan called "a legitimate top-two, top-three defenseman in this league."
So needless to say, I was very excited when the Penguins acquired Petry from Montreal back in July. He's not only a great player, but a great person - and here, you can get to know more about what the 34-year-old defenseman is like off the ice.
Getting to Know: Jeff Petry
HOMETOWN: Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Although Petry's NHL bio lists him as being from Ann Arbor, which is where he was born, the defenseman actually grew up in Grosse Pointe.
Now Jeff, his wife Julie and their four boys - Boyd, Barrett, Bowen, and Blake (who arrived just five days before the trade to Pittsburgh!) - reside in another Detroit suburb called Bloomfield Hills.
"I'm excited to be here and back in the States," he said. "It's close to home. A little over four hours, which is awesome. I know my family is excited to be able to come and visit easily. And then for a long road trip, my wife can take the kids home for a weekend."
FAVORITE SPORT OUTSIDE OF HOCKEY: Baseball
The Petry family put down roots in Michigan since Jeff's father Dan is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who put together a solid career, spent mostly with the Detroit Tigers. He won a World Series in 1984, pitching Game 2 of that series against the San Diego Padres.
Jeff came along in 1987, with his dad retiring in 1991. So, while Jeff doesn't have many memories of him physically on the mound, he does have memories from over the years of going down to the ballpark and into the clubhouse to meet his dad's former teammates.
Dan was certainly a big influence on his younger son when it came to baseball, but being from California, he knew absolutely nothing about hockey when he first put Jeff and his older brother Matt on skates.
"He literally was like, 'we're going to live in Michigan, you're going to stay busy year-round, so we're putting you in hockey and baseball,'" Jeff said. "Now, he loves it. I think I was drawn to it because he didn't know much about it. But just always pushing for us to succeed in whatever we decided to do."
Jeff thrived in both sports, becoming a two-sport star athlete at Orchard Lake St. Mary's High School. As a first baseman, Petry helped the baseball team to a state championship in 2003; and as a defenseman, he led the hockey team to a state championship in 2005. But going into his junior year, it reached the point where Jeff had to choose.
"I decided my passion was hockey, with the speed of it and the constant action," Jeff said. "It was a tough conversation to have. It had been in my mind for a few years prior to that, but my dad couldn't be more supportive."
It obviously turned out to be a fantastic decision, as Petry, 34, has since put together a long and successful NHL career - playing 803 games (and counting) entering his 13th NHL season. And it's great because now, Dan is a huge hockey fan - and Pittsburgh has actually always been his favorite place to come watch Jeff on the road.
"I think for years, he made the drive over," Jeff said. "So I think he's even happier about my landing spot. For him to be able to come into town quickly and see games and see the city, he's very much looking forward to it."
And so far, Jeff's three oldest sons are taking after their grandpa, as they are "die hard" baseball fans. Jeff and Julie have already taken them (and baby Blake!) to a Pirates game in their new city.
"Every morning while I'm making breakfast, they're putting on highlights for the games that happen," Petry said. "The oldest is a Yankees and Aaron Judge fanatic. And the other one, the 5-year-old, loves Freddie Freeman and the Dodgers. Don't know how they picked those (laughs). But it's great because whenever my dad comes over, he's always throwing them batting practice, playing catch. They love it."
COLLEGE DEGREE: Criminal Justice
The boys' uncle Matt went with baseball through college, playing at both the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. He started studying criminal justice when he got to school, and recommended it to his younger brother.
"It is not what you see on TV, but all those shows on TV, I was interested in," Jeff said with a laugh. "My brother was a criminal justice major, and he was telling me about it, and it was cool. There's a lot of very interesting classes."
Despite foregoing his senior season to join the Oilers organization, Petry continued to chip away at his degree, and eventually earned it.
"After the season, I would go back and live on campus, work out there, and do summer classes," he said. "I got it to where I had all online classes left, and then did them during the season."
OTHER INTERESTS: Cooking, hunting, fishing, reading
Petry likes to cook for his family, calling himself a "follow the recipe" type of guy.
"I enjoy it," he said. "I do a lot of barbecue, like smoking. The easiest thing, I think, is to make pulled pork. It's pretty easy. The challenge is brisket. It takes like 18 hours."
Petry also likes to fish, and when I asked him where, his stall neighbor Chad Ruhwedel deadpanned, "The water." Definitely set myself up for that one. He also does some duck hunting, but doesn't get out as much as he would like.
Finally, when he's got some time to himself on the road, Petry will crack open a book.
"I'm not a great reader, but it's something to pass time," he said with a smile. "I read a bunch of different Navy SEAL books. Fearless was the last one I read; that was really good. I prefer nonfiction."
ONE WORD HIS FAMILY WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE HIM: "Handy"
When he's not at the rink, you can find Petry making multiple trips to Home Depot to tackle different projects around the house, both on the smaller scale and the larger scale.
"I try to fix everything myself," Petry admitted. "I'm a visual guy. So for example, if I have somebody come out to fix my pool, I watch them do what they're doing and it just clicks for me. That way, I don't have to call them back the next time it breaks."
There's really no task too daunting for Petry, except for intricate electrical work.
"I mean, I'll do some very basic electrical, but I won't string new lights or wire anything," he said. "If it's putting a timer switch on, I can do that. I can do various things, but electrical, not so much."
ONE WORD HIS TEAMMATES WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE HIM: "Quiet"
And according to forward Ryan Poehling, who came over with him in the trade, he's also the best.
"He is one of my close friends," Poehling said. "We were the only American guys on Montreal, so it was easy to hang out with him. His family did a great job bringing me in as a young guy. I would go over there for dinners, hang out with him, his kids, his family. When we found out, I FaceTimed him, and the whole family answered. They all had big smiles on their faces. I'm glad we're here together, because he's a great person and a great player, too."
POST-RETIREMENT PLANS: Become a wine maker
Petry has already started bonding with new teammate Brian Dumoulin, the team's resident wine connoisseur, over their shared love of wine. Petry's dream is to work in the industry once his playing career is over.
"We went out to Napa one of the first Olympic breaks I was in the league, and I just fell in love with it out there," Petry said. "I've made friends with wine owners, wine makers. I've been going more and more; we've been there a few times. It's just very interesting to me. I've always said when I retire one day, I'll go out for harvest and actually get my hands dirty. So I have a couple offers out there, they said come out any time."
Petry knows the most about Napa cabs, as he's part of a few wine clubs based in the Valley, and they send him different bottles throughout the year. However, he is trying to learn more about French and Italian wines.
CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Coffee
He used to get shaken espressos with coconut milk, but now just drinks it black.
"With the kids running around, I need some energy throughout the day," he said with a laugh.
