A year ago yesterday, Matt Nieto played what would be his last game for nearly a full calendar year on Nov. 30, 2023 in Tampa. After two knee surgeries that kept him out for months, continuing his NHL career wasn’t always guaranteed during Nieto’s recovery. So, returning to the lineup last month was a culmination of all the adversity, setbacks, and hard work Nieto faced to get to this point.
“There’s lots of times over the course of last year where you don’t know if you’re going to get to a point where you’re ready to play again, so it was just very relieving in that sense,” Nieto said. “Everyone here was really stoked for me, so it was just an awesome feeling. It feels good to be back out there, for sure.”
While not many players have gone through that long of a rehabilitation process, Sidney Crosby is one after missing 61 games between the 2010-11 and ’11-12 seasons with concussion and neck issues. He can relate to what Nieto went through, and was so impressed by his demeanor.
“There's a lot of days that are tough where you’re grinding, and for him, he had such a great attitude and worked so hard to get back,” the captain said. “I don't think that's ever easy being out, but for that length of time and just the way he handled everything going through that was pretty incredible. He had a smile on his face every day, and an unbelievable attitude. So, it's great to see him back in the lineup.”
The 32-year-old forward is a player that Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas had wanted to acquire during his tenure in Leafs management, but could never get a deal across the line. Dubas was thrilled they were able to make that happen on the first day of free agency in 2023, signing Nieto to a two-year deal.
Nieto was able to get into the team’s first 22 games of last season before getting sidelined. He spent some time trying to return to full health. However, the best course of action turned out to be getting laparoscopic surgery on his right knee in January. Nieto was given an expected recovery time of 6-8 weeks.
“It's not easy when you're not playing and kind of on a different schedule from the guys, you don't feel part of the team in a way,” said Nieto. “So, yeah, just extremely tough and difficult. But everyone here's been awesome with me – the staff, the guys.”
It helped the team brought Nieto on their cross-country trip to western Canada and Seattle in March just to get him around the group, and that Matt’s mom Mary and dad Jesse traveled in from their native California to keep him company when he was in Pittsburgh.
“They were coming out to visit. Just talking with them helped me a lot to get through it because last year was tough, missing all of those games,” said Nieto. “When the team is gone on the road, I’m just sitting back here, and it’s hard to feel a part of it. So, they helped me a lot.”
As Nieto was working his way back from that situation, it was determined that he would need reconstructive MCL surgery on his left knee. Once the procedure was completed in May, Nieto returned to southern California for the rehabilitation process, expected to take about 6-7 months.
While Matt has a place in Irvine, his parents are closer to Temecula, about an hour away. “I just stayed with Mom and Dad and got taken care of, because I was useless,” Matt said with a laugh.
When he wasn’t in the gym or at the rink, Nieto enjoyed his mom’s spectacular Mexican cooking – he’s of Hispanic heritage on both sides – and caught up with some old friends on Fortnite.
“I’ve been playing it since it first came out,” he said. “I still have a lot of friends who play it, and it’s just a good way to keep in touch with friends around the league and friends back home. So, that definitely kills a lot of time (laughs). I’ve had some long gaming sessions.”
Once Nieto returned to Pittsburgh in the fall for training camp, the forward made steady strides in his recovery, getting on-ice work before team practices before eventually joining the group at the end of October.
“He's worked extremely hard to get himself to this point,” Sullivan said at the time. “I think it speaks volumes for his resilience, his passion for the game, his want to play and participate, try to help our organization win.”
The Penguins felt it was essential for Nieto to have a short conditioning stint with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, considering it had been nearly a year since he’d seen any game action. He gained some confidence from it, scoring a goal in his return. Nieto admitted that his legs initially felt heavy – but the tally helped them feel lighter.
“I feel good. I feel fast,” he said before re-entering the lineup in Pittsburgh after two games with WBS. “I’ve put in a lot of work the last eight weeks or so on the ice. Obviously getting those two games down there helps, because the game environment’s a lot different than practice, just kind of in the battles and stuff like that. So, I'm feeling really good.”
Nieto joked that it had been so long, he forgot his old pregame routine, and had to develop a new one. While his game-day superstitions might’ve changed, what Nieto brings to the ice has remained the same as ever - as has his epic mustache, which he keeps year-round, not just in Movember.
“He's one of those guys that's going to bring us a lot of energy, he can really skate,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s a real good puck-pursuit guy that can help us establish the game that we're trying to play. He brings juice when he plays. He’s fast, he's tenacious, he's a real good penalty killer.
“He's just a terrific teammate. He's a popular guy in our room. So, for him to go through what he's gone through – multiple surgeries and all the rehab that he's gone through – to get himself to this point is remarkable, and we're all thrilled for him.”
