Vinnie Hinostroza Eager for Opportunities Ahead

Vinnie Hinostroza and Bryan Rust go way back to their college hockey days at the University of Notre Dame. Rust was Hinostroza's 'big brother' - a mentor who provided guidance, advice, and support to younger teammates - during their one season together in 2013-14.

The two Fighting Irish alumni remain good friends to this day, so when Hinostroza inked a one-year deal with Pittsburgh after free agency opened on July 1, he of course spoke with Rust to share the news that he is joining the Penguins organization. They're both looking forward to reuniting as teammates, nearly a decade later.

"I talked to him after I signed, and he said he was excited," Hinostroza said. "The last time I played with Rusty, we were both in college. He was a senior and I was a freshman. Now he has two kids and I have two kids, so we've come a long way. It's been great watching him over the years, and I think it's going to be special to reunite with him.

"He's such a great player. He works so hard, and I learned so much from him in college. So I think just getting over to Pittsburgh and getting on the ice with him and these other guys, and just learning from them - I'm excited to do that."

Talking on the phone with Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and hearing about what management and the coaching staff hope to build helped Hinostroza make the decision to sign in Pittsburgh and add to the team's organizational depth.

Hinostroza is well aware of what this championship core of Penguins veterans has accomplished, since he's gone up against them numerous times while playing parts of nine seasons in the NHL with Chicago, Arizona, Florida, and Buffalo, and accumulating 53 goals, 95 assists, and 148 points in 360 career NHL games.

The 5-foot-10, 176-pound forward is eager to support his new teammates by chipping in on offense and using his speed to cause havoc when going against other team's blueliners.

"I'm a hard-working guy first," Hinostroza said. "I'm pretty fast out there, so I like to try and get on the forecheck and disrupt the other team's defenseman, get pucks back, and try to make some plays."

After recording 13 goals, 12 assists, and 25 points in 62 games during the 2021-22 campaign with Buffalo, Hinostroza spent the 2022-23 season split between the Sabres and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans.

"They were kind of in a situation where I wasn't going to be a part of the long-term future there, so they kind of told me at the end of training camp, 'you know, we love you, but if guys get hurt you're going to play; and if not, we're going to play these guys and develop them,'" Hinostroza explained.

So, even though Hinostroza had spent the previous five seasons at the NHL level, he did his best to focus on developing his game regardless of what league he was in. The right-handed shooter notched five goals, four assists and nine points, with a multi-point effort on Feb. 11, 2023 (2G-1A), in 11 games with Rochester.

"Obviously, it was a tough situation… but I don't dwell on that. I just try to get better in practice every day," Hinostroza said.

Having somewhat of a chip on his shoulder is actually something Hinostroza can use to his advantage with his new club, as there's a lot of doubt in the hockey world that this Penguins team can continue to contend, and they're extremely motivated to prove those people wrong.

"Going to a team that wants to win and win now is really exciting," said Hinostroza. "Having an opportunity to help a group that has had a lot of success is an opportunity that I wanted to see through. There should be a lot of opportunities, so I'm really excited to get to Pittsburgh and get going."

Although nothing is promised through the camp's competitive nature, Hinostroza is determined to make strides to improve. Hinostroza has been enjoying his summer spending time with his wife and kids, while also trying to get better on the ice and in the weight room to prepare for training camp.

"I just want to get better every day," said Hinostroza. "I'm 29 now and I've been in the league a while. I think my best years are still ahead of me, so I'm excited to get to Pittsburgh, do what I'm told, and help out in any way I can."