Chase Pietila’s path to the Penguins has come with a little extra meaning. The defenseman is now sharing a locker room with Rutger McGroarty, a teammate from their youth hockey days in the Detroit area, and the reunion has turned into one of those hockey storylines that feels stitched together over time.
Pietila and McGroarty first skated together for Honeybaked when they were around 10 years old. They later crossed paths again while going through the U.S.
National Team Development Program, then went their separate ways through junior and college hockey. Now they’ve landed in the same NHL organization, and Pietila says the whole thing has been hard to miss.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s amazing," Pietila said. "It’s crazy just to see things go full-circle.
You know, my first year in AAA, like, when I was really trying to say, like, “Ok, I really like hockey,” he was one of my first teammates. So, being able to play against him when he was at the program and I was in junior, and then never played against him in college, but then to meet here at the pro level, it’s super cool, and he’s an amazing guy.
"He’s a great friend. So, it makes it easy having him here.
I always have someone to talk to, someone to ask questions. It’s been great.”
That comfort matters for Pietila, who was recalled by the Penguins on Saturday with injuries hitting both the forward group and the blue line. The 22-year-old right-shot defenseman is in the second year of the three-year entry-level deal he signed before the 2025-26 season, and the timing of the call-up has collided with a major personal change: he’s also adjusting to fatherhood for the first time.
There’s been plenty happening at once, but Pietila has leaned on familiarity where he can find it. McGroarty isn’t the only face that makes the room feel a little less overwhelming. Avery Hayes, Sergei Murashov, and Ville Koivunen are also there, giving Pietila a cluster of familiar teammates as he steps into a bigger opportunity.
His climb to this point has been shaped by the long road through the lower levels, including a lengthy Calder Cup Playoff run with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2026. Pietila said that experience taught him plenty, and one lesson has stayed with him: to last in the NHL, he needs to keep expanding what he can do.
Known first and foremost for the defensive side of his game, Pietila has built his identity on being sturdy in his own end and willing to lean into a physical style. But he’s also been working to add offense, knowing that a deeper toolkit makes him more useful at the highest level.
"I’ll always say that my game starts from the net out, but being able to add offense and kind of be able to add to that part of my game will make me more valuable," Pietila said. "So, just working with all the skills coaches here, they’ve been great. Just trying to add more versatility to my game goes a long way."
Versatility is part of it, but so is day-to-day reliability. Pietila said his first full AHL season and those 14 playoff games showed him how much consistency separates a prospect from a player who can stick.
“I mean, it’s obviously the best league in the world," Pietila said. "[Consistency is] one of the things that I really tried to focus on last year that I struggled with a little bit, just being consistent and doing it day in and day out - practice, games, everything.
"If you want to play with the best, you have to be able to do it every day. So, I think that’s the biggest thing I’m trying to do and work on.”
The Penguins are in a transitional stretch, trying to balance established veterans with a wave of younger players they believe can shape what comes next. Pietila understands that dynamic from the inside, and he knows how close this young group has become through shared time and shared playoff pressure.
He’s the only one of the five familiar names around him who has yet to play in an NHL game, but he’s eager to change that and hopes to stay part of this group for a long time.
“I think it just helps with the youth that we have. We’re all similar ages and stuff, so we all like the same things," Pietila said. "Going to battle for one another for so long and just having that long of a playoff run, that just builds bonds you’ll never forget.
"So, being able to watch them succeed and being able to succeed with them is pretty special. It’s really fun, and we’re all enjoying it.”
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There was also some useful perspective from within the room, with Ville Koivunen and Arturs Silovs both talking about their current roles and the areas they are working to improve. For a Penguins team still sorting out its pieces, those kinds of conversations matter because they hint at players settling into bigger responsibilities, even if the bigger picture remains a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]