Rutger McGroarty Admits to Major Mistake in Pittsburgh after forced trade
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The Pittsburgh Penguins recently sent Rutger McGroarty down to the AHL, and now he acknowledges that he made some mistakes that resulted in his trade from Winnipeg.
For Rutger McGroarty, breaking onto the Pittsburgh Penguins roster after training camp and making his NHL debut earlier in October was a dream come true. On October 16, however, the Penguins sent him to the American Hockey League's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after three games.
Prior to a game against his old team, the Winnipeg Jets, McGroarty received the message from the Penguins, scoring zero points, and receiving a minus-one rating. Rather, he was in the AHL as the Winnipeg Jets' supporters jeered him at Canada Life Centre, yelling, "Where is Rutger?" as the Jets won 6-3.
On Wednesday, though, McGroarty admitted his error and told the Pittsburgh Post Tribune that he might not have been prepared for the NHL after all.
«You hear about the NHL your whole life, but you don't really know what it's like until you're there,» McGroarty said. «For me, reflecting on it, coming down here, I can definitely work on more things in the (offensive zone). I feel like defensively, I was good (with the Penguins), but in the (offensive zone), holding onto pucks, taking pucks to the net - you hear about the NHL and how fast it is, so you're trying to get pucks on and off your tape.
«I feel like there's definitely opportunities for me to hold onto pucks and take pucks to the net or just create more by myself.»
«I feel like there's definitely opportunities for me to hold onto pucks and take pucks to the net or just create more by myself.»
In the AHL, McGroarty is having fun while learning and getting some ice time. He is currently on the baby Penguins' top line at left wing and will suit up for his fifth AHL game on Wednesday. Although he hasn't scored a point yet, he is getting opportunities and wants to get better.
«I'm still 20 years old, so this is my first good kick at the can with pro hockey,» McGroarty added. «So just kind of getting used to the pro game, getting used to the schedule and taking advantage of every day. That's the biggest thing, caring about my development, attacking every day and just keep getting better and better.»
His coach reported that he had shown signs of adjusting to the new mindset, including becoming more humble and diligent in his efforts. Instead of having Rutger McGroarty sit in the press box, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas tried his best to portray the move as one that would give him some playing time. He has been able to grow and reflect on his past mistakes during the conditioning period, which will help him become a better player and teammate in the future.
| POLL | ||
30 OCTOBRE | 71 ANSWERS Rutger McGroarty Admits to Major Mistake in Pittsburgh after forced trade Will Rutger McGroarty ever become a star player with the Pittsburgh Penguins? | ||
| Yes | 31 | 43.7 % |
| No | 40 | 56.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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