Struck By Lightning: After Almost Eight Seasons In Pittsburgh, Jake Guentzel Goals To Return Lightning To Current Glory

On the floor, it was a summer season like another for Jake Guentzel. Numerous high quality time with household on the shores of Lake Elmo in Minnesota, with Jake’s mother and father and his older brothers, Gabe and Ryan, all shut by.

“It’s the place we grew up,” Guentzel mentioned. “My exercise is 10 minutes away, and skating is fairly shut, too. I come again right here each summer season, to Minnesota, and simply sort of hang around.”

At two years previous, Jake’s son, Charlie, stays blissfully unaware of the thunderstorm that’s brewing for his household. As an alternative of heading again to Pittsburgh, the place Jake carved out his place as one of many NHL’s finest left wingers over the previous eight seasons, a brand new chapter is about to start with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

After the Carolina Hurricanes traded his rights to the Lightning on June 30 in alternate for a third-round choose, Guentzel cashed in in the future later, signing a seven-year, $63-million deal ($9-million AAV). “I actually suppose we have now an opportunity to do one thing particular,” he mentioned. “My household and I are excited to get down there. We actually can’t wait to get going.”

Drafted within the third spherical (77th total) in 2013 out of USHL Sioux Metropolis, Guentzel spent three years creating his recreation at NCAA Nebraska-Omaha earlier than becoming a member of AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton within the spring of 2016. Throughout the 2016 AHL playoffs, he led the Child Pens with 14 factors in 10 video games.

Per week after Wilkes-Barre/Scranton misplaced its seven-game battle in opposition to the Hershey Bears, Guentzel flew into Pittsburgh for Recreation 5 of the 2016 Japanese Convention closing. That evening, it was none apart from the Lightning who took a 3-2 sequence lead in opposition to the eventual Cup champs due to Tyler Johnson’s extra time objective. “The environment was unbelievable,” Guentzel mentioned. “There’s nothing like playoffs.”

The following day, he inked his first NHL contract, and by the center of 2016-17, Guentzel had staked a everlasting declare on the stall subsequent to Sidney Crosby’s within the Penguins’ dressing room.

That June, Pittsburgh grew to become the primary staff to win back-to-back Cups because the 1997 and 1998 Detroit Pink Wings. Guentzel led his star-laden squad with 13 targets. Within the course of, he grew to become the primary rookie ever to guide the NHL in playoff goal-scoring.

Since Guentzel scored twice in his NHL debut in opposition to the New York Rangers on Nov. 21, 2016, his 227 targets place him twentieth total within the league, and his 491 factors in 520 video games rank twenty ninth.

Amongst American-born gamers, he sits fourth in targets and sixth in factors over the identical timeframe. That positions him nicely to earn a spot with Group USA as NHL gamers return to worldwide competitors with the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and the Winter Olympics in Italy in 2026. “There’s numerous high-end gamers for us, and it’s clearly going to be a problem,” Guentzel mentioned. “Loads of guys are going to be preventing for spots. You’ve acquired to ensure you come into the season sizzling and enjoying nicely and do no matter it takes to make that staff.”

The competitors is fierce. Matthew Tkachuk has already been named to America’s 4 Nations roster, and Group USA’s GM Invoice Guerin can spherical out his left facet with Guentzel, Jason Robertson, Chris Kreider and Kyle Connor, or he may shift different abilities over from middle or proper wing.

A lot of these gamers have a historical past with USA Hockey from the world juniors, the World Championship or the Nationwide Group Growth Program. For Guentzel, a roster nod in 2025 or 2026 can be his first alternative to swimsuit up for his nation. “That’s clearly a dream, to play for Group USA,” he mentioned.

As profitable as Guentzel was in his time with the Penguins, he typically operated within the shadow of stars Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

However final spring, Guentzel’s profile spiked to new heights as he grew to become the highest rental possibility on the NHL commerce deadline, approaching unrestricted free company after failing to succeed in an settlement with the Penguins on a long-term contract extension.

Although a mid-February damage left him with damaged ribs and a torn indirect muscle because the deadline approached, groups clamored so as to add Guentzel.

Someday earlier than the March 8 commerce deadline, the Hurricanes received the bidding struggle, sending Pittsburgh a bundle that included as many as six items, together with a possible first-round draft choose. That choose grew to become a second-rounder when Carolina did not advance to the 2024 Stanley Cup closing.

On March 12, Guentzel debuted along with his new staff in a 1-0 loss to the Rangers, however enterprise rapidly picked up from there. Discovering rapid chemistry on the highest line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, Guentzel piled up 25 factors in 17 regular-season video games, then added one other 9 factors in 11 playoff video games.

His efficiency left little doubt that he may ship high-end offense exterior of the Penguins’ setting. In consequence, groups chased onerous once more earlier than July 1. The Lightning determined it was value buying his rights to make sure they acquired their man.

“You’re not likely certain the way it’s going to go in a brand new spot,” Guentzel mentioned. “For me to go play in Carolina, to have a bit success there, undoubtedly gave me confidence as a participant and an individual.”

Guentzel received’t have to stress about returning to Pittsburgh on the visiting facet. That second got here simply over two weeks after his commerce to Carolina.

With the reminiscence of his performances within the black-and-yellow nonetheless recent of their minds, Penguins followers rose to their toes to point out their respect as Guentzel’s tribute video rolled in the course of the first interval on March 26, 2024. (The Penguins went on to defeat the Hurricanes 4-1.)

Guentzel was held off the scoresheet that evening. However, virtually talking, the timing labored out nicely. “My household simply stayed there, cleaned up the home, and acquired that every one kind of located,” he mentioned. “Then, they have been out in Raleigh the remainder of the time.”

Although Guentzel was born in Nebraska, his roots run deep within the State of Hockey. He was a rink rat whereas his father, Mike, served as an assistant and affiliate coach with the Golden Gophers on the College of Minnesota for almost 20 years. When Jake reached highschool, he adopted his brothers into the hockey program on the Hill-Murray Faculty in Maplewood, Minn.

Rising up, considered one of his brothers’ hockey buddies was Ryan McDonagh. He’s now a part of Guentzel’s summer season skating group and is headed again to Tampa Bay for a second tour of responsibility with the Lightning. “It’s good to have somebody, particularly right here in Minnesota, that I’ll skate with, that I can discuss to and simply sort of educate me the best way down there,” Guentzel mentioned. “It’ll be good to have somebody to lean on.”

And after working with two of the highest coaches within the recreation in Mike Sullivan and Rod Brind’Amour, Guentzel will now be guided by one other extensively revered bench boss in Jon Cooper. “I’ve heard nothing however unbelievable issues about him, his demeanor and the way good he’s in regards to the recreation,” Guentzel mentioned. “I can’t wait to be taught from him and get to know him a bit bit extra.”

That is clearly a dream, to play for Group USA – Jake Guentzel, on the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off

It received’t be all new faces within the Sunshine State. Present Lightning gamers Conor Sheary and Derrick Pouliot additionally acquired their begins in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and defenseman Nick Perbix is an Elk River, Minn., native who, like Guentzel and McDonagh, is an everyday in Minnesota’s Da Magnificence League (which options NHLers, NCAA gamers and different hockey elite enjoying some leisure summer season puck).

Over time, Guentzel has soaked up steering from different native hockey minds. Thomas Vanek and Alex Stalock launched him to ETS Sports activities Efficiency – a series of health services tailor-made to high-level athletes of all ages throughout a number of sports activities. “I used to be on the lookout for one thing new going into my third yr,” Guentzel mentioned. “I knew Thomas Vanek for some time, and he mentioned he was working on the market. Ever since then, I haven’t gone wherever else. It’s been nice.”

A yr in the past, Guentzel grew to become an ETS associate. “Right here we are actually – we have now a health club in Minnesota collectively,” he mentioned. “What I like about it’s, it’s not simply one-dimensional. It provides you every little thing you want in all sports activities, and so they actually specialize it for each athlete.”

Guentzel turns 30 in October, so his summer season coaching now focuses totally on purposeful motion and strengthening key areas to assist forestall potential accidents. “You wish to assist your physique, particularly as you become older,” he mentioned.

It has been seven years because the then-22-year-old rookie introduced the Stanley Cup again to Minnesota, visiting his youth-hockey rink in Woodbury together with an area restaurant and golf course. He’s desirous to do it once more. “I’ve simply acquired to come back in and ensure I’m enjoying my finest, at a excessive degree,” Guentzel mentioned. “There’s numerous high-end gamers there. So wherever you play, you’re with good gamers.”

If his plan succeeds, Lightning might strike once more subsequent spring.

This article appeared within the Sept. 9, 2024 version of The Hockey Information. On this version, we are saying goodbye and rejoice the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. Additionally within the problem, we have a look at the most important names to vary groups this summer season, together with Steven Stamkos, Jake Guentzel, Jake DeBrusk and extra. As well as, we glance again on the “forgotten” 1974 Summit Sequence on its fiftieth anniversary.

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