Penguins Locker Room: Owen Pickering Gushes over NHL Debut

The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted a still-growing and somewhat gangly defenseman in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft. The pick wasn’t the sexiest of the day and 19 other first-round selections from the draft class have already made their NHL debuts. However, Owen Pickering might just keep growing into a bigger role with the Penguins.

After the team’s utter debacle against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, in which the defense played as if they were in a Russian All-Star game against Vladimir Putin, coach Mike Sullivan reached his breaking point and gave veteran defenseman Ryan Graves the night off. and gave Pickering his NHL debut.

Pickering, 20, has grown more than two inches since being drafted and gained more than 20 pounds (it’s closer to 30) of muscle. He’s also a well-spoken young man with a high hockey IQ. Despite battling injuries during his first two rookie and training camps, which prevented him from participating, his growth curve has been nearly exponential.

By the end of the preseason, he looked and sounded like a defenseman ready to take a job. Saturday, just 12 games into his first professional season, he made his NHL debut. Of course, first, he had to get through the rookie lap.

“I was so scared. I was probably more nervous for that, honestly, than (the game),” said Pickering. “I was heading out there just saying, ‘Don’t fall on my head.’ So I ripped it off the glass twice, which was kind of embarrassing, but that was fun.”

Pickering warmed up without a helmet, something he admitted he got a little grief about. Coaches (and families) want players to wear helmets in warmup, and all but one Penguins player typically does. Pickering quipped that he only got one chance at his first game, and there would be no helmet.

When the Penguins selected Pickering, he was about 6-foot-3 but close to 170 pounds. Neither of those measurements are accurate any longer. He’s now 6-foot-5 and over 200 pounds.

The Penguins’ nutritionists and strength and conditioning coaches have been working with him for a couple of years. Saturday night, he made it to the NHL and played just under 14 minutes, in somewhat sheltered play.

The big defenseman earned his first NHL point with an assist on Jese Puljujarvi’s goal at 6:34 of the first period.