McGroarty Unknowingly Passed Important Test (PHN+ Exclusive)

Nestled in their own corner of the visitors’ locker room of American Airlines Arena last Friday sat a pair of Pittsburgh Penguins rookies. They weren’t in the room for Kris Letang’s impromptu and gut-busting Kangaroo Court, which minutes earlier enraptured the room and kept Sidney Crosby laughing. Nor were the players who often referred to as kids by the older veterans and even the coach, part of the quick change and get back to the hotel crowd.

No, Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen remained on the ice longer than most, reveling in NHL hockey. The rookies missed the comedy but enjoyed themselves nonetheless.

They took their corner of the locker room and were already in conversation amongst themselves. They’re playing in the NHL and succeeding. What could be more fun than that?

Even captain Sidney Crosby is enjoying having them around.

“He’s been great with the kids. You know, (Sid) has done a great job with Rutger on his line and with Ville on the power play,” coach Mike Sullivan said after the win over Dallas Saturday. “I think those guys are having a lot of fun being around him. And I think he’s having a lot of fun working with them.”

After practice and after the media left the room, Pittsburgh Hockey Now remained long enough to interrupt the duo and speak with McGroarty about the whirlwind from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to Pittsburgh and being dunked headfirst into the deep end of NHL responsibility.

Koivunen stuck around as an interested spectator, too.

Unfortunately, McGroarty will likely undergo a few tests on Wednesday after suffering a foot or ankle injury after blocking a shot in the Penguins’ 5-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday. However, in the first sentences of our conversation on the road trip, McGroarty unwittingly spoke of passing the first and perhaps most important test of playing on a line with some of the greatest players ever, including Crosby.