In his freshman year at the University of Nebraska Omaha, Guentzel was named to the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team, the NCHC All-Conference Rookie Team and was a finalist for NCHC Rookie of the Year.[4] In his sophomore season, he helped guide the Mavericks to their first showing in the Frozen Four, scoring the team's only goal in a 4–1 loss to the Providence Friars.[5] On August 27, 2015, before Guentzel's junior year, he was named a co-captain along with Brian Cooper after a vote by the team.[6]
Professional
Pittsburgh Penguins
After the 2015–16 season, Guentzel signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on May 23, 2016.[7]
Guentzel, Nick Bonino, and Kris Letang celebrating the Penguins' Stanley Cup win in 2017
On March 21, 2017, Guentzel suffered a concussion on a check from Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. He missed the next 4 games, while Ristolainen was suspended by the league for 3 games.[11] On April 16, 2017, he scored a hat-trick, which included the game-winning goal in overtime, to put the Penguins up 3–0 in their first-round playoff series against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He became the first Penguins rookie to score a playoff hat-trick, and only the second rookie in NHL history to score a hat-trick and overtime goal in the same game of the playoffs.[12] On June 11, 2017, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup after defeating the Nashville Predators in six games. During the run, Guentzel recorded 21 points, tying Dino Ciccarelli and Ville Leino for points by a rookie in a single postseason. His total of 13 goals was one shy of Ciccarelli's record.[13]
Guentzel began the 2017–18 season in the NHL, putting up a career high 48 points in 82 games to help the Penguins qualify for the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. During the first round of the playoffs, Guentzel recorded four goals in an 8–5 Game 6 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.[14] He became the third Penguins player to record four goals in a playoff game, behind Mario Lemieux and Kevin Stevens.[15]
Guentzel with his family following the Penguins' Stanley Cup win in 2017
The 2018–19 season marked the last year Guentzel was on his entry level rookie contract. The Penguins began the season with a slow start, landing near the bottom of the league in early November.[16] On November 24, 2018, Guentzel recorded his first regular season hat trick in a 4–2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.[17] The following month, on December 27, the Penguins re-signed Guentzel to a five-year, $30 million contract.[18] Guentzel recorded his second regular season hat trick in a 7–4 win over the Anaheim Ducks on January 11, 2019.[19] His hat trick was the first by a Penguins player ever against the Anaheim Ducks.[20] After a two-goal game the following night against the Los Angeles Kings, Guentzel was named the NHL's Third Star of the Week.[21]
In the 2019–20 season, Guentzel put up 20 goals and 43 points in 39 games for the Penguins, and was voted in to play in the 2020 NHL All-Star Game.[22] On December 30, 2019, Guentzel recorded his 200th career point as he scored a goal against the Ottawa Senators. However, immediately after scoring the goal, Guentzel tripped over the stick of Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot, and crashed shoulder first into the boards behind the net. The next day, Guentzel underwent successful shoulder surgery that sidelined him for 6 months.[23] Guentzel was expected to miss the remainder of the season, but with the NHL pushing the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs into early August due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was able to recover and join his teammates for the postseason.[24] Despite a healthy Guentzel available to the team, the heavily favored Penguins were upset by the Montreal Canadiens in the Qualifying Round of the tournament in four games.[25]
The 2020–21 season was shortened due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic. In the 56-game season, Guentzel continued to score at a torrid pace. For the second straight season, Guenztel finished at a point-per-game production rate with 23 goals and 57 points that season.[26] Pittsburgh once again fell to the New York Islanders in the First Round of the following postseason, where he and his linemates struggled to produce. He scored only one goal and two points as the Penguins were eliminated in six games.[27]
In the 2021–22 season, the league returned to its usual 82-game format. Although he missed the season opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning due to the NHL's COVID-19 protocol, he made his season debut against the Florida Panthers on October 14 in a 5–4 overtime loss.[26] He once again posted high production numbers through November 2021, scoring 15 points through the Penguins' 14 November games. From November 13 against the Ottawa Senators until December 6 in the Penguins' first ever game against the expansion Seattle Kraken, Guenztel amassed a 13-game point streak where he collected a total of 12 goals and 19 points overall.[28] In the twelfth game, he scored a hat trick and an assist against the Vancouver Canucks in a 4–1 victory.[29] In the thirteenth game, Guentzel left the game against Seattle after blocking a shot with his right hand in the first period. Although he would return to the game and score two goals and an assist in the 6–1 victory, the streak would end as head coach Mike Sullivan ruled him out for a few weeks on December 8.[30]
Guentzel celebrates his hat-trick against the Boston Bruins with Penguins teammates at PPG Paints Arena. Fans are throwing hats on the ice in celebration.
Guentzel's finish to the season was another 40-goal campaign, capped off by another hat trick against the Boston Bruins.[31] However, despite holding a 3-1 series lead over the New York Rangers in the first round of the postseason and Guentzel's eight goals through the series, the Rangers rallied to eliminate the Penguins in seven games.[32]
In the 2022–23 season, Guentzel remained on the Penguins first line for 78 games of the season. Guentzel fell just short of his previous season's 40-goal mark, finishing with 36 goals and 37 assists. This season was also the first time in his career with the Penguins that he did not make a postseason appearance, as the Penguins failed to make the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2007.[33]
Carolina Hurricanes
On March 7, 2024, while on the injured reserve list, Guentzel was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, along with Ty Smith, in exchange for Michael Bunting, Ville Koivunen, prospect Cruz Lucius, Vasili Ponomaryov, and two conditional 2024 draft picks.[34] He would soon be activated on March 12,[35] then score his first goal with the Hurricanes on March 17.[36]
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