Jake Guentzel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jake Guentzel
Guentzel with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs
Born	(1994-10-06) October 6, 1994 (age 30) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Tampa Bay Lightning Pittsburgh Penguins Carolina Hurricanes
National team	United States
NHL Draft	77th overall, 2013 Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career	2016–present

Jake Allen Guentzel (born October 6, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey player. He plays as a left winger for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Pittsburgh Penguins chose him in the 2013 NHL draft. He later won the famous Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2017. Guentzel has also played for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Playing Career

Early Hockey Days

Guentzel playing for the Omaha Mavericks in 2015

Jake Guentzel was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on October 6, 1994. He grew up in Woodbury, Minnesota. He played high school hockey at Hill-Murray School. His team finished second in the Minnesota State Hockey Tournament in 2012.

After high school, Jake joined the Sioux City Musketeers in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the 2012–13 season. He scored 29 goals and 44 assists, totaling 73 points in 60 games. He was one of the top scorers in the league. He also won the USHL Rookie of the Year award.

College Hockey

Jake decided to play college hockey for the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO). He joined the Omaha Mavericks team for the 2013–14 season. In his first year, he was named to the NCHC All-Conference Rookie Team. He scored seven goals and 34 points in 37 games.

In his second year (2014–15), he helped the Mavericks reach the "Frozen Four" for the first time. This is the final round of the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. He scored 14 goals and 39 points that season. He was the team's top scorer. For his third year (2015–16), his teammates voted him as a co-captain. He continued to be the team's leading scorer, with 19 goals and 46 points. After this season, he chose to become a professional player instead of finishing his last year of college.

Professional Career

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins picked Jake Guentzel in the third round of the 2013 NHL draft. He first played for their minor league team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (WBS Penguins), in March 2016. He helped them reach the playoffs. He scored two goals and six points in 11 games. In the playoffs, he led the team with five goals and 14 points in ten games. He signed a three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins in May 2016.

Guentzel, Nick Bonino, and Kris Letang celebrating the Penguins' Stanley Cup win in 2017

Jake started the 2016–17 season in the AHL. He was called up to the NHL team in November 2016. He made his NHL debut on November 21, scoring two goals on his first two shots! He played five games for Pittsburgh before returning to the AHL. He was later called back up in January 2017. He finished the season with 16 goals and 33 points in 40 NHL games.

The Penguins made it to the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs. On April 16, Jake scored three goals (a "hat-trick") in one playoff game. One of these goals was the game-winner in overtime. This was a big moment for a rookie player. On June 11, 2017, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup! Jake had 21 points in the playoffs, which tied a record for a rookie. His 13 goals were also very close to the rookie record.

In the 2017–18 season, Jake played in all 82 games and set a new career high with 48 points. In the playoffs, he scored four goals in one game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Only two other Penguins players had done that before. The Penguins were later eliminated by the Washington Capitals.

Guentzel with his family following the Penguins' Stanley Cup win in 2017

The 2018–19 season was his last year on his first contract. He scored his first regular season hat trick on November 24, 2018. In December, the Penguins signed him to a new five-year contract. He scored another hat trick in January 2019. He finished the season with 40 goals and 76 points in 82 games. The Penguins made the playoffs but lost in the first round.

In the 2019–20 season, Jake scored 20 goals and 43 points in 39 games. He was chosen to play in the 2020 National Hockey League All-Star Game. On December 30, 2019, he reached 200 career points. However, right after scoring, he had a shoulder injury that needed surgery. He was expected to miss the rest of the season. But because the playoffs were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was able to recover and play. The Penguins were upset in the qualifying round.

The 2020–21 season was shorter because of the pandemic. Jake continued to score a lot of points, with 23 goals and 57 points in 56 games. The Penguins again lost in the first round of the playoffs.

In the 2021–22 season, Jake missed the first game due to COVID-19 rules. He then had a great run, including a 13-game streak where he scored points in every game. During this streak, he scored a hat trick against the Vancouver Canucks. He finished the season with another 40-goal year, including a hat trick against the Boston Bruins. The Penguins had a 3-1 lead in their playoff series but lost in seven games.

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.

In the 2022–23 season, Jake played 78 games and scored 36 goals and 37 assists. This was the first time in his career with the Penguins that he did not make the playoffs.

Carolina Hurricanes

On March 7, 2024, Jake Guentzel was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. He was still recovering from an injury at the time. He made his debut with the Hurricanes on March 12 and scored his first goal with them on March 17. He finished the season with eight goals and 17 points in 25 games for Carolina. The Hurricanes made the playoffs and won their first series. They then faced the New York Rangers and were eliminated in six games. Jake scored four goals and nine points in 11 playoff games for the Hurricanes.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Jake's contract was ending in the summer of 2024. On June 30, 2024, his rights were traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. On the same day, he signed a new seven-year contract with Tampa Bay.

International Play

Jake Guentzel was chosen to play for Team USA in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. He played his first international game against Finland, scoring a goal and an assist in a 6–1 win. In the next game against Canada, he scored two goals in a 3–1 victory. Team USA reached the final but lost to Canada in overtime, finishing second in the tournament.

Personal Life

Jake Guentzel comes from a family that loves ice hockey. His father, Mike, played college hockey and later became a coach at the University of Minnesota. Jake was a "stick boy" for the Minnesota team when Phil Kessel, who later became his teammate on the Penguins, played there. Jake also has two older brothers, Ryan and Gabe, who played hockey in college and professionally.

Jake married his longtime girlfriend, Natalie Johnson, on July 30, 2021. They have one son.

Awards and Honors