Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
On the surface, it was a summer like any other for Jake Guentzel. Lots of quality time with family on the shores of Lake Elmo in Minnesota, with Jake’s parents and his older brothers, Gabe and Ryan, all close by.
“It’s where we grew up,” Guentzel said. “My workout is 10 minutes away, and skating is pretty close, too. I come back here every summer, to Minnesota, and just kind of hang out.”
At two years old, Jake’s son, Charlie, remains blissfully unaware of the thunderstorm that’s brewing for his family. Instead of heading back to Pittsburgh, where Jake carved out his place as one of the NHL’s best left wingers over the past eight seasons, a new chapter is about to begin with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After the Carolina Hurricanes traded his rights to the Lightning on June 30 in exchange for a third-round pick, Guentzel cashed in one day later, signing a seven-year, $63-million deal ($9-million AAV). “I really think we have a chance to do something special,” he said. “My family and I are excited to get down there. We really can’t wait to get going.”
In our newest issue, we say goodbye and celebrate the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
We also look at the biggest names to change teams this summer, including Stamkos, Guentzel, DeBrusk and more. Plus a 1974 Summit Series 50th anniversary rewind: https://t.co/smKk3NQdgQ pic.twitter.com/afvAZnwFnp
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) September 9, 2024
Drafted in the third round (77th overall) in 2013 out of USHL Sioux City, Guentzel spent three years developing his game at NCAA Nebraska-Omaha before joining AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the spring of 2016. During the 2016 AHL playoffs, he led the Baby Pens with 14 points in 10 games.
A week after Wilkes-Barre/Scranton lost its seven-game battle against the Hershey Bears, Guentzel flew into Pittsburgh for Game 5 of the 2016 Eastern Conference final. That night, it was none other than the Lightning who took a 3-2 series lead against the eventual Cup champs thanks to Tyler Johnson’s overtime goal. “The atmosphere was unbelievable,” Guentzel said. “There’s nothing like playoffs.”
The next day, he inked his first NHL contract, and by the middle of 2016-17, Guentzel had staked a permanent claim on the stall next to Sidney Crosby’s in the Penguins’ dressing room.
That June, Pittsburgh became the first team to win back-to-back Cups since the 1997 and 1998 Detroit Red Wings….