On Apr. 3, Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Rutger McGroarty scored his first NHL goal in a 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues. Historically, McGroarty became the 214th player to score their first goal in a Penguins sweater.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old becomes the 68th player to achieve the feat in the salary cap era, which began with Sidney Crosby's first goal on Oct. 8, 2005.
McGroarty is on a list with three Hall of Famers: Colin Campbell (1975), Mario Lemieux (1984), and Mark Reechi (1989).
Other iconic names in franchise history are also on the list, such as Jaromir Jagr, Jean Pronovost, Bob Errey, Phil Bourque, Kevin Stevens, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Jordan Staal, Jake Guentzel, and Bryan Rust.
McGroarty is the fourth player to record their first goal this season, following Owen Pickering (Dec. 3), Joona Koppanen (Mar. 18), and netminder Alex Nedeljkovic (Jan. 17).
Interestingly, Greg Malone scored his first NHL goal with the Penguins on Nov. 5, 1976, and 27 years later, his son Ryan would tally his first goal with Pittsburgh on Oct. 29, 2003.
According to StatHead, Staal is the youngest player in franchise history to score their first NHL goal, achieving the feat at 18-032, just 30 days younger than Crosby was when he scored at 18-062.
Pittsburgh Penguins Schedule: Remaining Games & Statistical NotesThe Pittsburgh Penguins are winding down their 2024-25 season and on pace to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third consecutive season, a first in Sidney Crosby's 20-year career. However, there is plenty to play for in the final weeks of the regular season.
On the other hand, the oldest Penguins player to score their first NHL goal was Noel Price, who was 31-348 when he scored on Nov. 22, 1967. Price was one of six players to score their first goal in the inaugural season, starting with Gene Ubriaco's first goal on October 21, 1967.
Moreover, McGroarty is now the 39th active player to register their first NHL goal with the Penguins, including Tristan Jarry, who had the team's first-ever goalie goal on November 30, 2023.
Considering the elite talent in the pipeline in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, this exclusive list of 214 players will surely expand before the end of the decade.