Rutger McGroarty was drafted 14th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2022, but he ended up playing zero games for the organization.
He spent his first two years after being drafted playing for the University of Michigan, and this summer, he felt he was ready for some NHL action. But the Jets disagreed.
This summer, McGroarty reportedly forced his way out of Winnipeg after the two sides couldn’t agree on giving him immediate NHL playing time.
The Jets likely planned to start him in the AHL and gradually prepare him for the big league. But McGroarty wasn’t having it, and he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins instead.
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McGroarty started the season in the NHL, but last week, he was, somewhat ironically, sent to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
When the Penguins played against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday in Winnipeg, it became clear that McGroarty didn’t have many fans left in Manitoba. During the game, the chant “Where is Rutger?” rang out around the arena, mocking McGroarty and his recent demotion to the AHL.
The Jets dealt McGroarty to the Penguins this summer in exchange for Brayden Yager. Although Yager didn’t play against the Penguins, as he’s currently playing in the WHL, the chant “Yager’s better” was also heard in the arena.
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