Penguins practice has ‘different feel’ as Patric Hornqvist rejoins teammates
Most of the Pittsburgh Penguins have been skating and working out on the ice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex for more than six weeks now.
That the facility was closed to the public was not the only reason their practice sessions had been more quiet than usual.
That changed Wednesday, when loquacious veteran forward Patric Hornqvist practiced with teammates for the first time.
“You always know when he’s on the ice or in the locker room. He’s a vocal guy,” defenseman Chad Ruhwedel said. “And he’s a good guy to have around all times. We love having him back.”
Hornqvist chose to spend “Phase 2” (informal skating in small groups of teammates) of the NHL’s return-to-play plan last month in his native Sweden. Then when “Phase 3” (essentially, summer training camp) began last week, Hornqvist was part of a group of nine players who were held out as a precautionary measure after they had been in contact with an individual who had interacted with another person who had tested positive for covid-19.
Hornqvist was the only member of the Penguins’ regular lineup who was part of that group of nine, so that meant he and No. 8 defenseman Jusso Riikola were the only absences from the team’s first five practices and two intrasquad scrimmages.
Each was on the ice Wednesday, Hornqvist on the right wing of the third line and Riikola skating with Ruhwedel on a fourth defense pairing.
“Their legs were there; pace, everything,” Ruhwedel said. “If they go unnoticed in practice that lets you know they’re doing a good job, so I think they are as ready as everyone else.”
After practice was over, Hornqvist went to the other rink at the facility, alone with a member of the organizational coaching staff and a goalie. He spent an additional 30 minutes working on skills.
That was just another manifestation of why the Penguins’ coaching staff is so enamored with Hornqvist, a 33-year-old, 12-year NHL veteran. It also explains why Hornqvist was trusted to train on his own at his home in Sweden rather than come to the U.S. when players were cleared to skate.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said he spoke to Hornqvist regularly over the seven-day isolation period he’d spent here last week.
“I could sense through the phone his energy and his anxiety to want to get on the ice and join the team,” Sullivan said, “so we are thrilled that we got him involved. He brings a certain level of enthusiasm to our group, and we think it’s contagious. The bounce in our step is different when he’s on the ice with us, when he’s on the bench with us, the locker room.
“We love that about ‘Horny’ … as well as he’s a hell of a hockey player on top of that.”
The newly formed unit of Hornqvist with Patrick Marleau flanking Jared McCann could be in the conversation as among the best third lines of the NHL’s playoff tournament. Sullivan called it a line that “(has) the ability to be difference makers in games.
“A real good 200-foot line for us on both sides of the puck.”
An eight-time 20-goal scorer, Hornqvist had 17 goals and 15 assists through 52 games this season before the NHL’s pause. But he went without a goal in seven of his final eight games before the shutdown. Perhaps the four-month layoff will have done wonders for the second-oldest player on the team?
“Usually when you come into the payoffs you have been playing 82 games in a tough regular season, and right now everyone is starting fresh,” Hornqvist said. “For sure, I feel better right now than what I usually do going into playoffs – but that’s the same with every player, I bet.”
True, but not every player has the commitment to fitness that Hornqvist has, even if he was adhering to it on his own an entire continent away.
“Horny is an extremely fit guy. He takes a lot of pride in that and works extremely hard off the ice Sullivan said. “I know when he was back in Sweden he skated a fair amount, and so there is a foundation there that he’s built. And I know when he was in isolation he did everything that he could at his house to stay ready.
“He’s just the consummate pro, he takes care of himself, he does things the right way and his work ethic is off the charts when it comes to his conditioning. To be able to step in to a practice like that today with basically two (skating sessions) under his belt over the last couple of weeks I think is impressive, and that just gives an indication of his work ethic and how he takes care of himself.”
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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