Silver Cup with a Rusty Finish
Thomas Waind, for PHPA.com | August 15th, 2016
On December 11, 2015, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost 3-2 in overtime at home against the Los Angeles Kings. While in a vacuum this may not seem that consequential of a loss, at the end of the day it had much larger implications. This loss would drop the Penguins to a pedestrian 15-10-3 record, their fifth loss in their previous seven games. This slide would be bearable for most teams, but not so for a Pittsburgh line-up with Stanley Cup aspirations. While the Penguins’ record wasn’t bad by most teams’ standards, the greater worry was the lack of cohesion between their key players. It was clear something needed to change.
Following the loss to the Kings, the Penguins would fire their Head Coach, and promote Mike Sullivan, from Pittsburgh’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in Wilkes-Barre / Scranton to be the team’s new bench boss. With the hiring of Sullivan, there was a golden opportunity for players who had been playing in Wilkes-Barre, who had come to impress and build a rapport with Sullivan, to get their shot at the NHL. By season’s end, Pittsburgh would receive valuable contributions from AHL Wilkes-Barre alumni such as Brian Dumoulin, Tom Kuhnhackl, Conor Sheary, and Matt Murray on their way to capturing the franchise’s fourth Stanley Cup. And there are those who argue the team would not have had the success they did without the heroic playoff performance of another AHL call-up, Bryan Rust.
Bryan Rust, born in Pontiac, Michigan, had a successful campaign for the US National Development Program (USNTDP) prior to being drafted by the Penguins in 2010. He had a breakout season in 2009-10 on an Under-18 Team that featured future stars such as Brandon Saad, Justin Faulk, and John Gibson. His 23 points in 26 games was good for fourth on the team and drew the attention of many NHL scouts, including representation from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Needless to say, Rust put himself in a great position going into the 2010 NHL draft.
“I heard that some teams were interested,” said Rust. “I talked to a few teams; Pittsburgh was one of them. I didn’t really know where I was going to land. In the third round, I was told that there were a couple of teams looking at me and to expect that I may get drafted then. Once my name was called, I was kind of shocked. I just kind of sat up and started hugging everyone.”
The Penguins would select Bryan in the third round, 80th overall, however, he was not seasoned enough to go straight to the NHL. Like many players from the USNTDP before him, Bryan and the Penguins had a difficult decision to make regarding which path was best for his development. While the Canadian Hockey League, the Penguins’ AHL and ECHL affiliates, and other professional leagues were all options, Rust eventually chose to play hockey for Notre Dame while earning a degree in Finance.
“I felt like it was the best thing for me. School has always been important for me and I knew that it’d be smart to have a degree to fall back on. That’s why I stayed for all four years. I’m happy with my decision to go to school and wouldn’t change it for anything given where I am now.”
Bryan reflects that “some of the guys from Pittsburgh’s management had gone to college and had been through it all. They understood that guys have different growth curves when it comes to being a pro. They knew that going to college would be a good thing for me.”
Rust would go on to accumulate 97 points in 161 games over his four years with the Fighting Irish. In his senior season, he was one of the Notre Dame’s assistant captains and helped lead the team to the 2013 Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s tournament championship.
Following his final season with Notre Dame in 2013-14, he was assigned by Pittsburgh to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for two regular season games and one playoff game. More than anything, it was an opportunity for Bryan to dip his toe in and test the waters of professional hockey life. He credits this brief experience for really speeding up his development.
“After joining the team, I got to see how some of these guys handled themselves. Tom Kostopolous particularly was a great role model. Just to see how these guys handled themselves on a day-to-day basis was a bit of an eye opener. I got to see what it took to be successful in the playoffs that season when our Wilkes team made it to the Eastern Conference Final. We saw how hard it was to play in the playoffs firsthand.”
In 2014-15, Rust would spend his first full season of professional hockey playing under Mike Sullivan in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton while also managing to see action in 14 NHL games with Pittsburgh. In 45 AHL games, he would put up 27 points which was a valuable contribution from the 22 year-old rookie. While his point production was impressive, Rust tries to bring more to his team by developing a strong two-way game. He has a watchful eye on the NHL and definitely feels that there is a role that he can fill.
“I’ve looked at players like Dustin Brown and Ryan Callahan and have tried to model my game after them,” Rust explained. “You know, guys who play a 200 foot game. Guys that play hard and chip in offensively--and not just chip in but they can produce offensively and be important players on both sides of the rink.”
Once Sullivan was promoted last season, Pittsburgh became a lot more comfortable with using some of the talent that had been developing with their AHL team. Sullivan’s relationship with Rust and the other call-ups ended up being a mutually-beneficial relationship. “Anytime you have a coach that is familiar with you, especially a coach who can guide you even after being called up, it is special,” reflected Rust. “He knew what myself—and all of the other players that were called up—were capable of and how they would perform in certain situations. He helped us get an opportunity to succeed under pressure situations and didn’t hesitate to throw us in the fire.”
During his rookie season, Rust was understandably a bit tentative when being thrown into a locker room dominated by so many superstars. Oddly enough, some pranking at Bryan’s expense ended up calming his nerves, and ultimately brought the team closer together. “The first moment where I felt that I belonged and was accepted was, ironically, when the guys played a prank on me and hung my clothes up in the rafters after practice. Weirdly enough, it just made me feel more welcome and part of the team.”
On their run to the Stanley Cup, Rust found success when he was promoted to the second-line along-side Olympic gold medalist Chris Kunitz and 2012 Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin. Rust is still relatively star-struck when thinking about this rare opportunity.
“Being on a line with guys who have been so successful in both team and individual settings—especially Evgeni Malkin—was kind of crazy. I tried to learn everything I could from them while continuing to play my game because the Coach put me with them for a reason.”
Bryan knew his role on the line and thrived, “(Sullivan) knew what I could do. He knew that if I played the way that he knew I could, that I’d create more space for them to play offence and make them better. I’d like to think that our line was pretty successful over the course of the postseason.”
When looking at Rust’s 2016 playoff stats, (in 23 games he had 6 goals and 9 points) they don’t particularly jump off of the page. But anyone who watched the games can tell you that he was a standout player. His ability to mercilessly hound the other team’s puck carriers and win battles along the boards, all the while chipping in with clutch goals made him a tough player to miss. In the Penguins’ 2-0 victory over the Lighting in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, nobody shone brighter than Rust. Bryan earned his spot in playoff hockey lore as he scored both of Pittsburgh’s goals in what was one of the most clutch games in recent sports memory.
“It’s definitely something that I’ll never forget. Sometimes in a game you’re feeling it, you get your chances and you’re burying them. Between my line mates and I, we were just out there getting chances, and quite honestly I feel like I could have had three or four goals that game. I missed a few opportunities. It’s going to be something that sticks with me for the rest of my life.”
After a hard fought and successful playoff run, Rust is taking some much needed time off. He plans on taking the Stanley Cup home to Royal Oak, Michigan. From there he wants to take the Cup with him for a round of golf which is one of his favourite past-times. From there he has tentative plans to share his Stanley Cup experience with family and friends.
Now that the season is over, it has given Bryan plenty of time to reflect on some of the people who have influenced his career.
His older brother Matt was a fourth round draft pick of the Florida Panthers in 2007 and had also spent time playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during the 2011-12 season. “Over my whole hockey lifetime, Matt has been guiding me and has paved the way for me. He was always a great hockey player growing up. Seeing how successful he was with the sport and how he handled himself forced me to push myself harder and handle myself in the same way. My goal was to try and be better.”
As Rust was just starting his pro hockey career, he was sure to use the tools and resources offered to players by the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA). “I know in my first year of pro, our team’s PHPA Player Rep was Pierre-Luc Leblond and he helped all of us out. All of the services, player programs, and opportunities that the PHPA gave us definitely helped us get acclimated to the pro life.”
Rust also points to a couple of other key mentors when speaking of his unlikely success story. “My coach in minor hockey, Larry Knapp of the Honeybaked Program out of Michigan, was a huge role model for me. He was the guy who gave me the initial push to pursue high levels of hockey. I was always pretty good as a kid but he really helped me step up my game and I owe him a lot. As far as players who I look up to, for sure there’s Tom Kostopolous from Wilkes-Barre. Just watching him play up close and with him being so close with the younger guys. The kind of character he brings to the team is so special. I hope to emulate that one day.”
While Bryan slows down and spends the rest of his summer hitting the links, spending time on the lake and working out at D1 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, his burning desire to improve is evident. He admits that next season is going to be tougher as the Penguins will “definitely have a target on their backs.”
Even while ‘relaxing’ and playing a slow round of golf, his competiveness ultimately takes over. “I admit sometimes I’m not too loose on the golf course. I can get a little angry if the game doesn’t go my way. I’m going to try and enjoy golf.”
