A Summer of Transition and Familiarity
On the surface, it was a summer like any other for Jake Guentzel. He spent quality time with his family on the shores of Lake Elmo in Minnesota, surrounded by his parents and older brothers, Gabe and Ryan. “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.” But this summer was different. Instead of heading back to Pittsburgh, where he had established himself as one of the NHL’s premier left wingers over the past eight seasons, Jake was preparing for a new chapter with the Tampa Bay Lightning. On June 30, the Carolina Hurricanes traded his rights to the Lightning in exchange for a third-round pick. Guentzel followed up the next day by signing a seven-year, $63-million deal with the Bolts, averaging $9 million per season. “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.”
A Journey from Amateur to Star
Jake Guentzel’s journey to the NHL began when he was drafted in the third round (77th overall) in 2013 out of the USHL Sioux City. He spent three years honing his skills at NCAA Nebraska-Omaha before joining the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the spring of 2016. During the 2016 AHL playoffs, Guentzel led the Baby Pens with 14 points in 10 games. A week after Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s loss to the Hershey Bears, Guentzel flew to Pittsburgh for Game 5 of the 2016 Eastern Conference final. That night, the Lightning had given the Penguins a tough fight, but Pittsburgh emerged victorious with Tyler Johnson’s overtime goal. “The atmosphere was unbelievable,” Guentzel recalled. “There’s nothing like playoffs.” The next day, he signed his first NHL contract, and by the middle of the 2016-17 season, Guentzel had earned a permanent spot next to Sidney Crosby 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, with Guentzel leading the team with 13 goals. His performance made him the first rookie ever to lead the NHL in playoff goal-scoring.
Positioning for International Glory
As successful as Guentzel was in Pittsburgh, his achievements have also positioned him as a strong candidate for international competitions. His 227 goals place him 20th overall in the league, and his 491 points in 520 games rank 29th. Among American-born players, he sits fourth in goals and sixth in points over the same time frame. With NHL players returning to international competition for the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and the Winter Olympics in Italy in 2026, Guentzel is eager to represent Team USA. “There’s a lot of high-end players for us, and it’s obviously going to be a challenge,” he said. “A lot of guys are going to be fighting for spots. You’ve got to make sure you come into the season hot and playing well and do whatever it takes to make that team.” The competition is fierce, but Guentzel is determined. “That’s obviously a dream, to play for Team USA,” he added.
Stepping Out of the Shadows
Despite his success, Guentzel often operated in the shadow of Pittsburgh stars like Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. However, last spring, his profile spiked to new heights as he became the top rental option at the NHL trade deadline. Although a mid-February injury left him with broken ribs and a torn oblique muscle as the deadline approached, teams still clamored to add him. On March 7, the Hurricanes won the bidding war, sending Pittsburgh a package that included as many as six pieces, including a potential first-round draft pick. This pick became a second-rounder when Carolina failed to advance to the 2024 Stanley Cup final. Guentzel made his debut with Carolina on March 12, and despite a 1-0 loss to the Rangers, he quickly found chemistry on the top line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. Over the next 17 regular-season games, he piled up 25 points, and added another nine in 11 playoff games. His performance left no doubt that he could deliver high-end offense outside of the Penguins’ environment. “You’re not really sure how it’s going to go in a new spot,” Guentzel said. “For me to go play in Carolina and have a little success there, definitely gave me confidence as a player and a person.”
Embracing the New Chapter
The Lightning’s decision to sign Guentzel was a strategic move to ensure they got their man. “I can’t wait to learn from [Jon Cooper] and get to know him a little bit more,” Guentzel said, speaking of the Lightning’s head coach. Despite the new environment, Guentzel won’t have to face entirely unfamiliar faces. Current Lightning players Conor Sheary and Derrick Pouliot also played in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and defenseman Nick Perbix, a native of Elk River, Minn., is a regular in Minnesota’s Da Beauty League, where NHLers, NCAA players, and other hockey elite play recreational summer puck. Guentzel’s roots in hockey run deep in Minnesota, where he grew up and was a rink rat while his father, Mike, served as an assistant and associate coach with the Golden Gophers at the University of Minnesota for nearly two decades. “It’s nice to have someone, especially here in Minnesota, that I’ll skate with, that I can talk to and just kind of teach me the way down there,” Guentzel said. “It’ll be good to have someone to lean on.”
Preparing for the Future
Guentzel turns 30 in October, and his summer training now focuses on functional movement and strengthening key areas to prevent potential injuries. “You want to help your body, especially as you get older,” he explained. Over the years, he has benefited from the guidance of local hockey minds like Thomas Vanek and Alex Stalock, who introduced him to ETS Sports Performance, a chain of fitness facilities tailored to high-level athletes of all ages across multiple sports. “I was looking for something new going into my third year,” Guentzel said. “I knew Thomas Vanek for a while, and he said he was working out there. Ever since then, I haven’t gone anywhere else. It’s been great.” Last year, Guentzel became a partner in ETS, and they now have a gym in Minnesota together. “What I like about it is, it’s not just one-dimensional. It gives you everything you need in all sports, and they really specialize it for each and every athlete.”
A Vision for the Future
If Guentzel’s plan succeeds, the Lightning may strike again next spring. His goal is clear: to come into the season playing his best, contributing at a high level, and helping his new team make a deep playoff run. “There’s a lot of high-end players there. So wherever you play, you’re with good players,” he said. With his experience, talent, and dedication, Guentzel is poised to be a key component of the Lightning’s blueprint for success. His journey from a third-round draft pick to a seven-year, $63-million star is a testament to his hard work and skill. As he embarks on this new chapter, the hockey world watches with anticipation, ready to see what special things the Lightning can achieve with their new acquisition.
