Tristan Broz was on the bus ride from Providence, R.I., back to Wilkes-Barre, Pa. after Saturday's game there when he looked down at his phone and saw he had a missed call from assistant general manager Jason Spezza.
Broz and some of his teammates were in the middle of playing a card game, Sevens, so he shot Spezza a text that he'd call him back in about 10 minutes.
Shortly afterward, Broz let Owen Pickering know about the missed call, and Pickering told Broz that he had to call Spezza back. So, Broz went back to the bathroom on the bus and gave Spezza a call, learning that he was being recalled to the NHL for the first time.
"When Spezz told me, I dropped to my knees," Broz said today after the Penguins' practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. "Man, it's been a lot of emotion and a lot of hard work, and a really lifelong commitment to getting better and loving the game to get here. It was really an emotional moment, really special."
Broz called his parents and shared the news -- his mother was in tears, and his dad was "grinning ear-to-ear."
Broz did eventually go back to the card game and lost, playing what he called an "all-time bad card game." I asked if he had any money on the game, and he said that "it's not a card game if you don't have money on it."
"That's all right," he said of the loss with a grin. The recall, of course, makes up for that loss several times over.
Broz was one of the very last players on the ice after his first NHL practice, staying out there well after the formal session ended. And when he got off the ice and came to his locker stall in front of the crowd of media waiting for him, he did something I've never seen before.
"Before we get started, I'd just like to thank a couple people," he began, before listing off family members, friends, coaches and teammates dating back to his time in youth hockey.
"It takes a village to get here," he reflected.
It was a well-earned first recall for the 23-year-old forward, whose eight goals in 18 games leads Wilkes-Barre, and whose 13 points ranks third only behind Sam Poulin's 15 and Danton Heinen's 14.
Dan Muse said that the staff received "really strong reports" on Broz's time in Wilkes-Barre, but that was only part of why he got the recall.
"I think you go back here to a strong training camp, too," Muse said of Broz. "Like, training camp matters. It matters. He made a good impression. He earned that during training camp. He goes in there and he goes down to Wilkes, and he follows it up."
Bros was one of the bright spots in the Penguins' preseason, and certainly looked like someone who earned the right to start the season in the NHL based off that performance. And had Ben Kindel not surprised everyone and made the team out of his first camp, Broz probably would have made his NHL debut at Madison Square Garden right there along with Harrison Brunicke, instead.
Getting sent down to start the season wasn't ideal. But Broz approached things with a good attitude, and a mentality to "just keep playing."
"You know, I thought I had a really good camp and put myself in a really good chance to make it," Broz said. "It didn't go my way. That's how life works sometimes. You can't just quit. So I just kept playing hockey and doing the thing I love, and kept working hard at really everything."
Muse lauded Broz's play on both sides of the puck, his playmaking and ability to make a positive impact offensively
Broz centered the Penguins' third line alongside Sam Poulin and Tommy Novak in practice, though it's probably too early to read too into those combinations. Kindel typically centers that line, but skated on the wing on the top line while Bryan Rust missed practice with an illness. Assuming Rust is good to go for Wednesday's game, it's not yet clear how the lines would shake out.
Presumably, though, Broz will make his NHL debut in that game, and get a real look for awhile at this level. The organization doesn't like to bring prospects like Broz up just to sit or even have a brief stint -- if he's here, it's because they think he can stick around for awhile.
"It's a dream come true," Broz said. "I mean, I've just been through so much to get here. What a journey it's been."
THE ASYLUM
Broz appreciates his 'village'
Tristan Broz was on the bus ride from Providence, R.I., back to Wilkes-Barre, Pa. after Saturday's game there when he looked down at his phone and saw he had a missed call from assistant general manager Jason Spezza.
Broz and some of his teammates were in the middle of playing a card game, Sevens, so he shot Spezza a text that he'd call him back in about 10 minutes.
Shortly afterward, Broz let Owen Pickering know about the missed call, and Pickering told Broz that he had to call Spezza back. So, Broz went back to the bathroom on the bus and gave Spezza a call, learning that he was being recalled to the NHL for the first time.
"When Spezz told me, I dropped to my knees," Broz said today after the Penguins' practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. "Man, it's been a lot of emotion and a lot of hard work, and a really lifelong commitment to getting better and loving the game to get here. It was really an emotional moment, really special."
Broz called his parents and shared the news -- his mother was in tears, and his dad was "grinning ear-to-ear."
Broz did eventually go back to the card game and lost, playing what he called an "all-time bad card game." I asked if he had any money on the game, and he said that "it's not a card game if you don't have money on it."
"That's all right," he said of the loss with a grin. The recall, of course, makes up for that loss several times over.
Broz was one of the very last players on the ice after his first NHL practice, staying out there well after the formal session ended. And when he got off the ice and came to his locker stall in front of the crowd of media waiting for him, he did something I've never seen before.
"Before we get started, I'd just like to thank a couple people," he began, before listing off family members, friends, coaches and teammates dating back to his time in youth hockey.
"It takes a village to get here," he reflected.
It was a well-earned first recall for the 23-year-old forward, whose eight goals in 18 games leads Wilkes-Barre, and whose 13 points ranks third only behind Sam Poulin's 15 and Danton Heinen's 14.
Dan Muse said that the staff received "really strong reports" on Broz's time in Wilkes-Barre, but that was only part of why he got the recall.
"I think you go back here to a strong training camp, too," Muse said of Broz. "Like, training camp matters. It matters. He made a good impression. He earned that during training camp. He goes in there and he goes down to Wilkes, and he follows it up."
Bros was one of the bright spots in the Penguins' preseason, and certainly looked like someone who earned the right to start the season in the NHL based off that performance. And had Ben Kindel not surprised everyone and made the team out of his first camp, Broz probably would have made his NHL debut at Madison Square Garden right there along with Harrison Brunicke, instead.
Getting sent down to start the season wasn't ideal. But Broz approached things with a good attitude, and a mentality to "just keep playing."
"You know, I thought I had a really good camp and put myself in a really good chance to make it," Broz said. "It didn't go my way. That's how life works sometimes. You can't just quit. So I just kept playing hockey and doing the thing I love, and kept working hard at really everything."
Muse lauded Broz's play on both sides of the puck, his playmaking and ability to make a positive impact offensively
Broz centered the Penguins' third line alongside Sam Poulin and Tommy Novak in practice, though it's probably too early to read too into those combinations. Kindel typically centers that line, but skated on the wing on the top line while Bryan Rust missed practice with an illness. Assuming Rust is good to go for Wednesday's game, it's not yet clear how the lines would shake out.
Presumably, though, Broz will make his NHL debut in that game, and get a real look for awhile at this level. The organization doesn't like to bring prospects like Broz up just to sit or even have a brief stint -- if he's here, it's because they think he can stick around for awhile.
"It's a dream come true," Broz said. "I mean, I've just been through so much to get here. What a journey it's been."
That journey is only just beginning.
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