Chase Pietila said that he didn't hesitate for a second when the Penguins called him up two months ago and asked if he'd be interested in leaving college and signing his entry-level contract.

Pietila, a 21-year-old defense prospect, was the Penguins' 2024 fourth-round pick last summer. More of a late-bloomer as a prospect, he was only a sophomore at Michigan Tech this season.

"My dream is to play pro hockey," Pietila told me in Wheeling, W.Va. last month. "When Pittsburgh called me, I was stoked. So it's just been unreal. When they reached out to ask if I wanted to sign a contract, I was like, 'Yeah, sign me up!' I mean, why not? It's been a dream, and I've just been enjoying every second of it."

Pietila was hoping to hear his name called in last summer's draft, his final year of draft eligibility. His coaches and advisor all told him that he could probably be expected to get drafted somewhere in the fifth, sixth or seventh rounds -- not particularly high, but a pretty big leap after previously going undrafted. Not wanting to sit around all day and wait for those later rounds, he went golfing on draft day, and was surprised to get phone calls from both his advisor Kyle Dubas to let him know he'd been selected in the fourth round.

I asked Pietila if when he had that disappointment of going undrafted two years ago, he could have imagined himself with an NHL contract and gearing up for his first pro season just two years later.

"No, I did not. I mean, I got passed over twice, so thanks for reminding me," he said with a laugh.

It's been a longer road, but Pietila is ready to turn pro and show the Penguins that they found a mid-round gem.

ZACK RAWSON / WHEELING NAILERS

Chase Pietila

Pietila, 20, is a right-handed defenseman who is listed a 6 foot 2 and 190 pounds. He described himself to me in last summer's development camp as a "two-way defenseman, more of a hard-nosed, hard-to-play against type of guy. Then add offense when it's needed, but for sure, a defensive guy first, and then add out from the net on." He named Jacob Trouba as an NHL defenseman he tries to emulate.

For a "defensive guy first" kind of defenseman, Pietila certainly found the scoresheet often in college. In his freshman 2023-24 season he led his team's defenseman and ranked fourth overall in team scoring with three goals and 19 assists in 40 games. This past season, he again led his team's defenseman and ranked fifth overall in scoring with seven goals and 15 assists in 36 games.

Pietila felt that his biggest strides last season came in the "simplicity" of his game. And despite it only being his sophomore season, he felt as if he got all he could out of the college game, making the decision to turn pro an easy one. 

"I'm not this big skill guy that's gonna be flashy," he said. "I just strengthened the core of my game, the little details. Tech gave me everything they could. I was playing a ton of minutes, and the strength guys did everything for me."

ZACK RAWSON / WHEELING NAILERS

Chase Pietila

When Pietila's college season ended and he had his contract, he joined Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and made his pro debut, skating in three scoreless games. But with Wilkes-Barre being pretty loaded on defense, especially on the right side after Harrison Brunicke joined, Pietila was sent down to Wheeling to finish the year. He played the last nine games of the regular season, recording nine assists, and had two assists in five playoff games before Wheeling was knocked out in the first round.

Nailers coach Derek Army loved what Pietila brought, calling him a "gamer."

"He's the kind of guy you always want in your trench. He is tough, he plays hard," Army said. "He's got a good shot. He's physically strong and engaging, which is, I think, the biggest strength of his, closing D-zone coverage."

ZACK RAWSON / WHEELING NAILERS

Chase Pietila

Army thought that Pietila was "snake-bitten" when it came to putting up points, but was surprised by his "sneaky offensive side" to his game.

"You could see some of the plays he made with the puck, some of his confidence with the puck, and that'll only grow from there," Army said. "I think he was a leader in the playoffs, like top-five in rookie shots in the playoffs. So he's a shooter. There's a bright future for him, for sure."

Pietila credited his teammates with being welcoming and helping him make that transition. One of those teammates in Wheeling was Logan, his older brother with whom he also played in college. Pietila called it a "blast" to be able to make the transition to pro hockey with his brother, joking that "at this point, I'm just following him around."

Pietila pointed to the skill and the speed of opponents as the biggest adjustment coming from the college game.

"Especially as a defenseman, I just feel like everything kind of comes at you faster," he said. "So it's adjusting to keeping everything in front of you, almost planning a bit more."

As Pietila heads back to Michigan for the summer and prepares for his first-ever NHL training camp and first full professional season, he's not looking to change too much about his game. He's just looking to improve the things about his game that got him to this point.

"All the stick details and the stuff that will overall just make me a pro," he said. "Just simplifying the game, making fast, quick plays, being poised with the puck, but also not trying to be a skill guy."

The Penguins could benefit from the quick development of some of their prospects as part of this retool, which was in part why they targeted older draft-eligible prospects last summer like Pietila who are stronger, more mature, and perhaps a little closer than other prospects from the pool. Pietila's been on a fast track over the last year and is poised to keep taking those big strides in his rookie season.

ZACK RAWSON / WHEELING NAILERS

Chase Pietila