Jake Guentzel

Quick Facts

• Position: Forward
• Son of Mike and Sally Guentzel
• His father, Mike, played ice hockey and was also an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota
• Older brothers, Ryan and Gabe, played ice hockey in college for Notre Dame and Colorado College, respectively
• Made his international debut for Team USA at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament

Biographical Information

Jake Guentzel was born in Omaha, Nebraska, into a hockey family where his father, Mike, was coaching the USHL's Omaha Lancers at the time. Guentzel would grow up in Minnesota, where his dad was an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. He followed his older brother into hockey (all of them would play in college and professionally) and was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft. Guentzel played three seasons at Nebraska-Omaha before beginning his pro career.

In his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Guentzel tied the playoff record for points by a rookie with 21 and contributed five game-winning goals, including in Game 1 and Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, as the Penguins became the first repeat champion in 19 years. 

Guentzel made his international debut for Team USA at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, and he was the only one on the team being an "international" rookie, as the other 22 U.S. players had all represented their country at least once before, whether it was at the senior, under-20 or under-18 level.