Mike Guentzel and family stunned after son Jake scores first goal on first NHL shift, shot

Jake Guentzel, the former Hill-Murray standout whose father Mike is a Gophers coach, scored only 62 seconds into his first NHL game. His family was in the stands and their excitement has gone viral.

By jason.gonzalez

November 22, 2016 at 4:45PM
Pittsburgh Penguins' Jake Guentzel celebrates his first goal in the NHL on his first shot in his first NHL shift during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers in Pittsburgh, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016.
Pittsburgh Penguins' Jake Guentzel celebrates his first goal in the NHL on his first shot in his first NHL shift during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers in Pittsburgh, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. (Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)


Jake Guentzel scored his first goal with his first shot in the first shift of his NHL career Monday night for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

His dad Mike Guentzel, the Gophers associate head coach, pumped his fist and then placed his hand on his forehead with a look of disbelief on his face. Mom Sally and brother Ryan hugged and pumped their arms.

Minutes later, Guentzel, a former Hill-Murray standout, scored his second goal and the cameras turned to find the family overjoyed once again. The exciting celebrations began popping up all over social media.

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Watch the full highlights of Goal No. 1 and No. 2 here.

Guentzel scored the fastest goal (1:02) by a Penguins player making their NHL debut and is the fifth player in franchise history to score a goal on their first shift. He scored his second goal 13:12 into the first period, but the Penguins wouldn't score again and fell 5-2 to the New York Rangers. Guentzel was named the game's second star.

"It's something you dream of," Guentzel told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "You have a little nerves at the start, try to get them out early. Obviously with the goal, I think it helped a little bit.

"Having my parents here, all they've done for me, it's pretty unique."

Guentzel scored 40 goals in three seasons at the University of Nebraska Omaha and had seven goals in the AHL this season before making his NHL debut Monday.

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And the elder Guentzel's Gophers family weighed in, too. Gophers coach Don Lucia had this tweet (Jake Guentzel is the kid in the No. 24 jersey beside Lucia when the Gophers won the national title in 2003):

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