Jake Guentzel Bio
Jake Allen Guentzel is an American professional ice hockey left winger for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. A third-round selection, 77th overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Guentzel won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017 and has been a consistent offensive presence at the NHL level since his 2016 debut.
Early Life and Background
Jake Allen Guentzel was born on October 6, 1994, in Omaha, Nebraska, and grew up in Woodbury, Minnesota. He played two years of varsity hockey at Hill-Murray School in Maplewood, Minnesota, where his team finished second in the 2012 Minnesota State Hockey Tournament.
Guentzel moved into junior hockey with the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League for the 2012–13 season, where he scored 29 goals and added 44 assists for 73 points in 60 games. He finished sixth overall in USHL scoring, was voted USHL Rookie of the Year, named to the USHL All-Rookie Team, and earned a place on the league Second All-Star Team.
Path to Hockey
Guentzel committed to the University of Nebraska Omaha and joined the Omaha Mavericks for the 2013–14 season, earning recognition on the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Academic All-Conference Team and the NCHC All-Conference Rookie Team. He recorded seven goals and 34 points in 37 games as a freshman and developed into the Mavericks’ leading scorer over the subsequent two seasons.
Named co-captain before his junior year, Guentzel led the Mavericks with 19 goals and 46 points in 35 games during 2015–16, then chose to forgo his senior year to turn professional. His collegiate production and playmaking ability positioned him for a transition to professional hockey beginning in 2016.
Jake Guentzel Career
Early Career (2016–2017)
Guentzel signed an amateur tryout with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League in March 2016 and contributed in the Calder Cup playoffs. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on May 23, 2016, and began the 2016–17 season in the AHL before earning his first NHL recall in November 2016.
He made an immediate impact in his NHL debut on November 21, 2016, scoring two goals on his first two shots. After time between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Pittsburgh, Guentzel finished the 2016–17 regular season with the Penguins and emerged as a key postseason performer.
Pittsburgh Penguins Breakthrough (2017–2024)
Guentzel’s playoff performance in 2017 defined his early NHL career. During the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, he scored a hat-trick that included the overtime game-winning goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets, becoming the first Penguins rookie to score a playoff hat-trick and one of only two NHL rookies to record a playoff hat-trick and an overtime winner in the same game. He finished the 2017 postseason with 13 goals and 21 points, tying established rookie postseason marks, as the Penguins captured the Stanley Cup in June 2017.
Over the following seasons, Guentzel established himself as a dependable top-six forward for Pittsburgh. He posted a career-high 48 points in the 2017–18 season and recorded 40 goals and 76 points in the 2018–19 season after signing a five-year contract extension in December 2018. Guentzel added multiple regular-season hat tricks, point-per-game production in shortened seasons, and selection to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game during his tenure with the Penguins.
Carolina Hurricanes Tenure (March–June 2024)
On March 7, 2024, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. He made his Hurricanes debut on March 12, 2024, and scored his first goal with Carolina on March 17, 2024, finishing the regular season with eight goals and 17 points in 25 games for the Hurricanes.
Guentzel contributed in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs with Carolina, recording four goals and nine points in 11 playoff games as the Hurricanes advanced before ultimately being eliminated in the Conference Round. His short stint in Carolina included timely scoring and playoff contributions after the midseason trade.
Tampa Bay Lightning Era (2024–Present)
Unable to reach an extension in Carolina, Guentzel’s negotiation rights were traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 30, 2024, and he signed a seven-year contract with Tampa Bay the same day. The deal marked the start of a long-term commitment with the Lightning, where he is expected to continue in a top-six role on the left wing.
Guentzel entered the Lightning organization as an experienced scorer with multiple 40-goal campaigns and significant playoff experience, bringing championship pedigree and playmaking skill to Tampa Bay’s forward group. His contract runs through 2031 and projects him as a core offensive option for the franchise during that period.
Driving Style and Strengths
Guentzel plays a skilled, opportunistic style marked by quick release, strong net-front instincts, and effective playmaking on the left wing. He combines finishing ability with reliable puck retrieval and off-puck movement, enabling sustained production alongside elite playmakers and on power-play units.
Notable Events and Milestones
Significant milestones include Guentzel’s 2017 playoff hat-trick and overtime winner, helping Pittsburgh win the 2017 Stanley Cup, multiple regular-season hat tricks, a 40-goal season in 2018–19, selection to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, and major roster moves in 2024 culminating in a long-term contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Jake Guentzel Career Wins
Across his NHL career, Jake Guentzel has compiled multiple milestone performances and multi-goal games at both the regular-season and playoff levels. His postseason scoring in 2017 remains a standout achievement, and his regular-season totals include several high-scoring campaigns and consistent top-six production with the Pittsburgh Penguins before moving to Carolina and Tampa Bay.
NHL Highlights
Guentzel earned early postseason acclaim with 13 goals and 21 points in the 2017 Stanley Cup run, missing a rookie playoff goal record by a single tally while tying rookie postseason point totals. He has recorded multiple hat tricks in the regular season, reached the 200-career-point mark in December 2019, and posted consecutive high-output seasons including 40-goal scoring in 2018–19 and another 40-goal campaign later in his Pittsburgh tenure.
Other Wins & Perfromances
Before turning professional, Guentzel’s amateur and collegiate successes included USHL Rookie of the Year honors with the Sioux City Musketeers and leading scoring seasons at the University of Nebraska Omaha, where he served as co-captain and helped guide the Mavericks to their first Frozen Four appearance in 2015.
Jake Guentzel Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Guentzel comes from a hockey family. His father, Mike Guentzel, played college hockey for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and later served as an associate head coach at the University of Minnesota. Jake’s older brothers, Ryan and Gabe, also played hockey at collegiate and junior levels.
Personal Life
Jake Guentzel married longtime girlfriend Natalie Johnson on July 30, 2021. The couple has one son.
2025 Season Performance
Entering 2025, Guentzel remained under his seven-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning signed in June 2024, positioning him for sustained top-six minutes and power-play usage with his new club. Internationally, Guentzel was selected for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025, recording goals and assists in the tournament as part of the United States squad that finished second.
His 2024–25 season narrative centers on integrating into the Lightning lineup after the 2024 offseason move, contributing established scoring and playoff experience while aiming to complement Tampa Bay’s offensive core.