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Bryan Rust Sends Penguins Fans a Clear Message After 11 Years in Pittsburgh
Bryan Rust has been a long time member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and after some recent struggles from the team, he's sent the fans of the team a clear message.
The past three years haven't gone the way that the Pittsburgh Penguins would have liked, and with a team loaded with veteran stars, the frustration has no doubt been growing for the team in that time.
Despite this, they've achieved plenty of success during Bryan Rust's time with the team which began back in the 2014/15 season, and that all comes on the back of the veteran being overlooked and under appreciated early in his career and heading into the NHL Draft.
He was eventually taken with the No. 80 pick in the third round back in 2010 by the Penguins, and thus far he's turned out well, contributing to two Stanley Cup wins while tallying 203 goals and 437 points in 638 games played across a fantastic 11 year career.
After being doubted so much coming into the league, Rust has sent a message to fans that he has always tried to work hard and will continue to do so to win the respect of the fans, his peers and the league.
«I don't think I would have expected this. I've always worked for this, always wanted this. I don't think it was something that I ever expected. It's something that I've embraced, and I've continually tried to make the most of.»
He's done that in Pittsburgh, with many growing to love and respect the veteran forward, with his hard work becoming a key part of who he is in the league, helping him become a valued member of the Penguins organization.
«Obviously, like I've tried to do my entire career, I was out to prove people wrong. But I didn't have any sort of spotlight on me or anything, especially playing on that USA team with a lot of highly-touted players who were going to be first, second-rounders almost guaranteed. So, it kind of took a little bit of the pressure off, and I was able to kind of just continue to work hard in the background and things like that.»
It's unclear what the future holds in Pittsburgh for Rust and this veteran core, but after 11 years with the team, the now 33-year old has done all he can to gain respect, and he's done just that with plenty more time in his career to improve upon his standing in the NHL.
| POLL | ||
MAI 16 | 145 ANSWERS Bryan Rust Sends Penguins Fans a Clear Message After 11 Years in Pittsburgh Will the Penguins make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026? | ||
| Yes | 96 | 66.2 % |
| No | 49 | 33.8 % |
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