Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Why Rutger McGroarty's latest soundbite is making waves in Winnipeg for all the wrong reasons
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Rutger McGroarty just dropped the most ironic soundbite of the 2026 season and I frankly don't know whether to applaud his maturity or laugh.
You literally cannot script this stuff better if you tried.
The kid who essentially forced his way out of Winnipeg because he allegedly felt "above" developing in the American Hockey League is now preaching patience.
McGroarty (Age 21, Drafted 2022, Round 1, #14 by the Winnipeg Jets) is currently riding the bus in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
And he sounds surprisingly content?
Here is the post that is making rounds across every Jets group chat this morning.
Rutger McGroarty claims he loves the group in Wilkes-Barre.
"Grow where you're planted."
- Rutger McGroarty
- Rutger McGroarty
That is the quote.
Read that again without choking on your coffee.
Two years ago, the narrative was that Winnipeg's development path wasn't fast enough for him.
Now, he is in the exact same league, just wearing a different bird logo, saying all the right things about "loving the group."
McGroarty makes Jets fans feast
Jets fans are absolutely feasting on this clip today, calling it the ultimate "welcome to the real world" moment.
To be fair to Rutger, this is the right attitude to have.
Sulking in the minors gets you nowhere, ask any prospect who thought their draft pedigree was a golden ticket.
But Kyle Dubas has to be watching this with a mix of relief and concern.
He traded a blue-chip prospect in Brayden Yager to get McGroarty because he wanted "NHL-ready" grit immediately.
Instead, he got a project who is still learning that pro hockey is a grind, not a coronation.
The Penguins need him to be a power forward in the NHL, not a philosopher in the AHL.
If he truly buys into this "grow where you're planted" mindset, he might actually salvage this season.
If it's just PR training kicking in, Pittsburgh is in trouble.
Either way, the irony is delicious.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
New NHL update drops on Bryan Rust's hearing after Brock Boeser hit
New NHL update drops on Bryan Rust's hearing after Brock Boeser hit
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 27|249 ANSWERS Why Rutger McGroarty's latest soundbite is making waves in Winnipeg for all the wrong reasons Do you believe Rutger McGroarty is actually happy in the AHL? | ||
| Yes | 40 | 16.1 % |
| No | 209 | 83.9 % |
| List of polls | ||