Following Setbacks, Jarry Focused on Growth

It was a different sort of offseason for goaltender Tristan Jarry, experiencing fatherhood for the first time after he and his wife Hannah welcomed son Bennett.

“It's an adjustment for both me and my wife. I think it's one of the best things that you could ask for,” said Jarry, who turned 30 on April 29. “Obviously, it's very tough and everything's new to us, so we're learning on the fly, but we couldn't be happier. We're very happy to be back in Pittsburgh.”

Jarry is also extremely happy to have former teammate Nick Bonino back in the mix, this time as a coach. Bonino and his family live by Jarry in the summers, as Nick’s wife Lauren is from Alberta. Before Bonino retired as a player to become a Penguins assistant, they would train together.

“Obviously, calling him Coach Bonino is a little different now. I didn't see him a lot at the gym or skating this summer, but it's awesome to have him out here,” Jarry said with a laugh. “It's awesome to just have him here again in the city of Pittsburgh. I couldn't be happier for him and his family. I think this is something that they really want, and you can see all the time and effort he's put into it. It's just great to see.”

In the midst of training, Jarry received a phone call from the President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas, who gave him the option to switch back to his all-black pads after a two-year hiatus. The original inspiration came from former Penguins general manager Ron Hextall, who used a similar color scheme during his time as a goaltender in the league.

“I was in the white throughout the summer, getting ready with a new set of gear. And then Kyle phoned me, and I made the decision to go back to black. Just thought it would be a good change,” Jarry said.

Especially after a 2024-25 season full of trials and tribulations.

“It was obviously a very tough year, from not playing very well at the beginning of the season, to going down for a conditioning stint, kind of coming back, and not really finding my way,” Jarry said.

“Then, being put on waivers and going down for some games in Wilkes, I think it was very tough on my whole family, and it was something that we had to manage. I think coming back to Pittsburgh, I was very fortunate. I didn't know if I was going to get another chance to play games in the NHL for Pittsburgh again, but I was very fortunate that I did. I thought that I made the most of those last 15 to 20 games that I played at the end of the year.”

After returning to the NHL in early March, Jarry made the most of his opportunity to close out the season on a high note. The goaltender put up an 8-4-2 record and secured two shutouts.

Looking back on this past year in particular, Jarry views all of his experiences as an opportunity for growth, particularly the stint with WBS.

“It's something that you never want to happen, but when it does, you have to learn from it,” said Jarry, a two-time NHL All-Star. “I think that's something that I really took in stride and took into the summer, was learning from my mistakes and learning from what happened and ultimately wanting to be better from it.”

As Dubas said at the beginning of training camp, there is going to be competition at every position, and all of the players will have to earn their way onto the roster.

“With where we're at, the young guys are coming, they're going to get an opportunity, they're going to have to earn everything,” Dubas said. “But it's been very clear to them what the expectation is, and it's up to them to hold on to their jobs and hold on to their spots and their places with the Penguins and in the NHL.”

With younger goaltenders such as Arturs Silovs and Joel Blomqvist looking to take that next step in their careers, this message from Dubas is a challenge that Jarry feels ready for. He sees the competition at his position as an extra push to get off to a strong start, something Jarry was already motivated to do after struggling out of the gate last year.

“That's always how you kind of have to look at it, the two best goalies are going to get the job in the NHL, and then it kind of trickles down,” Jarry said. “You want to be one of the goalies, and I want to be the No. 1 goalie. I think just having a good training camp and showing Kyle, the staff, and management that I am that guy.”