After four tries with the Buffalo Sabres, Chad Ruhwedel finally found an NHL home with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The defenseman signed with the Sabres on April 13, 2013 as an undrafted free agent after two seasons with Sioux Falls in the United States Hockey League and three more with UMass-Lowell, where he played with future Pittsburgh teammate Scott Wilson. Ruhwedel played seven games for Buffalo at the end of 2012-13 and earned call-ups in each of the next three seasons but wasn't able to stick despite scoring 90 points (24 goals, 66 assists) in 178 games for Rochester of the American Hockey League.
After four tries with the Buffalo Sabres, Chad Ruhwedel finally found an NHL home with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The defenseman signed with the Sabres on April 13, 2013 as an undrafted free agent after two seasons with Sioux Falls in the United States Hockey League and three more with UMass-Lowell, where he played with future Pittsburgh teammate Scott Wilson. Ruhwedel played seven games for Buffalo at the end of 2012-13 and earned call-ups in each of the next three seasons but wasn't able to stick despite scoring 90 points (24 goals, 66 assists) in 178 games for Rochester of the American Hockey League.
A free agent, Ruhwedel signed with the Penguins on July 1, 2016, and with Pittsburgh having injury problems on defense, played 34 games, finishing with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) and a plus-9 rating. He played six Stanley Cup Playoff games before sustaining a concussion in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Ottawa Senators.
On May 23, 2019, Ruhwedel signed a two-year contract with the Penguins.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Hockey East First All-Star Team (2013)
- NCAA East First All-American Team (2013)
- Signed as a free agent by Buffalo, April 13, 2013.
- Signed as a free agent by Pittsburgh, July 1, 2016.
