Bjugstad, McCann finally attend practice
Imagine going to work in the morning, leaving in the afternoon, moving across the country and starting a new job that night.
Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann did that Friday after a trade from the Florida Panthers to the Penguins. They practiced in Florida Friday morning and played in games Friday in Pittsburgh and Saturday in Toronto.
“Coming in here with a Florida Panthers bag and putting on a Pittsburgh jersey was a crazy experience,” Bjugstad said.
Monday, they finally had a chance to participate in a full practice and settle in with their new team.
Bjugstad learned about the trade a little after noon Friday, right after his pregame meal. He
packed his and his teammate’s gear, since McCann had already gone back home for a nap. The two were at the Pittsburgh airport in a few hours, landing after 6 p.m. for a game an hour later.
“Luckily, we had that police escort. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have made it, I don’t think, with the traffic,” Bjugstad said.
They scrambled to get dressed at PPG Paints Arena and joined their teammates on the bench during the national anthem without warming up.
Soon, both were on the ice with their new team, playing with players they hadn’t met.
After their first Penguins game — a 5-3 victory — when Bjugstad had an assist, they were right back on a plane, headed to Toronto on an 11 p.m. flight for a game the next day.
“After the game in Toronto,” McCann said, “I was with my dad, and we both just kind of smiled at each other and said, ‘This is a great opportunity for me.’”
The wild weekend behind them, Bjugstad and McCann had time Sunday to relax and meet their teammates at the Penguins’ Super Bowl watch party.
“I grew up watching Sid [Crosby] play, and to walk into the dressing room, you’re just kind of starstruck looking at him,” said McCann, 22. “I don’t know what my first sentence was to him.”
Monday, the pair had to adjust to practices with players such as Crosby.
“It’s very high tempo,” Bjugstad said. “These guys, you can tell, they practice like they play.”
Thankfully for Bjugstad and McCann, the Penguins will travel to Florida this week for a Thursday game against the Panthers. That trip gives Bjugstad and McCann a chance to return home and actually finish packing.
Of course, they also have to adjust to the new climate. Friday saw a 60-degree difference between Pittsburgh and Sunrise, Fla., where they thought they’d be playing that night.
“I was looking for my winter hat and couldn’t find it. So, I’ll have to run to the mall here today and get one,” Bjugstad said.
“I might have to go to the mall and pick up some more pants,” McCann said. “I brought a lot of shorts for some reason.”