Maatta returns in a Blackhawks uniform

It all started here, in Pittsburgh, on a muggy afternoon in 2012.

The city was host to the NHL draft. So Olli Maatta — then a Finnish prospect — made the trek across the ocean to be in the city famous for its three rivers. He sat in the stands at what was at the time Consol Energy Center, wearing a mohawk haircut and a blazer, waiting to hear where the next stop in his hockey journey would lead.

Little did he know that he was already there. With the 22nd pick in the first round, the host team selected the promising young defenseman.

“That was the first time I was in Pittsburgh,” Maatta said Saturday. “It was a pretty cool one when you look back at it.”

Saturday, surely, was another moment in Pittsburgh that Maatta will remember … but, perhaps, in a bittersweet kind of way.

More than seven years and one career-altering trade later, Maatta returned to Pittsburgh again to play at PPG Paints Arena Saturday for the first time since the Penguins dealt him to the Chicago Blackhawks.

What happened in between these two milestone moments in Pittsburgh won’t soon be forgotten. Maatta came here for the first time as a kid on the fringe of an NHL dream. He was so young that he listed the dictionary — yes, the dictionary — as his favorite book on a survey, because he was still learning English. He returns as a 25year-old NHL veteran without a hint of an accent, a cancer survivor and a two-time Stanley Cup champion.

To him, Pittsburgh isn’t just a place where his career began. It is also community and an experience that shaped him as a person.

“I think I grew up as a person a lot,” Maatta said. “Coming in as a young guy, I think I really learned about life a little bit at the same time I learned how to play NHL hockey. That was a big thing.”

During his Penguins tenure, Maatta tallied 362 games, 25 goals and 82 assists. But there’s one thing that stands above that stats. Actually, two.

“Obviously what stands out is the two Cups,” Maatta said. “It’s something special. Being part of two teams like that. You’re never going to forget that.”

After a career with ups and downs, Maatta’s tenure in Pittsburgh began to come to a close in last season’s early postseason exit.

He was a healthy scratch the final three games of the four-game sweep. He said that he anticipated the Penguins would make some changes on their blue line in the offseason but he was “a little bit surprised” that he was the choice.

“Obviously, it’s hard,” Maatta said. “I’ve got nothing but good memories here from my six years. It’s been an awesome time.

“But more and more time went by, I think I realized how lucky I got and what kind of an organization I got traded to ... Everything is topnotch. The city is awesome. The organization is awesome. I think I got pretty lucky with where I landed.”

For Pittsburgh, the move brought forward Dominik Kahun, a fifth-round pick and some much-needed salary cap relief. For Maatta, who has three seasons remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $4.083 million, it brought a new home and a new system. Entering Saturday, he had tallied four points and a minus-1 rating through the first 15 games.

“He’s got experience,” Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. “He’s also young. He’s got tremendous playoff experience ... He’s a big boost to our team. Just plays a steady game. He can make plays. But we’re looking first and foremost for his defensive play and killing penalties for us. Those are two areas we think we’ve improved.”

In a walkway that leads the Penguins from the dressing room to the ice, a mural has been painted to pay tribute to each of the five Stanley Cup titles. Each name from each of those Cup runs is painted onto the wall as a lasting reminder. Maatta’s name, of course, appears twice.

After walking down that tunnel so many times, Maatta admitted it would be a little “weird” to take the visiting route to the ice for Saturday’s game against the Penguins.

When Sidney Crosby was asked about what it will be like to play against a former teammate and friend, he echoed that same word: “Weird.”

“I think when you play with a guy for that long, everyone knows each other’s tendencies, so there shouldn’t be any surprises there,” Crosby said. “He’s a hard guy to play against. He doesn’t give you much room. He’s got a long stick. I’m sure he’ll be tough to play against [Saturday].”