(Video) “Where is Rutger?” Jets fans BRUTALLY troll prospect Rutger McGroarty after demotion to AHL
After three games at the highest level, the Penguins sent prospect Rutger McGroarty down to the AHL, leading to huge cheers from Jets fans.
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Rutger McGroarty (Image via Gino Hard)
The Saturday night game saw the Winnipeg Jets face the Pittsburgh Penguins. During the game, young prospect Rutger McGroarty found himself trending on social media despite not taking part in the game. The reason for this was due to the brutal trolling by the Jets fans.
As the Canadian outfit welcomed the Penguins to the Canada Life Center, one major storyline was Rutger McGroarty. The home fans mercilessly taunted the former first-round pick by the Jets after his recent demotion to the AHL.
The relationship between McGroarty and the Jets turned sour when reports emerged that the youngster forced his way out of the team. As per reports, the 20-year-old wanted an immediate start on the team, which was something the Jets could not give him at that time. This led to him being traded to the Penguins in late August this year, while the Jets picked up prospect Brayden Yager in exchange for him.
While initially it seemed McGroarty may have gotten his wish, things went downhill for him. After making his NHL debut for the Penguins in their 6-0 loss to the New York Rangers, he would play two more games before being a healthy scratch from the lineup as the Pens prepared to take on the Montreal Canadiens.
He was then sent down to the Penguins’ AHL affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. This led to some cheers from the Jets fans, who made sure to take full advantage of this. During the game, chants of “Where is Rutger?” broke out. Check out a video of this from X below:
"Where is Rutger" chants broke out in Winnipeg after Rutger McGroarty was sent back down to the AHL last week ? pic.twitter.com/B1NKG6NnTj
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 20, 2024
Jets GM claims Rutger McGroarty ‘didn’t feel right’ in Winnipeg
When the Winnipeg Jets picked up Rutger McGroarty during the 2022 NHL draft, it seemed like a good choice. Very few, though, would have predicted how his story with the Canadian outfit would end. Following his trade, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff claimed that the youngster just “didn’t feel right.”
According to Cheveldayoff, McGroarty’s agent informed him in June during the draft that he was unlikely to sign with the team.
That’s the first inkling that we got, there was nothing that was going to come to fruition there,” Cheveldayoff said. “We sat down and asked the agent why and he didn’t have an answer, he didn’t have a reason. … he just said he just didn’t feel right, it started in development camp where he just didn’t feel right. I met with Rutger face to face several days later and that was the same response as well.
Jets GM Kevin Cleveldayoff on Rutger McGroarty as per Winnipeg Sun.
"(The agent) didn't have a reason. I went through a litany of questions to the agent to see. Was it player development? Was it we didn't burn a year (of his contract?) He says 'No.' He said it just didn't feel right. It started at development camp and it just didn't feel right."
— Murat Ates (@WPGMurat) August 22, 2024
![Marc-Andre Fleury [Image Credit: Imago]](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Marc-Andre-Fleury-600x450.jpg)
So far, McGroarty has failed to record a single point in five games at the NHL and AHL level. It will be interesting to see how the youngster bounces back from this huge setback as he tries to get in rhythm for the big leagues.
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Vinay Dave
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