Introduction
Bryan Peter Rust (born May 11, 1992) is an American professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Rust was born in Pontiac, Michigan, but grew up in Troy, Michigan.
Playing career
Rust played his collegiate career from 2010–14 at the University of Notre Dame where he played a total of 161 games totaling 97 points. Rust finished his senior year as an alternate captain. Rust won a Gold Medal at the 2010 IIHF World U18 Championships for Team USA and the 2013 CCHA Tournament for Notre Dame. Rust was selected 80th overall in the third round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Rust made his AHL debut during the 2013–14 AHL season for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. Rust made his NHL debut on December 13, 2014 for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets where the Penguins lost to the Blue Jackets in a shootout. He would score his first NHL goal two nights later against Evgeni Nabokov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, on December 15, 2014.
Rust would enjoy a breakout year in 2016, due to injuries in the Penguins organization. After recording 8 points in 33 games in the 2015–16 season, Rust signed a 2-year extension with Pittsburgh, along with fellow players Scott Wilson, and Tom Kuhnhackl. On May 26, 2016, at the NHL Eastern Conference Finals, Rust became the 8th rookie in history to get multiple goals in a game 7. He scored the first goal of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals.
On December 5, 2016, Rust first recorded his first career hat-trick in a 8-5 win over the Ottawa Senators.
Personal life
Rust is the younger brother of retired AHL player Matt Rust who also played for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins during the 2011–12 AHL season.Rust, also known as Rusty, has a stutter when he speaks, but through his life he has learned to not let his stutter effect his confidence.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2008–09 | U.S. National Development Team | NAHL | 42 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 27 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | University of Notre Dame | CCHA | 40 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | University of Notre Dame | CCHA | 40 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | University of Notre Dame | CCHA | 41 | 15 | 19 | 34 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | University of Notre Dame | H-East | 40 | 17 | 16 | 33 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 45 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 16 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 41 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 6 | ||
| NHL totals | 55 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 16 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 6 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | United States | WJC18 |  | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Awards | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| CCHA Tournament Champion (University of Notre Dame) | 2013 | |
| NHL | ||
| Stanley Cup (Pittsburgh Penguins) | 2016 | |