DETROIT, MI – MARCH 27: Chad Ruhwedel #2 of the Pittsburgh Penguins passes up ice during the Detroit Red Wings game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 27, 2018, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire)
Chad Ruhwedel was the quiet player in the corner of the Pittsburgh Penguins locker room and often in the press box on game nights. His career path was not as a front-line defenseman making headlines, but instead was rock-solid support whenever called upon.
Ruhwedel made his NHL debut with the Buffalo Sabres in 2012, but played sparingly over the next few seasons. He joined the Penguins in 2016 and quickly found a home, playing 329 games between 2016 and 2024 when the team traded him to New York at the trade deadline.
Tuesday, the 35-year-old Ruhwedel retired after spending the last couple of seasons with the New York Rangers and their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolfpack.
Chad Ruhwedel is officially calling it a career after going from undrafted to 369 NHL career games 👏
Wishing nothing but the best to Chad in his next chapter! pic.twitter.com/xkF9kqtZdw
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) August 12, 2025
Ruhwedel played 78 games in 2021-22, registering four goals and nine assists. In total, he played 369 career games, scoring 13 goals with 50 assists. He also played in 25 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Penguins, including six on their 2017 Stanley Cup run.
The San Diego native played three seasons at UMASS-Lowell, jumping straight to the NHL following his collegiate career.
The Penguins traded Ruhwedel to New York for a 2027 fourth-round pick, but he played in only five games following the 2024 deal and only five more NHL games last season.
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