Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Muse
CRANBERRY — “I love competition.”
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Muse conducted Day 1 of the 2025 Pittsburgh Penguins training camp, his voice booming in the practice rinks and excitement in the fresh air of a new coach spread through the locker room.
Assistant coaches upped the tempo and energy by banging sticks on the glass as players skated hard laps in conditioning assignments for losing drills. Muse gushed over the team’s competitive spirit.
“If I put a cold cheeseburger for the winner, they would be all in to get that cold cheese burger,” Muse joked after the daily activities.
Muse didn’t waste time with comfortable or soft drills. The coaches thrust players into competitive battle drills almost from the first whistle of each practice group; the camp is divided into three groups of players. The groups battled in half ice and three-on-three drills.
“I think everybody loves competition. It just drives things. So that was definitely a part of (today). And so, yeah, I just believe in it,” said Muse with a large smile getting bigger. “These are all competitive guys. Like it’s all of them, they want to win. I’ve always found it … just awesome. Seeing it at this level. It doesn’t matter what’s on the line. Like if something’s there, if it’s like one push-up, they would be all in, not to have to do that one push-up.”
The players seemed to enjoy the no-holds-barred first practice, too.
“First of all, practice was great. I think it was about kind of establishing an identity and a work ethic,” said Bryan Rust. “You saw there were quite a few battle drills out there, a lot of competing, keeping score on pretty much every drill, just kind of trying to get that mindset that we’re going to compete every day. And I think the energy out there was great; it was kind of contagious.”
Kris Letang concurred.
“You could feel that the energy is through the roof. Obviously, we’re in a situation where every spot is for grabs. So the young guys are ready. They want to battle. They want to make a name for themselves,” Letang said. “Also, you kind of see the emphasis on what we’re trying to do out there is battle and play, in every single drill, so yeah, it was pretty intense out there.”
It might have been a little weird for long-tenured players to report for work without the old coach. After all, Rust is 33 years old, has played in the NHL for most of 11 seasons, and has only played 14 of his 638 games under a coach not named Mike Sullivan.
Muse didn’t let moss grow under toes. By setting the tone, he also took control quickly.
“It is a bit weird, he was pretty much the only coach I’ve known in the NHL, except for Mike Johnston, for 14 games,” Rust said. “So yeah, it’s definitely a little bit weird, but I’m kind of excited for a new chapter, for a new opportunity, kind of see where the team can take it.”
Defenseman Erik Karlsson also noted the intense workout.
“A lot of new things and new voices, and today was a good day. It was probably one of the hardest first-day training camp skates I’ve done in a long time,” Erik Karlsson said. “So it’s nice. It feels nice to know that we can still hang.”
And in yet another stark departure from the past, Muse stood outside the media room as we exited, creating a Day 1 handshake line. It was yet another difference from past dealings in which Penguins’ head coaches didn’t have many dealings beyond the obliged with the assembled keyboard and camera jockeys.
The Friday schedule
8:45-10:15 AM – Group B Practice
11:30 AM-1:00 PM – Group C Practice
2:00-3:30 PM – Group A Practice
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