Chad Ruhwedel returns to former role as Penguins’ No. 8 defenseman

Chad Ruhwedel was back in a familiar spot Sunday night: the press box at PPG Paints Arena. While he’d rather be playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, that beats where he was the previous 10 days.

Ruhwedel returned to the Penguins after a conditioning stint at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he appeared in five games. And while Ruhwedel’s play for the AHL Penguins was what you’d expect for a proven NHL defenseman in the minor leagues — he had five points and was a plus-8 — the idea was more to stay sharp.

“It’s a mental battle but you have to keep yourself in good physical shape,” Ruhwedel said. “Whatever you do in the gym, it’s all good, but nothing compares to being in the game and having to make split decisions. So it was good to be out there doing those kinds of things.”

Ruhwedel has not played for the Penguins since Nov. 19, a span of 23 games. With eight healthy NHL defensemen, Ruhwedel is the odd man out.

“I just tried to make the most of my time down there, play as well as I could, and try to seize any opportunities I get when I get back up,” Ruhwedel said.

With 140 games (including playoffs) and a Stanley Cup ring over seven seasons, Ruhwedel is a proven NHL commodity. He likely could be taking a regular shift for many teams. Has it been hard on him embracing this particular role, even with a championship contender?

“Yeah it can be tough on anybody, honestly,” Ruhwedel said. “Not playing’s definitely not what you want to be doing. But being a part of a team like this with good lineup – a really good lineup – it’s tough to crack, a team that knows how to win. So it’s just about making the most of it when you get in.”

Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.

Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris at cadamski@tribweb.com or via Twitter @C_AdamskiTrib.