Jersey number holds special meaning for Penguins forward Matt Nieto
They look like something a special teams linebacker or a blocking tight end would wear.
Not an NHL player.
They’re called “training camp numbers.”
Essentially, players with relatively little service time or slim hopes of making the NHL roster usually are issued a number that looks kind of clunky.
And not often used.
Like a 49. Or 64. Or 78.
No one wants a training camp number.
But for new Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Nieto, it’s something he’ll never give up.
The No. 83 he was issued as a San Jose Sharks prospect a decade ago and has worn for all 651 games of his NHL career means something entirely different to him.
And for the most profound of reasons.
His sister, Erin.
“She has Down syndrome and autism,” Nieto explained. “So she’s dual diagnosed. She can’t communicate. There’s very few words that she can say.
“Eighty-three was actually my rookie number that was given to me in San Jose, a training camp number. I just kept it. She learned how to say it. I knew if I went to any other team, it was going to be open because it’s not a common number. That’s why it’s special to me.”
There is no shortage of special things about Nieto.
A native of Long Beach, Calif., he’s one of the still-limited number of NHLers who hail from the Golden State. And he’s one of the few players in NHL history of Mexican heritage.
Each characteristic is a point of pride for him.
“Growing up, a Hispanic player that I looked up to was (All-Star forward) Scott Gomez,” Nieto said. “It’s always nice that you can look up to someone with a similar background. I try to do as much as I can to try to help Latino communities and grow the game in that manner.”
Nieto (pronounced nee-EH-toh) grew up in a non-traditional hockey market that was given a boost by the arrival of Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings in 1989, three years before Nieto was born. So he’s not exactly part of the so-called “Gretzky Generation” of Southern California.
But he did gravitate toward a local hockey hero.
“My favorite player was (former Mighty Ducks of Anaheim forward Paul) Kariya,” Nieto said. “So I grew up watching Kariya and (Ducks forward Teemu) Selanne together. Started watching those ‘Mighty Ducks’ movies, too. That’s what really got me to love the game.”
Long Beach is known for many things. Hockey isn’t necessarily one of them. Regardless, Nieto’s family supported his passion for the sport.
“No one in my family played hockey, but when I was 3 years old, I loved roller skating,” said Nieto, 30. “I was always on my Rollerblades, and my grandpa got me a stick. Started playing roller hockey and then that’s how I got into it there.”
The quality of hockey in California was limited, however. That led to Nieto going to a prep school out west.
Western Connecticut.
A season with Salisbury School, a prep academy near the border of New York state, led to him joining the USA Hockey National Team Development Program based out of Michigan in 2008. From there, Nieto was recruited to Boston University in 2010. And by 2011, he was selected by the Sharks in the second round (No. 47 overall) of the draft.
“Once I went to prep school, I knew I wanted to play on the (NTDP),” Nieto said. “I was able to do that. From there, I decided to go to (Boston University). I really enjoyed my time there. I was drafted out of there. It was a good choice for me.”
Another sound decision? Concluding he probably wasn’t going to be a top-six scoring winger in the NHL. By adopting a method of play more suited for a bottom-six energy winger, Nieto has enjoyed a 10-year career in the league playing either for the Sharks or Avalanche.
“I kind of figured it out a few years into my career,” said Nieto, a left-handed shot. “When I first came into the league, I was given every opportunity to play top-six. Couldn’t really stick there. I sort of had to make a decision on how I wanted to stay in the NHL. If I wasn’t going to be a top-six (forward), how would I contribute to the team’s success? How would I carve out a career? Using my speed, being a good forechecker, being a reliable penalty killer and just being reliable all over the ice and being a guy that the coach can trust. And when the opportunity presents itself, to chip in offensively as well.”
Nieto (5-foot-11, 187 pounds) did just that last season. Splitting the 2022-23 campaign between the Sharks and Avalanche, he appeared in 81 games and scored 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) while averaging 13 minutes, 31 seconds of ice time per contest.
This past offseason, Nieto was an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Penguins on July 1, agreeing to a two-year contract worth $900,000 per season. During a 3-0 preseason loss to the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Monday, Nieto primarily skated on the left wing of the fourth line.
One of Nieto’s former teammates in San Jose thought it was a shrewd acquisition.
“He’s a smart player. He makes really good reads,” said defenseman Erik Karlsson, whom the Penguins acquired via trade Aug. 6. “I know from experience, he’s annoying to play against.
“He’s really smart, he’s a good skater and he’s always in good positions defensively. He’s a guy you can really rely on in a lot of those situations. I like to play with him as well because of his underrated hockey IQ. He’s smart out there. He gets himself in good situations to receive the puck offensively.
“Even before I got here, I told a couple of guys that I thought (Nieto) was a good pickup for Pittsburgh.”
Erin Nieto seems to approve of the transaction as well.
“She’s starting to say, ‘penguins’ now,” her big brother said. “She likes penguins.”
Note: The Penguins claimed forward Jansen Harkins off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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