Pittsburgh Prospect Talk: Chase Pietila
Before turning to the ranks of professional hockey, Pietila spent time in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars and Youngstown Phantoms. He dressed in 164 games and tallied eight goals and 42 assists. After the USHL, Pietila went on to play two seasons at Michigan Tech and suited up for 76 games and notched 10 goals and 34 assists. He touches on the differences of the USHL and NCAA to come into the professional realm “Just the simplicity of it and just trying to play my game. Not trying to be anybody else, just kind of doing my thing. The guys here are a huge help in helping out and just putting input in, and so I just kind of just play my game, not doing anything too crazy, just kind of playing steady eddy and just going from there.”
In Pietila’s second year with Michigan Tech, he donned the “A” on his sweater for 36 games in the 2024-2025 season. “It was unbelievable. It's a huge honor. I mean, it's a great school. I mean, lots of tradition, the fans are unbelievable, so being able to wear the “A” there and be a leader for a year was a really cool experience and I really enjoyed it.”
On March 9th, 2025, Pietila was signed to a three-year entry level contract by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pietila was drafted in the fourth round, 111th overall, in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by Pittsburgh. Signing the first professional contract is a goal that every player hopes to reach. “I mean it's a dream come through, I mean that's what you dream about being little is getting drafted one day and then just signing your first pro contract. I couldn't really believe it was true until I got here, started playing pro hockey and sometimes it still hasn't hit me yet, but this is my job now, but I just kind of soak it all in and just try to have fun”
Having only played a few games in both the AHL and ECHL, Pietila touches on the difference he has noticed being in both leagues thus far. “Probably just the speed and then there's obviously a lot of skilled guys in the AHL. There are guys that are gonna be going pro pretty soon here. Some are already pro by going up and then NHL games. So I mean, it's the elite of the elite, so obviously there's a lot of skill and a lot of speed, so that's been the biggest.”
Pietila comes from a hockey family and background. He is the youngest of four brothers. Pietila’s brother Grant, did not go on to play professionally, but he is following the lead and footsteps of brother Logan, who played a majority of his season with the Wheeling Nailers, and Logan’s twin brother, Blake, who played overseas in Norway. His cousin Jed Pietila played in the ECHL this season for the Toledo Walleye. “Kind of just just work hard, just do your best, just give your 100% effort the whole time. I have three older brothers that are always battling with me, so just kind of just having that grit to my game is kind of from them and just being a hockey family and just all the input of playing hard, doing your best, and that's what you can control.”
Playing with your siblings has taken on a different meaning for Pietila has he come into the professional hockey ranks. Pietila played with brother Logan in school, and now has followed him to the ECHL and AHL. “I mean it's pretty surreal. I mean, not everyday you get to play with your brother in general, and then I got to play with them at the college level and I thought that was really cool and then now I'm here playing pro with my brother. It's just like I feel like I'm following him around everywhere, so it's kind of funny, but no it's been a blast, sometimes nice having a familiar face around the rink.” Pietila’s best hockey memory comes from playing with both of his brothers. “Probably two years ago winning the league championship with my brothers was pretty pretty cool. So I mean, that's something special that doesn't happen every day, so I mean, that's something that I'll remember forever. I mean I did it with my two brothers and a cousin actually, so, yeah, it's a lot of fun.”
Pietila touches on what he brings to the Penguins organization for his strengths and what people can look forward to with him fully playing in the 2025-2026 season. “Plain and simple, just playing tough, just defending, and trying to have the best stick detail I can. Playing from the net out, just not doing anything creative but trying to stand out too much, but just playing my game and just playing tough.”
There are the favorite aspects of each position on the ice and the least favorite aspects of each position. Pietila touches on what it’s like to be a Defenseman in his eyes. “Defense in the D zone, that's not very fun. Getting worked in the D zone is not the best when you're grinding and and stuff like that, but it's also the most fun part too is like blocking shots and just playing tough and just kind of playing very dense and just being hard to play against and going on the ice and having guys that are just like “oh, like, I gotta go up against this guy.”
Pietila played in nine regular season games for the Wheeling Nailers in the 2024-2025 season and tallied three assists. During the Nailers postseason, he dressed in all five games and gathered two assists. He also dressed in three games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
- Samantha Wismer/Olde City Sports Network
- Photo Credit: Wheeling Nailers
- Photo Credit: Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins
- Photo Credit: Stacey Grubich/Olde City Sports Network
