This afternoon’s meeting between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Seattle Kraken is a special one for Penguins forward Matt Nieto. He is suiting up in the 700th game of his NHL career. He becomes the third California-born NHL player in history to reach that milestone, sitting behind Brooks Orpik (1,035) and Jason Zucker (743). The 32-year-old has spent his 12-season career split between the San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, and Penguins.
Taken with the 47th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Sharks, Nieto began his journey to the NHL after leaving Boston University (BU). Following his final season at BU, he signed to play the remainder of the 2012-13 season with the Sharks’ American Hockey League affiliate Worcester Sharks. After an impressive showing, he earned a spot in the NHL. He tallied 10 goals and 24 points in 66 games during his rookie season with San Jose.
During his career, Nieto has tallied 87 goals and 206 points while averaging 14:01 time on ice. He has secured 20 or more points in five seasons, with his sophomore NHL season being his highest point total with 27 points.
Related: All-Time California-Born Lineup
At 32-years-old, age is starting to show in his game. Nieto has had a rough go since joining the Penguins to begin last season. He has just two goals and seven points in 48 games. Though the point production is down, he is still a solid two-way player and will be looking to keep that going for the remainder of the season.
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