A low-key summer meant that Dustin Jeffrey's big adventure was going to Atlantic City for the wedding of a former teammate.

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1 Daily Clips 8/9/11 Penguins: Road to recovery Dustin Jeffrey rehabilitating knee in hopes of staying in NHL Tuesday, August 09, 2011 By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette A low-key summer meant that Dustin Jeffrey's big adventure was going to Atlantic City for the wedding of a former teammate. "I've just been kind of going with the flow so I can take care of my knee," the Penguins forward said Monday. Jeffrey is on a more important trip now. He's back in Pittsburgh to have his right knee fitted with a brace so can resume skating next week. His season got cut short by surgery to repair ligament damage after he got hurt March 24, but he expects to make an impact at training camp next month. "Everything seems to be going right on pace or better," Jeffrey said. "My focus is to get ready and compete fully in camp -- for the start of camp or, if not, then soon after that." When the team scattered after a first-round playoff loss to Tampa Bay, Jeffrey was working to regain mobility in the knee. Now he is able to run and ride a stationary bike but is eager to see how he feels on the ice. He plans to work with Penguins speed skating instructor Marianne Watkins. This projects as an important season for Jeffrey, 23. It could be his first in the NHL full time. He had seven goals and 12 points in 25 games with the Penguins last season before he got hurt. He also ranked third with 45 points for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League in just 40 games. He yo-yoed between the Penguins and Wilkes-Barre, in part because of a series of injuries among the club's NHL forwards and in part because his two-way contract and NHL status did not require him to clear waivers when he was demoted or promoted.

2 By late in the season, general manager Ray Shero more than once declared that Jeffrey was something of a victim of contract circumstance and that he deserved to be thought of as an NHL player. "That always helps you out," Jeffrey said. "Coming off this injury, it's my responsibility and my job to make sure I come back and fulfill what they're saying. "I thought I was turning the corner in my career. [The injury] was a little bit of a setback. I think I have the ability." Jeffrey was a restricted free agent when he re-signed with the Penguins last month. It's a two-year deal that is a two-way contract for the season -- but he now will require waivers to be sent to Wilkes-Barre. The shuttling between the NHL and AHL didn't deter Jeffrey. "When I first turned pro, it was a lot harder when I got sent down," said Jeffrey, a sixth-round draft pick in 2007 who had one goal and three points in 15 NHL games before last season. "They were pretty honest with me. With as many guys as they had hurt and guys going up and down, they were good about letting me know why I was going down and when I could expect to come back." Jeffrey monitored changes at forward during the free agency period but acknowledged the biggest additions will come from the healthy return of the club's top two centers, Sidney Crosby (concussion) and Evgeni Malkin (knee surgery), whose injuries overshadowed Jeffrey's. Jeffrey is a natural center but played mostly left winger for Wilkes-Barre in and is fine with whatever slot the Penguins need him to fill. "The way that they run the lines, they always seem to juggle it," he said. "From game to game or shift to shift I can go from center to wing or wing to center. If that makes it harder for them to send me down, that's what I'll do." He also sees a potential opportunity to kill penalties because Max Talbot signed with Philadelphia. "I sat through all the [penalty-kill] meetings. I have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done," Jeffrey said. First, though, he will work on getting his knee sound.

3 NOTE -- Former Penguins forward Mike Comrie, now an unrestricted free agent, said through the NHL Players Association that while he is not ready to retire, he needs to step away from hockey to let his right hip heal further. He had surgery in December. "In wanting to return to play after surgery, I pushed myself too early, and that has not helped my recovery," he said. "I will return to the NHL when I am healthy and able to play at the level I have come to expect of myself." Staal Shoulders Full Workload this Summer By Sam Kasan Last summer, Penguins center Jordan Staal spent a lot of time sitting around and resting. His ability to workout and condition himself was hampered by an infection in his foot which forced him to miss training camp and the opening weeks of the regular season. However, this season Staal hasn t had to deal with any such setbacks. And thanks to that, he said he s feeling as good as he s ever felt. I missed a lot last year, he said. Hopefully, knock on wood, I ll have a full season playing hockey and enjoying training camp and what that brings, and seeing the guys again. I m excited about getting a full summer workout in. In years past we ve made it pretty far (in the playoffs) for a couple years and didn t have much of a summer, and I was hurt last summer. I ve had a really good summer working out. My body feels great. I feel confident about the season. I m excited about it. It should be fun. Staal, who is spending his summer in his hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario, has also been working with former Penguin fitness freak Gary Roberts. Staal and his younger brother Jared have been training on a plan designed for them by Roberts. Jared wanted to work out with (Roberts), so I decided to help him out, Staal said. We flew down (to Toronto) a few times now just to get updates and new phases. I ve seen Gary a few times this summer. We ve been working pretty hard. Working out six times a week and doing

4 the best we can. Roberts sets up a month-long regime for the Staals. The two brothers meet with Roberts for a couple days at the beginning of each month to go over the routine. Then they fly back to Thunder Bay and work on the program while staying in touch with Roberts. We just go down there for a day or two and get the lowdown for the next month, Staal said. Then we take off. We have a trainer up here that we work with. That s pretty much how the workouts have been going. But it hasn t been all work this summer for Staal. At the conclusion of the season he joined teammates Sidney Crosby and Paul Martin and former teammate Max Talbot for a trip to Cannes, France. It was during the film festival so we stayed there, Staal said. It s a whole other world over there. We didn t do anything too crazy. We were there for a week. It was a lot of fun. We toured the city and enjoyed our time off. Other than a quick trip to Las Vegas, Staal has pretty much stayed in Thunder Bay this offseason. I ve been up at Thunder Bay basically the whole summer hanging out at a camp or on the lake, he said. I m golfing in town and spending time with family and friends. And fortunately for Staal, his father Henry hasn t put him to work yet on the family farm this summer. I haven t even gone into the field yet. I haven t done anything like that. I m off the hook on that one now, Staal joked. But as the summer winds down and Staal s workouts begin to ramp up, his adrenaline is starting to kick in about the upcoming season. The healthy returns of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and the offseason moves made by general manager Ray Shero has Staal anxious to get the season started. I m really excited. It ll be nice to play with Sid and Geno again, first off. With the additions we have this summer, it makes it even more exciting, Staal said. I m excited about getting the

5 season going and getting things started. With the players we have it ll be pretty interesting to see how we do. Penguins/Pittsburgh Prospects Making Mark on USA Evaluation Camp By Sam Kasan Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma is in Lake Placid, NY for the 2011 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp, but he isn t the only Pittsburgh/Penguins representative attending. Penguins draft picks Kenneth Agostino (fifth round, 140th overall, 2010 NHL Draft) and Bryan Rust (third round, 80th overall, 2010 NHL Draft) and Pittsburgh-natives J.T. Miller, Vince Trocheck, Stephen Johns and John Gibson are all participating in the camp, hoping to make the final roster to compete in the World Junior Championships in December/January in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberat. Agostino is currently Team USA s leading scorer with four points (1G-3A) through the first two scrimmages. Miller chipped in two goals in Sunday s scrimmage. Finland and Sweden are also in Lake Placid and will play against Team USA (which has two squads, White and Blue) in a round-robin tournament, starting Monday. USA Blue takes on Sweden at 1 p.m. and USA White faces Finland at 4:30 p.m. (Full details and schedule here). The camp concludes August 13. For more information log on to

6 Penguins Select Male Ice Crew Members By Sam Kasan On Saturday, the Penguins selected the female members of the Ice Crew. On Sunday, it was the guys turn. Joining the ladies on the ice this season will be returning Ice Crew members David Champe, Daniel Dugan, Cameron Jurysta, Jared Manfredi and Dan Thiessen and newcomers Lee Hlavay and Matthew Smith. I m really honored to represent such a great organization, and the fact that they picked me a second time around, Thiessen said. I m looking forward to the start of the season. Making the team is awesome, newbie Smith said. I couldn t ask for a better job. I m looking forward to an awesome season with them. The guys initial tryouts were the final weekend of July. The group was trimmed down to 12. That dozen arrived this past weekend for the final tryout. The guys were tested on their skating ability, personality and enthusiasm. The guys were interviewed by the Penguins organization and then hit the ice to display their skills. Trying to stop without spraying was an interesting part of tryouts, said Smith, who grew up playing hockey in his hometown outside of Buffalo. That stuff matters. I had to learn to quickly stop without making a mess. That was a challenge, but I ended up doing all right. Thiessen said this year s tryouts weren t the same as last seasons. It was a lot different, much more competitive, he said. Everyone that came in were amazing ice skaters. I was a little nervous. But after much anxious waiting, the final team members were posted on a board. It was a relief, Dugan said of making the team for a second season. All of us were beside ourselves because we ve gone through tryouts as hockey players. It was more nerve racking

7 than last year. Thiessen and Dugan recalled many fond memories from the season, the first featuring the Ice Crew. One particular event they both recalled was before their first game, Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma greeted the crew. Bylsma introduced himself and shook our hands, said Dugan, who started skating in second grade and has played hockey for 17 years. You can tell he s a down-to-earth man and genuine. He s such a great guy and it was an honor to meet him. That s the type of people the Penguins have working for them. He looked me in the eye and shook my hand. Thiessen added: It was pretty intimidating to come out in front of all those people for the first time. I was nervous, but then Dan Bylsma came into the locker room before the game and wished us good luck. We kind of calmed down after that. Both Ice Crew veterans noted the thrill of being on the same ice with some of the best talent in the NHL. To share the ice with those types of players is worth all of it, Dugan said. In the first preseason game I skated by Sidney Crosby and Mike Modano in the same 10 feet. It was the best time I ve ever had, Thiessen said. To go out in front of 18,000 fans and skating on the Penguins ice, I never thought I would ever be able to do that. To be able to skate next some of my idols is awesome. You really appreciate how good and big they are when you re that close. It s a feeling that Smith will experience in a month. It s going to be neat to feel what the players feel every night, that sensation, said Smith, who is attending Duquesne University. It s cool to be a part of the organization and working with Penguins fans, some of the greatest fans in the world. I m looking forward to it. It s a huge honor to be one of the two new guys and that they considered me. It s very special. The veteran Ice Crew members are also excited about getting the season started.

8 I m looking forward to this season more than last year, Dugan said. I hope we have as much fun and make as many good memories as last year. NHL Tough Guy Targets to End Bullying Former Enforcer Dave "The Hammer" Schultz Starts Anti-Bullying Program By Sam Kasan Former Penguin Dave The Hammer Schultz is widely regarded as one of the toughest NHL players ever to play the game. And considering his 2,294 career penalty minutes in just 535 games and his NHL record 472 PIMs in the season, it s not hard to see why he had that reputation. But Schultz, 61, is setting his sights on a new foe off the ice: bullying. Schultz, who won two Stanley Cup champions while playing under Penguins general manager Ray Shero s father Fred in Philadelphia, is the President of Put Bullying on Ice program, an anti-bullying campaign targeted at young students across America ( One of the biggest reasons Schultz, who now works mainly in the energy business with electricity and solar, began the program is because it has a special meaning to his life. Despite being a tough guy in his NHL career, Schultz was the victim of bullying in his youth. I grew up differently than what you d expect. I was bullied, said Schultz, who played two seasons for the Penguins from 1977 to Kids used to tease me and I wasn t very big. Even in junior I scored a lot of goals. I wasn t a fighter in hockey. I ve never fought off the ice. (Bullying is) a major problem in our schools. We talked about it and thought it was a great idea (to start the program). We ve been working on it for a while and looking to launch going into

9 middle schools, which is usually where the bullying starts. It s launching this fall. Through the program, Schultz will travel to various schools to teach students about the importance of ending bullying and it s negative effects. One thing in particular that Schultz s stressed is that even those not directly involved in the bullying need to help. One of the keys is talking about not being a bystander, Schultz said. Don t just stand there. So many people and kids don t want to get involved. They need to. They need to help. I would talk about what my youth was like. The point really ends up being getting their attention and then getting them to get involved with the program. I don t just go in and leave. We have a bullying pledge and it gets everyone involved. Schultz, who admitted that he never enjoyed the fisticuffs of the sport that made him famous, started his career as a prolific scorer in junior hockey. But after arriving in the Eastern Hockey League, the league that inspired the movie Slapshot, in 1969, his entire career changed. It was an animal league, he said. If you went around a guy he d give you a two-hander, animals that would spear you in the face if you looked at them. I considered myself a (wimp). I didn t want anything to do with fighting. I got into a fight in my first game and I did pretty well. I got into a fight in my next game. All of a sudden I was nicknamed Sergeant Shultz. I didn t like doing it, but I certainly enjoyed the rewards I was getting. My teammates didn t mind. The Flyers, the team that drafted Schultz 52nd overall in the 1969 Amateur Draft, needed some muscle in their lineup. So head coach Fred Shero brought Shultz to the NHL in The Flyers knew what I was doing in the minors, Schultz said. It just continued. I couldn t get out of it. I couldn t stop. I used to envision fighting a guy. When something happened or saw one of their guys do something to one of our players, I had to do something. That was my job. I hated it until the moment we grabbed each other and started swinging. Schultz, who said he recalled seeing a young Ray Shero running around the dressing room, helped the elder Shero and the Flyers win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 1974 and 75. He was even inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame despite playing only three-plus seasons with the team. Schultz became a Penguin following a trade with the Los Angeles Kings in His second son

10 was born in Pittsburgh and he still has fond memories of the city. I remember all the guys, (Bob) Paradise, Rick Kehoe, Randy Carlyle, Pierre Larouche, he said. We didn t have a bad team. It was nice living here. I bought a four-wheel drive, he joked. And he was amazed that NHL Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux is part-owner of the team he played for and saved from extinction. For Mario Lemieux to come here as a first-round draft choice, win a couple Stanley Cups, have this great career and then to become part owner, that s incredible. It s also incredible that an NHL-tough guy is so actively involved in ending violence and bullying in schools. Hip surgery has Comrie's career on hold NHL.com The career of veteran forward Mike Comrie is on hold indefinitely while he recovers from hip surgery following last season. Comrie played in 21 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in , missing four months of action due to surgery before returning to the lineup in late March. He finished with one goal and six points and did not see action in the Penguins' first-round playoff loss to the Lightning. "In wanting to return to play after surgery, I pushed myself too early and that has not helped my recovery," Comrie said in a statement released Monday. "I will return to the NHL when I am healthy and able to play at the level I have come to expect of myself."

11 Comrie was a third-round pick by Edmonton in the 1999 Entry Draft. He has had two separate stints with the Oilers while also playing for the Flyers, Coyotes, Senators, Islanders and Penguins. A two-time 30-goal scorer and 60-point producer, Comrie has 168 goals and 365 points in 589 regular-season games. He also has four goals and 10 points in 32 playoff games and was a member of the 2007 Ottawa squad that went to the Stanley Cup Final.