UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Head Coach Guy Gadowsky and the Penn State men’s ice hockey team announced the hiring and return of former Nittany Lion defenseman Vince Pedrie as assistant coach on Monday morning.
Pedrie joins Gadowsky’s staff following the departure of longtime Associate Head Coach Keith Fisher, who accepted the head coaching position at Lindenwood University earlier this month.
"I am ecstatic to be returning to Penn State as an assistant coach for the men’s ice hockey team. I extend my sincere gratitude to Coach Gadowsky, the entire Penn State staff, and all who contributed to the realization of this opportunity,” stated Pedrie. “It has been nearly a decade since I enrolled as a freshman on this campus, and now to be returning as a coach for my Alma Mater is truly surreal. I am honored to be entrusted with this responsibility and eagerly anticipate furthering the program’s already remarkable success. We Are!”
Pedrie, a fan favorite during his time in Hockey Valley from 2015-17, helped lead Penn State to the 2017 Big Ten Tournament Championship, its first in program history, and its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017 before signing a two-way NHL contract with the New York Rangers and Hartford Wolfpack following his sophomore season.
The Chicago, Illinois native spent parts of the next four seasons with three different NHL organizations skating in 109 career American Hockey League games registering 31 points on five goals and 26 assists before hanging up his skates in 2020.