Jake Guentzel Wife
Meet Jake Guentzel Wife Natalie Guentzel formerly known as Natalie Johnson! Jake Guentzel, the 5’11” Omaha, Nebraska native is a center with the Tampa Bay Lighting and Team USA. Before joining Tampa Bay, Guentzel played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, and college hockey at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
Natalie Guentzel
Guentzel’s pretty lady Natalie, 22, born October 22, 1995, in Nebraska. She is one of three children born to Matthew and Julie Johnson (nee. Pace), also proud parents of her sister Alyssa and brother Mitchell, ages 28 and 25, respectively.
Natalie graduated in 2014, from Omaha Skutt Catholic High School; she graduated with a major in communications studies from the University of Nebraska in 2017. 5’6″ Natalie was also a midfielder with the Omaha women’s soccer team.
Jake Guentzel proposed to his longtime girlfriend Natalie on October 4, 2020. They got married on Julyt 30, 2021.
Jake and Natalie Guentzel welcomed their son Charlie on August 4, 2022.
Jake Guentzel Biography
Jake is the son of Sally and Mike Guentzel, who once played hockey at Greenway High, subsequently played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, before becoming a hockey coach at the University of Minnesota.
Early Hockey Career
Jake Guentzel played varsity hockey for two years at Hill-Murray School in Maplewood, Minnesota, where his team was the runner-up in the Minnesota State Hockey Tournament. Following his senior year, he committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
College Career
As a freshman at the University of Nebraska Omaha, Guentzel earned a place on the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team and the NCHC All-Conference Rookie Team. He was also a finalist for NCHC Rookie of the Year. During his sophomore season, Guentzel helped the Mavericks reach their first Frozen Four appearance, where he scored the team’s lone goal in a loss to the Providence Friars. Before his junior year, Guentzel was named co-captain alongside Brian Cooper after a team vote.
Pittsburgh Penguins
After the 2015–16 season, Guentzel signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
2016 Season
Guentzel began the 2016–17 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, which is the American Hockey League affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins. After being recalled, he made his NHL debut against the New York Rangers, scoring two goals on his first two shots. However, the Penguins were defeated in that game.
2017 Season
In March 2017, Guentzel sustained a concussion from a check by a Buffalo Sabres defenseman and missed several games. Later that month, he achieved a hat-trick, including the game-winning goal in overtime, which helped put the Penguins ahead in their playoff series against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Guentzel became the first Penguins rookie to score a playoff hat-trick and only the second rookie in NHL history to score both a hat-trick and an overtime goal in the same playoff game. In June 2017, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup after defeating the Nashville Predators in six games. During this playoff run, Guentzel recorded 21 points, tying for rookie points in a single postseason, and his 13 goals were just one shy of the rookie record.
2018 Season
Guentzel started the 2017–18 season in the NHL and posted a career-high 48 points in 82 games, helping the Penguins qualify for the playoffs. In the first round of those playoffs, he scored four goals in a Game 6 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, becoming one of only three Penguins players to achieve that feat in a playoff game.
2019 Season
The 2018–19 season marked Guentzel’s last year on his entry-level rookie contract. The Penguins had a slow start to that season but improved significantly by November. In late November, Guentzel scored his first regular-season hat trick in a win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. By December, he re-signed with the Penguins for five years at $30 million. He recorded his second regular-season hat trick in January against the Anaheim Ducks and was later named NHL’s Third Star of the Week after an impressive performance against the Los Angeles Kings.
2020 Season
In the 2020–21 season, which was shortened due to the pandemic, Jake Guentzel maintained an impressive scoring rate. Over the course of the 56-game season, he achieved a point-per-game average with 23 goals and 57 points. However, the Penguins once again faced disappointment in the playoffs, falling to the New York Islanders in the first round. Guentzel and his linemates struggled during this series, managing only one goal and two points as the team was eliminated in six games.
2021 Season
The following season, 2021–22, saw a return to the traditional 82-game schedule. Although Guentzel missed the season opener due to COVID-19 protocol, he made his debut against the Florida Panthers on October 14. He quickly found his scoring touch, accumulating 15 points in November alone. Notably, he enjoyed a remarkable 13-game point streak from mid-November to early December, during which he scored 12 goals and tallied 19 points. This streak included a standout performance where he netted a hat trick and added an assist against the Vancouver Canucks. Unfortunately, he sustained an injury after blocking a shot against the Seattle Kraken but still managed to score two goals and an assist in that game before being sidelined for a few weeks.
2022 Season
Guentzel concluded the season with another strong performance, achieving nearly 40 goals and capping it off with a hat trick against the Boston Bruins. Despite holding a 3-1 series lead over the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs and scoring eight goals throughout the series, the Penguins were ultimately eliminated in seven games.
2023 Season
In the 2022–23 season, Guentzel remained a key player on the Penguins’ first line for most of the year. He finished just shy of his previous year’s goal tally with 36 goals and added 37 assists. However, this season marked a significant change as it was the first time in his career with Pittsburgh that he did not participate in the postseason, as the team missed out on playoff contention for the first time since 2006.
Carolina Hurricanes
On March 7, 2024, while on injured reserve, Guentzel was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes along with Ty Smith in exchange for several players and draft picks. He was activated shortly after and scored his first goal with Carolina on March 17.
Tampa Bay Lighting
With his contract set to expire in the summer of 2024, Guentzel was traded again on June 30 to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a third-round pick in 2025. He subsequently signed a seven-year contract worth $63 million with Tampa Bay.
