Penguins’ center Zach Aston-Reese took a ride on the rookie roller coaster

William Aston-Reese grew up in Pittsburgh, so imagine his delight when his son, Zach, signed as a free agent with the Penguins on March 14, 2017.

The only thing that could top that would be if Zach got to lift the Stanley Cup in June.

A lot went into Zach’s long journey to the NHL, and his father played a big part in it.

“He was always there for me,” Zach recalled at PPG Paints Arena prior to playing in his first postseason game against the Flyers on April 11. “Especially when I had to switch to travel hockey. Both my parents (including his mom, Carolyn), I’ve told them so many times, I can’t thank them enough.

“You look at guys who are good hockey players when you’re Bantam or Midget, then in that transition period it can affect families. I was just really fortunate to have a good set-up.”

Zach was born on Staten Island and spent his very early years there. But since that New York City borough had only two hockey rinks and a very limited development opportunity, it was off to New Jersey, first to play for the Colonials and later the Rockets.

It’s a route more and more kids are taking to college and possibly the NHL.

“Yeah, I think it’s more development and coaching,” he said of the improved level of hockey in the North Jersey area. “I know that when I started out, I was in North Jersey with the Colonials with Noel Rubin, then I moved on to the Rockets with Bob Thornton and Tony Sands.

“They’ve coached guys like Sonny Milano (Massapequa, N.Y.), Charlie McAvoy (Long Beach, N.Y.), John Carlson (Colonia, N.J.), a ton of guys. Chad Krys (BU), will probably play in the NHL soon.

“They do a really good job pushing guys to the USHL and OHL when they’re young. The players get good exposure and they go on to college from there.”

Aston-Reese, a 6-foot, 204-pound center who played for Northeastern University, might be 23 years old, but he hasn’t forgotten his roots. He still goes back to where it all began in the summer. “Exactly. I still skate with them in the summer,” he said. “It’s definitely a good feeling to see the younger guys … that they have someone to look up to. So they’ve done a really good job.”

Zach said the Carlson family was instrumental in getting him started.

“I had a meeting with his dad when I joined the Rockets,” Aston-Reese explained.”He spoke to me and my dad. Kind of what the process would be like. There was another guy, John Parker, who was highly touted. Played college at Bemidji. You know, then the second wave came in — me, Kevin Labanc (Staten Island, N.Y.), McAvoy, those guys.”

Aston-Reese was called up late in the season and got into 16 games. He played well enough (four goals, two assists, a plus-2, just two penalty minutes) to stick around for the playoffs.

Does he ever pinch himself and wonder how this all came about? Was he more nervous or excited heading into Game 1?

“Excited,” he said. “This is what you play for. Everyone talks about this is the best time of the year. There’s nothing to save it for. You’re playing for your life right now. This rivalry (Flyers-Penguins) has been etched in stone for a long time. To be a part of it … I mean, you know what to expect. The fans, the energy, it’s exciting.”

Aston-Reese went undrafted by the NHL, so one would expect a little more motivation to prove the experts wrong. But he said he’s past that stage.

“Yeah, for me personally, I had that feeling moreso in college,” he said. “That kind of lit a fire for me. Especially the last two years. But now that I am here, it’s not so much proving that I should have been drafted, just more proving that I belong. Guys get here so many different ways now. So I kind of turned that page in my book.”

He does admit he has to keep the momentum from this year going.

“Exactly,” he said. “Especially at this level. When you’re in college at the third or fourth year, everything is fine. You know you’re going to be the go-to guy.

“But here it’s a business. More of a business. Every night. Especially as a young guy and a rookie, early in your career, you have to prove yourself every night. And gain the trust of the organization.”

Later that night after the morning interview, Aston-Reese assisted on a Conor Sheary goal for his first Stanley Cup playoff assist, and the Penguins went on to win the opening-round series in six games.

Unfortunately for Aston-Reese, he got a dose of how brutal NHL reality can be in the next round. In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference second-round series, the Washington Capitals’ Tom Wilson leveled Aston-Reese with a brutal bodycheck that broke the forward’s jaw and resulted in a concussion. While Wilson was suspended for three games for the brutality, the hit required surgery and likely ended Aston-Reese’s season.

“I talked to him and saw him after the game last night. Feel bad for him,” Penguins star Sidney Crosby told Michelle Crechiolo of Pens Inside Scoop. “It’s tough to see your teammates get hurt. Obviously a young guy like that who’s pretty excited for the opportunity to be in the playoffs, it’s never easy to see your teammates get hurt.”

Chances are, there will be more high points than low points for Aston-Reese in the seasons to come. And the folks back on Staten Island will be ready to celebrate when those happen.