Former Notre Dame Star Bryan Rust Hits 30 Goals for First Time

Former Notre Dame hockey star Bryan Rust scored his 30th and 31st goals on Thursday night for the Pittsburgh Penguins

Apr 3, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust (17) is congratulated by teammates after scoring against the St. Louis Blues during the first period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

As long as Sidney Crosby is on the Penguins, he'll always be the face of the franchise. And rightfully so. He's a future hall of famer who's accomplished just about everything -- Stanley Cups, League MVPs, Stanley Cup Finals MVPs, Olympic Gold Medals, etc. But one man whose gone under the radar over the years with the Penguins is former Notre Dame star Bryan Rust.

Just like Crosby, Rust has won multiple Stanley Cup Titles with the Penguins. But unlike past seasons, Rust was more of a scoring threat this year. And after scoring a pair of goals on Thursday against Washington, Rust has now scored 30 goals in a season for the first time in his career. It might have taken him the final game of the season to get it done, but still, 30 goals are 30 goals.

#237: Bryan Rust (30) pic.twitter.com/StPIhq3R7D

— nhlpens (@nhlpens) April 17, 2025

Sidney Crosby sets up Bryan Rust with a fantastic spinning feed on the power play, 2-1 Penguins!#LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/rt5rPUxs8o

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 18, 2025

Rust also recorded a career-high 65 points and joined fellow teammates Crosby and Rickard Rakell with 30-plus goals on the season.

BRYAN RUST IS A 30-GOAL SCORER!

The @penguins, who have three 30-goal scorers for the first time since 2000-01, are the fifth team this season to have three players with 30+ goals. pic.twitter.com/5kmJqQKogB

— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) April 17, 2025

Not bad, especially for someone who's never been known for his scoring. And best of all, the Penguins won. It was a disappointing season for Pittsburgh, but at least Rust and the Penguins got to end the season on a high note.