Penn State Hockey Hires a Former Nittany Lion to Its Coaching Staff

Vince Pedrie, who played for Penn State hockey from 2015-17, returns to the Nittany Lions as an assistant coach.

The Penn State Nittany Lions celebrate a goal in an NCAA Frozen Four game against the Boston University Terriers. | Connor Hamilton-Imagn Images

A familiar name is returning to the Penn State men's hockey program. Vince Pedrie, who played for the Nittany Lions' Big Ten Tournament title team in 2017, will join the program as an assistant coach. Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky announced the hire Monday, three weeks after longtime assistant Keith Fisher became the head coach at Lindenwood College.

"I am ecstatic to be returning to Penn State as an assistant coach for the men’s ice hockey team," Pedrie said in a Penn State news release. "I extend my sincere gratitude to Coach Gadowsky, the
entire Penn State staff, and all who contributed to the realization of this opportunity. 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."

Pedrie played for Penn State from 2015-17, helping the program to its first Big Ten Tournament title in 2017. Pedrie was the first Penn State defenseman to score 30 points in a season and the first to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors. He set single-season program records for goals, assists and points by a defenseman.

Pedrie totaled 52 points in 71 games during his two seasons with the Nittany Lions. He ranks third in goals (16) and ninth in points (36) among Penn State defensemen.

A Chicago native, Pedrie signed a two-way contract with the New York Rangers and Hartford Wolfpack following his sophomore season at Penn State. He played professionally for four years with three NHL organizations. Pedrie played in 109 career AHL games, totaling 31 points, before retiring in 2020.

Pedrie, who completed his Penn State degree in 2021, recently has served as an agent/consultant with the Will Sports Group, an agency that represents professional hockey players. Pedrie is also a Level 4 USA Hockey Coach, working with youth teams in the Chicago area.

“We are thrilled to have Vince Pedrie coming back to Hockey Valley," Gadowsky said in a statement. "As a student-athlete he came here as a free agent, took a chance on a new program and developed into one of the best defensemen in the nation, leading to an NHL contract after two terrific seasons. Vince retired after playing for three NHL organizations and has been doing a great job building his
network in the hockey world as a coach and an agent all while completing his degree and graduating with a 3.3 GPA in 2021. Vince brings first-hand experience to help develop our defensemen along with a great love for Penn State to further enhance our culture.”

Penn State is coming off one of the best seasons in program history. The Nittany Lions rallied from an 0-9 start in the Big Ten to qualify for their first Frozen Four. Penn State recently had four current or future players selected in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, including Jackson Smith, the program's first first-round draft pick.