Men's Ice Hockey | 4/15/2026 9:14:00 AM

Jake Livanavage made his National Hockey League debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 14 against the St. Louis Blues.

The defenseman skated in his first NHL game after three seasons at the North Dakota, where he served as an alternate captain during the 2025-26 season. Livanavage appeared in 39 games this season, recording five goals and 20 assists for 25 points, continuing to be a steady presence on the blue line.

A product of the Chicago Steel, Livanavage developed into one of the league’s top defensemen during his USHL career. Across three seasons in Chicago, he totaled 90 points on 10 goals and 8-0 assists in 152 regular-season games from 2020-23, including a standout 45-point campaign in the 2021–22 campaign. He also helped lead the Steel to a Clark Cup championship in 2021.

Originally selected by Pittsburgh in the seventh round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Livanavage becomes the latest USHL alumnus to reach the NHL level.

About the USHL

The United States Hockey League (USHL) and its 16 teams are committed to being the world's leading junior hockey league. This season, more than 50% of NCAA Division I men's hockey players and nearly 25% of NHL players have USHL experience. The USHL has developed more than 285 direct NHL Draft picks since 2020, and nine of the last 10 Hobey Baker Award winners, including Macklin Celebrini (Chicago Steel).

Elevated through the recently announced Declaration of Excellence with the NHL and USA Hockey, the league's player-first approach, including a 2:1 practice-to-game ratio and a schedule with 90% of games played on weekends, provides its players with the optimal environment for athletic and personal growth, creating pathways for the next generation of stars like Auston Matthews (NTDP), Kyle Connor (Youngstown Phantoms), Jeremy Swayman (Sioux Falls Stampede), and Johnny Gaudreau (Dubuque Fighting Saints).