What would Gary Roberts do? Pittsburgh Penguins players should have the answer to that in the near future.
Roberts, now 48, will be introduced at a press conference today as the face of the new UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. The future Penguins practice facility is currently under construction in Cranberry Township.
Roberts retired from the NHL in 2009 after a 21-year career and spent parts of two seasons in Pittsburgh. He played 57 games with the Penguins, scoring 10 goals and 18 assists, and was a part of the team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2008.
“I love the city and the fans of Pittsburgh,” said Roberts in a press release. “These are philosophies I honed during my career and afterward. I’m thrilled to team up with UPMC to bring philosophies and programs that we’ve put in place to train, develop and mentor athletes from the youth levels all the way to the professional ranks.”
Roberts long-lived NHL career almost never happened. He missed an entire year after a serious neck injury in 1996 and almost decided to hang up his skates for good. After a year away from the game, he decided to rededicate himself to fitness and living a healthy lifestyle.
His hard work paid dividends, and he returned to the league a year later and played another 11 seasons, finally retiring for good at age 42.
Since his playing days ended, Roberts has been training current and future NHL players on proper nutrition, and providing workout instruction and advice. Some of his clients have included Steven Stamkos and former Penguins winger James Neal.
Roberts will now bring that dedication to the Penguins, as well as area collegiate, junior and youth hockey players.
“This is a great step forward for the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex,” said Penguins CEO David Morehouse, “Gary’s expertise in sports performance training and nutrition is well-known within the hockey community, and his presence here will be a benefit for everyone from youth hockey players to elite NHL prospects. It will help to make this facility a destination point for world-class events and training – in hockey and all sports.”
The facility – slated to open in August – will have two ice sheets and a pubic sports medicine facility operated by UPMC.
Photo credit: Getty Images (main), UPMC (inset)
