The last time that Rutger McGroarty and Ivan Miroshnichenko saw each other was at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal. McGroarty, who had just been selected by the Winnipeg Jets, found Miroshnichenko and grabbed him in a hug to congratulate him.
"Big guy... so happy for you," McGroarty said to Miroshnichenko, who was selected 20th overall by the Capitals after finishing his battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Despite speaking little to no English, Miroshnichenko was all smiles and understood the meaning behind the interaction. It stuck with him over the last two years, as he took the time to reunite with McGroarty at MedStar Capitals Iceplex this week for the NHLPA Rookie Showcase.
"When we came out on the ice, he came up to me and gave me a bump, and we talked for like, two, three minutes," McGroarty, who is starting a new chapter this year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, said. "He's a great guy."
Though Miroshnichenko is still mastering English, McGroarty said the two had a great conversation and that the Russian winger has made quite an impact on him in his still-rising career.
"He's always got a smile on his face, he's always buzzing around," McGroarty said. "Obviously there's a little language barrier there, but we still catch up, ask each other how we're doing. He's a great guy."
Since meeting Miroshnichenko in 2022, McGroarty added that he has been keeping tabs on the 20-year-old's career and is happy to see him finding his footing in North America.
"I got to see him play a couple times last year... just seeing the success that he had in the NHL, scoring a couple of goals, I was really happy."
