'Soak it all in': Ex-Penguins player Lafferty's journey back to Sunnehanna comes full circle

NHL player Sam Lafferty is quite familiar with Sunnehanna Country Club and its rich history in the amateur golf field.

As a four-year member, he has played on the par-70 course numerous times. The Hollidaysburg native has ties to the course as he competed in the Wheeling Scholastic Golf Tournament and caddied in the Sunnehanna Amateur Tournament for Champions.

As one of 102 in the field starting Wednesday, the 29-year-old Lafferty is thrilled to play in the prestigious amateur event.

“I’m definitely just extremely excited to be in the kind of a field like that,” said Lafferty, who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2019-22. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Obviously, playing there as a kid when I was in high school, then getting the chance to be invited, I just feel very lucky.

“I’m just really excited to be part of such an event.”

Lafferty has played in amateur events before, but the Sunnehanna Amateur will be a step up for him.

“First one of this stature by a good margin,” Lafferty said of playing in this year’s Sunnehanna Amateur. “I played in some different events with the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association throughout the years.

“Nothing nearly of this caliber.”

With plenty of experience on the course, Lafferty has learned important lessons throughout his various rounds.

“Pretty familiar with the course, obviously,” Lafferty said. “I’d say the biggest challenge at Sunnehanna is definitely the green complexes. They’re not only very fast, but have very severe undulations. I think a key is definitely keeping the ball below the hole whenever possible. Just giving yourself a chance to putt up at it. If you’re putting downhill all day, it can get pretty stressful.

“Just missing the ball in the right spots is a huge key, especially if there’s some tough pin locations out there.”

Playing golf in the offseason allows Lafferty to still compete in a sport he enjoys.

“It’s definitely a lot different than hockey in a lot of ways,” Lafferty said. “It’s something that I’ve done competitively since I was a kid. It definitely brings out the competitive side a little bit. For me, it’s just something I love quite a bit. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to get out and play whenever I can. During the offseason, I think it’s just a nice reset. I think I’m just really looking to enjoy this experience as much as possible, soak it all in.”

He expects many family and friends throughout the four-day event to watch how he performs.

“I think it will be a lot of fun having quite a bit of family and friends out there for some of the rounds,” Lafferty said.

Lafferty played for the Vancouver Canucks in 2023-24. He played in a career-high 79 games during the regular season and posted 24 points. He totaled a career-best 13 goals and was plus-4. He has 36 goals, 47 assists and 83 points accumulated over 289 NHL games in five seasons.

He also played for the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Vancouver advanced to the Western Conference semifinals, and lost to Stanley Cup finalist Edmonton Oilers. The Canucks’ season ended May 20. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound center and winger was the Penguins’ 2014 fourth-round pick. He has been kicking back after the arduous season lasting from October to May.

“For the most part, it’s just been some relaxing time and spend as much time with family as I can because obviously, we travel quite a bit during the season,” Lafferty said. “I’m definitely enjoying that. I haven’t got too much into training. I’ll start getting back into that. It’s kind of nice timing of this event being at the start of the offseason before you get into full-training mode.

“Just really glad it all worked out to be able to do it.”

After finishing third on the team with 191 hits, Lafferty will bring physicality and speed to his next employer. Lafferty is a free agent come July 1.

“I feel good,” Lafferty said of free agency. “It’s hard to know what the future holds.

“I’m excited for whatever may come next, whether I’m back in Vancouver or not. It’s pretty unknown at this point.”

Jake Oswalt is a copy editor for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @TheWizOfOz11.