It’s almost like a production Neil Simon would have created.
One is a low-key surfer from California with a tan to match his vibes.
The other is a slightly high-strung Massachusetts native sporting a Boston accent, along with an East Coast edge.
And together, they are in Pittsburgh, skating on the Penguins’ third defensive pairing.
It might be overkill to label the duo of Jack St. Ivany and Ryan Shea as an “odd couple.” They actually have quite a bit in common as hockey players, given that they were mid-round draft picks and largely play safe, by-the-book styles.
But they’re different humans.
“One thing he’s really good at — and what I’m getting better at — is being positive on the bench,” Shea said of St. Ivany. “I’m usually pretty negative with myself. … Just that positivity goes a long way. Obviously, we’ve known each other for a while. It’s more of a good friendship that you’ve built, and it goes a long way when you’re on the ice.”
The union of St. Ivany and Shea first was pieced together on the ice in 2023-24 at the American Hockey League (AHL) level with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
After defenseman Ty Smith was sent to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a trade involving All-Star forward Jake Guentzel on March 7, 2024, Shea was teamed with St. Ivany, and they skated together with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for a handful of games.
By mid-March, they were recalled to the NHL club and bolted onto one another as the team’s third pairing. Their subtle-but-effective play helped the Penguins make a valiant 8-2-2 run at the end of the season that nearly got the team into the playoffs.
“One, the team was playing really well,” St. Ivany said of the success he enjoyed during that stretch. “That was my first little stint here. There was an energy in the room. We were trying to make the playoffs. The team was doing really well, and we were able to feed off that and keep our game simple. When you’re trying to win games, you’re usually sticking to your job. That’s what we did really well. We kept it simple, and we kept the puck out of our net.”
That cohesion did not carry over to the 2024-25 season as St. Ivany spent most of the campaign in the AHL while Shea largely was relegated to reserve duties as the team’s seventh defenseman.
Entering this season, there was little to suggest they would be reunited for a variety of reasons.
St. Ivany, a native of Manhattan Beach, Calif., missed the first two-and-a-half months of the season with a suspected right foot injury he suffered during the preseason. As for Shea, he enjoyed a bit of a promotion as he largely skated on the second pairing with All-Star Kris Letang for the first 33 games.
With the Penguins going through a losing skid throughout most of December, as well as the arrival of left-handed defenseman Brett Kulak in a trade Dec. 12, changes were made to the lineup, and St. Ivany was reunited with Shea starting Dec. 21.
They’ve held down the third pairing for the past seven games.
From a possession metric, the results are generally positive over that span. They’ve been on the ice for 100 shot attempts for and 90 against during five-on-five scenarios, according to Natural Stat Trick. Additionally, their figures are in the black as far as high-danger scoring chances for and against (20-14) and goals for and against (7-4).
“We’re just supporting each other a lot, especially in the (defensive) zone,” Shea said Dec. 30 in Cranberry. “We’re not giving (opponents) a lot of time. He’s a big body. He’s definitely more physical than me. It makes it a lot easier for me, who likes to jump up into the play and likes to move the puck. (If) he clears (an opponent) or gets a stop, I can come in and get it. When the puck is on my stick a lot, I feel like those are my best games. We’re just bouncing off each other a lot. If there’s a mistake, we’ve both got each other’s backs.
A high point for both players came during a 7-3 road win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec 28. Shea (three assists) and St. Ivany (two assists) set career highs for points.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) December 29, 2025
Overall, both players already have established career-best offensive figures this season.
While St. Ivany’s figures are a bit more modest at nine games and three assists, Shea has skated in all 41 of the team’s contests and posted 16 points (two goals, 14 assists).
“We’re both two-way guys,” said Shea, of Milton, Mass. “He’s probably more defensive, and I’m probably more offensive. Right now, it’s a good balance. At the end of the day, our number one goal is to keep the puck out of our own net. We got a couple of points (against the Blackhawks), but that’s not our goal for our (defensive) pair. We want to be able to play shutdown minutes and contribute offensively, but our main goal is to keep the puck out of our own net.”
That pursuit isn’t always realized. Sunday’s 5-4 comeback overtime win at the Columbus Blue Jackets offered plenty of evidence of that as Shea and St. Ivany were on the ice for two of the Blue Jackets’ first three goals.
— EN Videos (@ENVideos19) January 5, 2026
But they have the trust of their more established teammates based on their trial run during the final stages of the 2023-24 season.
“They’re an extremely steady (defensive) pair,” forward Bryan Rust said. “Both those guys, they skate well. They’re defensively conscious. When you’re watching them out there, they can catch you by surprise with some really nice plays and some really nice passes. They do extremely well to read off each other. They have similar games, which I think helps them play well together.”
Similar games but not similar personalities.
“Everybody is a little different, on the ice and on the bench,” St. Ivany said. “Everybody in this room cares a lot. Some guys take it a little differently. Some guys might take it out on the boards and curse. Ryan, he’s really competitive, so if he makes a mistake or something doesn’t go our way, he’s pretty (ticked) off. But he’s really good at quickly flipping a switch and getting out there.
“For me, I just like staying positive on the bench. I always have that ‘next-shift’ mentality.”
An odd couple, perhaps. But one that has been working.
“It’s been good,” Shea said. “Can’t lie. It’s been very positive, and I like the direction the dynamic is going.”
Note: The Penguins had a scheduled day off Monday.
