Two Ontario Junior Hockey League graduates have joined the staff of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins as scouts, it was announced by President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas.
Matt Lorito and Brandon DeFazio are both Oakville natives.
Lorito, 33, had 78 and 82-point seasons with the now defunct Villanova Knights in the OJHL.
He joins Pittsburgh after a nine-year professional playing career that included stops in the NHL, AHL, KHL, DEL and SHL in Sweden.Lorito suited up in the 2022-23 campaign with Grizzlys Wolfsburg of the DEL, but spent the majority of his career over the course of eight seasons in the AHL with Albany, Grand Rapids, Bridgeport, Toronto, San Diego and Hartford, accumulating 244 points (94G-150A) in 340 career games. His best season came in 2016-17 with Detroit, where he made his NHL debut and won the Calder Cup with the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate, Grand Rapids.
Lorito is a graduate of Brown University, and his primary responsibility will be to scout professional organizations in the Northeast.
DeFazio, 34, split time in the OJHL between Oakville and Milton from 2005-07.
He had a 13-year professional playing career, which included stints in the NHL, AHL, ECHL, the KHL in Russia, Liiga in Finland and the DEL in Germany. He spent the last six seasons playing overseas, and skated in the 2022-23 campaign with Schwenninger of the DEL.
Before his time in Europe, DeFazio enjoyed a seven-year run in North America which culminated in the 2014-15 season with his NHL debut while with the Vancouver Canucks. DeFazio is a graduate of Clarkson University, and his primary responsibility will be to scout amateur players in Ontario.
Former Stouffville Spirit forward and NHLer Will Acton is also on the Penguins scouting staff.
