Johnstown's Heinze moves into new role with Penguins

Aug. 5—Johnstown native Dana Heinze will have a new role with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League.

Heinze confirmed Thursday that he and Jon Taglianetti have swapped roles on the Penguins equipment staff.

The Penguins' head equipment manager since 2006-07, Heinze now will serve as an assistant on the staff, while Taglianetti will move to the head role from his previous associate head equipment manager duties.

"Equipment Staff transition has been in works for two years with Taglianetti being groomed by Heinze to assume top duties," Penguins beat writer Rob Rossi of The Athletic Tweeted on Thursday. "GM Ron Hextall said not a lot changes with title swap of Dana Heinze and Jon Taglianetti on equipment staff.

"Heinze is now assistant, Taglianetti is head of staff. Heinze was 'fine with change,' Hextall said," a second Tweet stated.

A Westmont Hilltop High School graduate, Heinze got his start with the Johnstown Chiefs in the former East Coast Hockey League, serving stints as the equipment manager from 1988-92 and 1995-99.

He landed with the Detroit Vipers in the International League in 1999-2000 and eventually was promoted by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was a part of the Bolts' 2004 Stanley Cup team. Heinze and another Johnstown native, Penguins head athletic trainer Chris Stewart, each have been part of Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup runs in 2009, 2016 and 2017.

A Cambria County Sports Hall of Famer (Class of 2018), Heinze has been a part of four Stanley Cup-winning teams overall and he's worked more than 2,000 professional hockey games.

Taglianetti is the son of former Pittsburgh Penguins player Peter Taglianetti.