As the de facto general manager of the Washington Redskins personnel department during the 2000s, Vinny Cerrato left the team permanently in 2009. Vinny’s son, Charlie Cerrato, was just selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the NHL Draft.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound center Charlie Cerrato had a stellar freshman campaign, finishing in the top 10 nationally in faceoff victories with 57.2 percent (388-for-678). The Fallston, Maryland native is now the second-highest draft pick in program history, behind only incoming freshman Jackson Smith, who was chosen in Friday’s first round. He was the 18th Penn State Nittany Lionever to hear his name called in the NHL Draft.
Cerrato made a name for himself in Hockey Valley and, after having the second-best rookie season in program history, was chosen by his peers as the 2024–25 Freshman of the Year. He led all Big Ten rookies in every scoring statistic with 42 points at the end of the season, including 15 goals and 27 assists. His point and assist totals placed him second nationally, and among first-year players, his goal total placed him third.
Cerrato matched for the fifth-highest scoring season in PSU history and became only the second rookie Nittany Lion to score 40 points. His 15 goals are tied for the fifth-most by a PSU rookie, while his 27 assists are the second-most by a freshman and tied for the third-most in a single season.
