Noel Acciari is usually one of the first players off the ice after most practices for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

That habit doesn’t necessarily come from a place of entitlement or hubris. Acciari would need a centrifugal air compressor and several 24-ounce cans of Fix-a-Flat to have anything resembling an inflated ego.

In fact, the fashion in which Acciari plays requires plenty of preventive maintenance and leads to him spending less time on the ice in practice.

All those blocked shots and collisions with opponents lead to plenty of bumps and bruises.

And ice bags.

“I spend some time on training tables,” Acciari guffawed. “They do a great job to keep me coming right back out. That’s a big part of it.

“A lot of ice.”

And a lot of admiration from his teammates who voted the forward as recipient of the Penguins’ “Unsung Hero” award that was announced Monday.

“We all know what he does every single game,” defenseman Kris Letang said. “He puts his body on the line. He is willing to do anything to help us win, whether it’s a blocked shot, taking hits, being physical. In the room, he’s kind of the same person. Always wants to be around his teammates, fun to be around.”

Predominantly deployed among the team’s bottom-six forwards, Acciari has largely been utilized as a right winger this season after spending most of the previous campaign as a center.

He has yet to miss a game in 2024-25 and leads the team with 98 blocked shots.

Entering Thursday’s road game against the St. Louis Blues, Acciari is one blocked shot short of tying the unofficial single-season mark for Penguins forwards established by Nick Bonino in 2016-17.

(Note: The NHL did not begin tabulating blocked shots until the 2005-06 season.)

Acciari suggests being used as a winger has boosted the sheer number of pucks that have hit his body.

“I enjoy playing wing,” Acciari said. “It gives me a different look. Maybe it does give me a chance to block some more shots because I’ve got to make sure (the defenseman he’s guarding) is not getting pucks through. Also, I think I benefit from playing wing at times where I can (exit the defensive) zone a little earlier, get first on the forecheck and throw a hit in the (offensive) zone.”

Also the team leader with 168 hits, Acciari does not employ a style of play that is conducive to self-preservation. After all, he missed 25 games last season because of various maladies.

“I’ve had some bumps and bruises,” Acciari said. “Maybe playing wing might help with that. In the end, where I’m taking the pucks and hitting people, maybe it’s just not hitting the right spot. Knock on wood. Trying to stay as healthy as possible for the rest of this year. I like playing in these games.”

Approximately a month ago, there was some curiosity if Acciari would be playing games for the Penguins after the NHL’s trade deadline on March 7.

A 33-year-old bottom-six forward who takes on the rough-and-tumble aspects of the sport probably isn’t congruent with the approach of a team that was a seller at the deadline and is now turning to youth. Further to that, playoff-bound squads can value role players like Acciari. As recently as 2023, he was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the deadline.

“It’s a business,” said Acciari, who is in the second year of a three-year contract. “That time of year, you never know what’s going to happen. But you’ve got to focus on where you are and what you’re doing with the team that you’re with. It’s happened to me before. You have no control over it. You’ve just got to control what you can control and play every night. You can’t think about that stuff because it is a business, and you have no control.”

What Acciari does have control of is how he plays for the Penguins. And that habit won’t be changing anytime soon.

“I would do anything for any one of these guys, whether it’s blocking a shot or throwing a hit or popping up on the scoresheet,” Acciari said. “I’ll do whatever I can to help the team. I appreciate their trust in me with that vote.”

Notes: Injured Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin was expected to travel with the team for an upcoming three-game road trip, according to coach Mike Sullivan. Malkin has missed the past three games with an undisclosed injury. … With a handful of incumbent forwards dealing with minor injuries, Joona Koppanen was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League under emergency roster conditions.