CRANBERRY TWP — It was just a year ago that players named Matt Murray, Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust took part in the Pittsburgh Penguins Development Camp.

All three played key roles in helping the Penguins win the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in franchise history earlier this month.

On Wednesday, 35 players hopeful of a roster spot with the Penguins skated at the 2016 camp, held at the Lemieux Sports Complex.

The team event began on Tuesday when head coach Mike Sullivan met the players with the Stanley Cup at his side.

“He brought it into the meeting and it was neat just to think that there’s a possibility that I could be part of that at some point,” said defenseman Joseph Masonius, a 6th-round pick by Pittsburgh in the NHL Draft June 18.

This was not Masonius’ first development camp with the Penguins. He attended last year’s event as an amateur.

“The biggest difference this year is being here as a draft pick as opposed to a free agent,” he said. “I am more comfortable this year. I know more about how things work. The fact that the Penguins drafted me, it’s great to think an organization like this has that much interest in me.

“I have confidence in every part of my game, especially my ability to move the puck and move it in transition.”

Pittsburgh’s top pick, goalie Filip Gustavsson, was also on the ice, but not as long as fans had hoped.

The camp was split into two 50-minute sessions, each one with its own group of players. Gustavsson came out in the first session and made several impressive saves during drills, but left for the training room 20 minutes before the rest of the players exited the ice.

“I don’t know what happened to him,” said Penguins’ player development coach Mark Recchi. “All of a sudden, I looked up and we had just one goalie out there. But our goalie development coach (Mike Buckley) was raving about him from what he saw.”

Gustavsson, a native of Sweden, emerged an hour later, but did not disclose the reason for his early departure, saying, “I just went back and relaxed.”

Rated as the top European goalie according to NHL Scouting, Gustavsson was taken by Pittsburgh with the 55th overall selection.

“There have been so many great feelings for me since the draft,” he said. “I watch a lot of goalies and try to learn something from all of them.”

Gustavsson is one of several European players at the camp. Recchi said one of the adjustments they must make is playing on smaller rinks than they are accustomed to.

“They need to get a feel for it,” he said, “but it’s a culture thing, too. They have to get used to that and it’s very important.”

German-born Freddie Tiffels, a left-winger, has lived in this country for four years. He was a 6th-round selection by Pittsburgh in 2015 and was making his second appearance at the development camp.

“I grew up in Cologne, in western Germany,” Tiffels said. “Soccer is definitely the biggest sport in my country and hockey is a distant second.”

Tiffels knows the areas where he must improve if he wants to see action in the NHL. He scored a combined 18 goals with 20 assists the last two seasons for Western Michigan University and has previously represented Germany five times at the World Junior Championships, scoring seven goals and four assists in 31 games.

“I need to get better with my play around the net, scoring from the slot and I have to get better at the blue line.”

Pittsburgh’s recent Stanley Cup win was not just a big deal for the current Penguins and their fans, but for everybody in the system.

“I was so pumped to see that,” said Tiffels. “It’s special to be part of an organization that is at or near the top every season.”