Former Gopher Rhett Pitlick will play hockey for Minnesota State Mankato this season

The left winger tied for Minnesota’s scoring lead in the 2023-24 season.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
September 21, 2024 at 4:51PM
Gophers forward Rhett Pitlick, right, pursued a Boston University player during the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four semifinals in Tampa, Fla. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Rhett Pitlick, who tied for the team leading in scoring for the Gophers in the 2023-24 season, has enrolled at Minnesota State University, Mankato and will play for the Mavericks in the 2024-25 season, coach Luke Strand announced Saturday.

Pitlick, a left winger who has one year of eligibility remaining, played three seasons for the Gophers, helping them reach two NCAA Frozen Fours, one national championship game and a third regional final. Last season, he had 19 goals and 17 assists, sharing the scoring lead with Bryce Brodzinski and earning second-team All-Big Ten honors. Pitlick, 23, had 35 goals and 44 assists in his Gophers career.

A fifth-round selection of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2019 NHL draft, Pitlick parted ways with the Gophers after the 2023-24 season. He did not sign with Montreal and became a free agent when his rights expired this summer. Without a contract with an NHL organization, Pitlick opted for one final collegiate season with Minnesota State.

about the writer

about the writer

Randy Johnson

College football reporter

Randy Johnson covers University of Minnesota football and college football for the Minnesota Star Tribune, along with Gophers hockey and the Wild.

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