Jimmy Snuggerud leaves Gophers men’s hockey team to sign with NHL’s Blues

A day after a sudden end to his junior season, Snuggerud signed an entry-level contract.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 28, 2025 at 11:11PM
Gophers forward Jimmy Snuggerud is giving up his final year of collegiate eligibility to join the St. Louis Blues. (Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

FARGO – A day after his junior season ended with a 5-4 overtime loss to Massachusetts in the NCAA Fargo Regional semifinals, Gophers forward Jimmy Snuggerud signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues and will forgo his final year of collegiate eligibility.

Snuggerud, the No. 23 overall pick by the Blues in the 2022 NHL draft, will join the team for practice Monday. Financial terms of his contract were not revealed.

The 20-year-old finished his Gophers career by scoring two goals Thursday night, a power-play tally at 14:14 of the first period for a 1-0 lead, then an even-strength goal to force overtime with 3:36 left in the third period. The Chaska native finished the season with 24 goals and 27 assists, ranking sixth in goals and fifth in points nationally. He’s a Hobey Baker Award top-10 finalist and a first-team All-Big Ten honoree.

Snuggerud, 6-2 and 185 pounds with a blistering slap shot, finishes his three-year Gophers career with 66 goals and 69 assists in 119 games (1.13 points per game). He is one of only three players in Gophers history to score 20 or more goals for three consecutive seasons to begin his college career. He helped lead the Gophers to three NCAA tournament appearances, including a national runner-up finish in 2023 and a second regional final appearance in 2024.

View post on X
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.

See Moreicon

More from Gophers

card image

The Chicago Blackhawks got a closer look at two of their top prospects when Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel each made their NHL debut Sunday.

card image
card image