Gopher Hockey: Rem Pitlick commits to Minnesota

The University of Minnesota men’s hockey team added a legacy to it’s future squad with the commitment of Rem Pitlick. The 16 year old forward at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn. announced his commitment Tuesday.

Rem is the son of former Minnesota Golden Gopher defenseman Lance Pitlick, who skated for the Maroon and Gold from 1986-1990. After college, Lance Pitlick had an eleven year professional career including multiple seasons with the Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators in the NHL.

Rem, who is shown in the video above at roughly the age of 12 years old, is a smaller, but hockey-smart player with great hands and the ability to score the puck. Last season with the S-SM Under-16 Team, Pitlick scored 15 goals and added 37 assists to finish third on the team in scoring with 52 points.

At 5-foot-3, 130 pounds, he will need some time to grow into his body and improve his physicality. In May, the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL selected Pitlick No. 13 overall in the first round of their Futures Draft. Obviously they saw the talent that the undersized player has and are hopeful he will fill out near the size of his father at 6-feet tall.

Rem played youth hockey in the Wayzata Hockey Association while growing up in Plymouth, Minn. He will likely spend his high school junior season at S-SM this winter and follow it up with a couple season in juniors before making his way to the Gophers.

Minnesota head coach Don Lucia has not shied away from smaller, but talented forwards over the years. Including current junior Kyle Rau and incoming freshmen Taylor Cammarata. Both are under 5-foot-9 and look to be a factor in the Minnesota offense this season.

Cammarata and Pitlick may be compared for years to come as they both grew up in Plymouth, then went to play at S-SM and were selected by the Waterloo Blackhawks in USHL Futures Draft. Cammarata led the USHL in scoring last season at Waterloo.

Pitlick is a solid prospect for the Gophers to land for likely their 2017 roster.

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