Rem Pitlick

Rem Pitlick (born April 2, 1997) is a Canadian-born American professional ice hockey center who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Rockford IceHogs in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the third round, 76th overall, by the Nashville Predators in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Pitlick has also previously played for the Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens.

Prior to turning professional, Pitlick played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and Waterloo Black Hawks in the United States Hockey League (USHL). In 2016, he set a franchise record with the Lumberjacks for most points in a season and was awarded the USHL Player of the Year, USHL Forward of the Year, and Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award. Following his successful junior career, Pitlick joined the University of Minnesota where he was selected for the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and First Team. His father, Lance Pitlick, played in the NHL for the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers.

Amateur
In August 2013, Pitlick committed to play Division I college ice hockey for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Pitlick played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and Waterloo Black Hawks in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for two years. After spending the 2014–15 season with the Black Hawks, he was traded to the Lumberjacks in exchange for a first and tenth round pick in the USHL Draft. During the 2015–16 season, while with the Lumberjacks, Pitlick set a new franchise record for most points in a season and was awarded USHL Player of the Year and USHL Forward of the Year. He was also named to the First Team All-USHL and given the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award. At the end of the season, Pitlick announced he was leaving the USHL to join the Golden Gophers for the 2016–17 season.

Collegiate
In his freshman season with the Golden Gophers, Pitlick played in 36 games and recorded 32 points. He scored his first collegiate goal on October 7, 2016, in a 6–0 win over the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. At the conclusion of the season, Pitlick was selected for the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

In his sophomore season, Pitlick played in 38 games and recorded 31 points. He also recorded an eight-game point streak between October 27 and November 18. At the conclusion of the season, Pitlick was selected for the Academic All-Big Ten team.

In his junior season, Pitlick played in 38 games and set a new career high in points with 45 points. He was named the Big Ten First Star of The Week after he recorded five points in a weekend series against the Michigan Wolverines. He ended the season as a Hobey Baker Award nominee and selected for the All-Big Ten First Team. On March 12, Pitlick was named to the AHCA First-Team All-American, becoming the 65th person to earn All-American honors in Minnesota history.

Nashville Predators (2019–2021)
Pitlick signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators on March 22, 2019, thus concluding his collegiate career. He made his NHL debut on March 25, against the Minnesota Wild.

Minnesota Wild (2021–2022)
After attending the Predators 2021 training camp, prior to being reassigned to the AHL to begin the season, Pitlick was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Wild on October 6, 2021. In his fifth game with the Wild on November 13, 2021, Pitlick scored his first three NHL goals with a natural hat trick, securing a win over the Seattle Kraken.

Montreal Canadiens (2022–2023)
On January 11, 2022, Pitlick was placed on waivers by the Wild, before being claimed the next day by the Montreal Canadiens. He made an immediate impact on arrival in Montreal, in the midst of what was a historically poor season for the team, registering six points in his first seven games and almost double the average ice time he had with the Wild. At the end of the season, Pitlick registered 9 goals and 17 assists for 27 points with the Canadiens.

After initially testing free agency, Pitlick was re-signed to a two-year, $2.2 million contract extension with the Canadiens on July 16, 2022. However, he struggled early in the next season, amidst a logjam of forwards in the Canadiens roster. He dressed for seven of the team's first twelve games, registering no points. On November 7, with fellow forward Evgeni Dadonov scheduled to return to the roster from injured reserve, it was announced that Pitlick was being put on waivers. After injuries to several starting players, Pitlick returned to the line up. In a memorable game against Toronto on January 21, 2023 Pitlick scored in overtime in three-on-three play to win the match for Montreal.

Pittsburgh Penguins (2023–2024)
On August 6, 2023, Pitlick was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of a three-team trade also involving the San Jose Sharks. He did not make the Penguins' team out of training camp and was placed on waivers. After going unclaimed he was assigned to Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on October 5, 2023. He played in 32 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, registering eight goals and 24 points in 32 games.

Chicago Blackhawks
Pitlick was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on January 6, 2024 for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

International play
Pitlick has represented Team USA at the 2015 World Junior A Challenge.

Personal life
Pitlick was born in Ottawa, Ontario when his father, Lance was a member of the Ottawa Senators and is a dual citizen of both Canada and the United States.

His cousin Tyler Pitlick is also an NHL player; he currently plays for the New York Rangers. His younger brother, Rhett, was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Rhett plays NCAA hockey for the University of Minnesota; played high school hockey for Chaska High School.

His mother Lisa is also a former athlete. She attended the University of Minnesota and competed on Team USA's gymnastics team.