Minnesota-Raised Wild's Rem Pitlick Scores First Goal & Hat Trick
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Saturday night, Minnesota-raised Rem Pitlick scored his first career goal for the Minnesota Wild. Then he scored another, and another.
Pitlick's first three NHL goals came on a hat trick Saturday night. Unheard of in pro hockey.
Pitlick played his prep hockey for Shattuck St. Mary's in Faribault. Another anomaly last night: he was playing on the same line as high school linemate Jordan Greenway. Shattuck St. Mary's Hockey Head Coach, Tom Ward coached them both.
"They know how to play with each other. They can probably read and react with each other, and see things and feel things before they're happening," said Ward.
Pitlick started at Shattuck St. Mary's for three years and then went to play junior hockey. After that, Pitlick came to Mariucci Arena to play for the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team. After three years, he was named an All-American and went to the NHL.
Rem's younger brother Rhett and his dad Lance both played for the Gophers hockey team
"Obviously we're happy having him close to home for a change," said Lance Pitlick, Rem Pitlick's father.
"Super exciting to get the first one. And then, three," said Pitlick after the game. "I'm just super grateful. It's a lot of energy. But I think it comes back to, I just feel super connected to being in Minnesota."
The game was in Seattle, so Rem's family watched it on TV.
"We've texted. And just [said], 'I love you.' He made me cry. I'm almost doing it now," said Lance Pitlick.
Rem's dad Lance is a former NHL player and has seen his son go through the grind making it to this point.
"You just know how much time these kids put into chasing something and you know, you just need an opportunity," said Lance Pitlick.
This amazing sequence of events does not have a fairytale ending because Pitlick's hope it's just the start.