The 19-year-old forward was selected by the Wild in the first round (No. 9) of the 2020 NHL Draft on Oct. 6.
"It's a perfect fit," Rossi said after he was drafted. "They need a center, I'm a center and I'm 100 percent ready."
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Rossi scored 120 points (39 goals, 81 assists) in 56 games for Ottawa of the Ontario Hockey League last season, leading the OHL in assists and points. He was named the OHL's Most Outstanding Player of the Year. Rossi, a native of Austria, was the first European to lead the Canadian Hockey League in scoring since Russia-born Alexander Radulov scored 152 points (61 goals, 91 assists) for Quebec of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2005-06.
"He's got a swagger to him," Wild general manager Bill Guerin said. "He believes in himself. He's going to bet on himself. If he can come in and play well enough, he can make the team. If not, we'll figure out what's best for him. I like that he has the confidence."
In two seasons with Ottawa, Rossi scored 185 points (68 goals, 117 assists) in 109 games.
He is the fifth Austria-born player selected in the first round of the NHL Draft, joining Thomas Vanek (No. 5, 2003), Michael Grabner (No. 14, 2006), Andre Burakovsky (No. 23, 2013) and Marko Dano (No. 27, 2013).
"I do recall interviewing with the Wild four times during the summer," Rossi wrote for NHL.com following the draft. "They were really long interviews, very intense. They talked a lot with my agent, Serge [Payer] too. My agent even told me he had one of the best feelings [after the interviews] with Minnesota. So, I'm very happy."
