Pitlick Set to Make NHL Debut Tonight in Minnesota

After a whirlwind couple of days, newly signed forward Rem Pitlick will make his NHL debut with the Nashville Predators tonight against his hometown Minnesota Wild - less than 10 miles away from where he spent his three-year NCAA career with the University of Minnesota.
"It's been unbelievable so far. We only lost last Saturday back at school and now I'm here, and I feel like it's been forever," Pitlick said after Monday's morning skate at Xcel Energy Center. "I've been learning so much and there's been so much going on. It's been crazy, and it's been awesome."
On March 16, Pitlick played his final game as a Gopher against Notre Dame in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals. Less than a week later, Pitlick's two-year, entry-level contract with the Predators was announced and just a few hours later, Pitlick was on board the team plane en route to Winnipeg.

But despite the lightning-quick turnaround, the decision to forego his senior year and enter the League was not made lightly, Pitlick said.
"It's very hard to turn down an opportunity like this, but at the same time I don't want to make quick decisions too fast. There was kind of a timeline on it, and I wanted to make sure I was considering both sides," Pitlick said. "I made the choice to go forth with it, and now I'm both feet in and I'm just really excited to be here."
After he took the morning skate on Saturday, Pitlick watched the Preds face the rival Winnipeg Jets and received a warm welcome from his new teammates. By Sunday afternoon, Pitlick was on the ice for practice with the team, and by Monday morning received the good news.
Part of the craziness of entering the League just weeks before the playoffs has been alleviated by advice from his father Lance Pitlick, who spent eight seasons in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers.

"He just said to try and soak it all in. There are so many amazing players here and there's so much to learn. He's always told me since I was little you can never be as good as you can be and once you think you're good enough you should just quit because that's never the case," Pitlick said. "So I'm just trying to learn from everyone here, and they've been really nice welcoming me with open arms, so I'm really grateful for that."
As an added bonus, Pitlick will make his professional debut in front of a crowd filled with family and friends. But right now, the focus is just on giving his best performance.
"A lot of people are coming in - but I'm just trying to focus on myself getting ready to play the game," Pitlick said. "I want to make sure I'm thankful for all the people who helped me get here, but I'm trying to just focus on the game tonight."
With the Preds attempting to clinch a playoff berth tonight in a tough divisional battle, Pitlick is just trying to keep a level head and manage his emotions - while helping his team get to where they want to go.
"It's just another hockey game - I've probably played 1,200 in my life, so I'll just try to treat it that way, it's no different," Pitlick said. "There's a lot going on, and nerves are going to be there, but [I'm going to] just try and treat it like any other game."