The Gophers men's hockey team on Wednesday received national letters of intent from three high-scoring forwards: Chaz Lucius, Tristan Broz and Rhett Pitlick.
Lucius, a Grant, Minn., native, plays for USA Hockey's National Team development program in Plymouth, Mich. The 6-0, 172-pound 17-year-old had 31 goals and 19 assists in 46 games for the U.S. Under-17 team in 2019-20 and is playing for the U.S. Under-18 team this season. In 2018-19, he had 39 goals and 23 assists in 13 games for Gentry Academy's Under-15 AAA team. Lucius' younger brother, Cruz, 16, plays for the U.S. Under-17 team and has verbally committed to the Gophers.
Chaz Lucius is eligible for the 2021 NHL draft and received an "A'' rating, indicative of a first-round pick from NHL Central Scouting in its preliminary players to watch list.
Broz, a Bloomington native, is a former Blake standout who amassed 49 goals and 56 assists in 50 games for the Bears during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. The 5-11, 172-pounder had 14 goals and 21 assists in 48 games for the Fargo Force of the USHL in 2019-20 and is playing for the Force this season.
Broz, 18, is eligible for the 2021 NHL draft and received a "B'' rating from NHL Central Scouting, indicative of a second- or third-round draft pick, in the watch list.
Pitlick, 19, is a former standout at Chaska High School, where he collected 48 goals and 59 assists in 48 games over the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. He had 17 goals and 25 assists between the Omaha Lancers and Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL in 2019-20 and is playing for the Lumberjacks this season.
Pitlick is a 2019 fifth-round draft pick by the Montreal Canadiens. His brother, Rem, is a former Gopher who spent the 2019-20 season with Milwaukee of the AHL, and his father, Lance, is a former Gopher who played eight years in the NHL.
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