Gophers star Jimmy Snuggerud signs NHL deal with St. Louis Blues

University of Minnesota captain Jimmy Snuggerud signed a professional contract Friday to join the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues on a three-year, entry-level deal and will forego his final year of college hockey eligibility.

A first-round pick and the 23rd overall selection of the Blues in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Snuggerud closed a historic, three-year career with the Golden Gophers in 2024-25. He put up 135 points in 119 career appearances having never missed a game, ranking 42nd in program history for career scoring aided by 40 multi-point performances. He was a three-time All-Big Ten Conference selection, including first-team accolades as a sophomore and junior, while earning seven B1G Star of the Week honors. This year, he landed a spot as a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award after claiming a B1G scoring title during his freshman season.

As a junior captain this season, Snuggerud once again showcased his offensive prowess, leading the Maroon and Gold with 24 goals and 27 assists, ranking fifth nationally among the NCAA’s top point producers. Behind a two-goal effort at the NCAA Fargo Regional Thursday, he pushed his point total to a career-best 51 points, one more than his 50-point freshman campaign, and became the first Gopher to have multiple 50-point seasons since Thomas Vanek in 2002-03 and 2003-04. The Chaska, Minn., native delivered a career-best 24 goals this year, with a Big Ten-leading 19 coming in conference play, thanks to seven multi-goal performances.