Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed forward Vinni Lettieri to a two-year, two-way contract ($750,000/$550,000 in 2023-24 and 2024-25) and forward Jake Lucchini to a one-year, two-way contract ($750,000/300,000) in 2023-24.
Lettieri, 28 (2/6/95), collected 49 points (23-26=49), including 11 power-play goals (PPG), five game-winning goals (GWG), a plus-9 rating and 34 penalty minutes (PIM) in 48 games with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) last season. He ranked T-1st on the team in PPG (T-13th in the AHL) and GWG, second in goals, points and shots on goal (163), T-4th in plus/minus rating and fifth in assists. Lettieri recorded one goal in four Calder Cup Playoff games with Providence. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound native of Excelsior, Minn., also appeared in one NHL game with the Boston Bruins in 2022-23. Lettieri owns 229 points (116-113=129) in 267 career AHL games in seven seasons with Hartford (2016-20), San Diego (2020-22) and Providence (2022-23). He has tallied 18 points (7-11=18) in 83 career NHL contests in five seasons with the New York Rangers (2017-19), Anaheim Ducks (2020-22) and Bruins (2022-23). Lettieri scored a goal in his NHL debut with New York on Dec. 29, 2017 at Detroit. He originally signed with the Rangers as an undrafted free agent on March 27, 2017.
Lettieri recorded 83 points (37-46=83) and 76 PIM in 149 games in four seasons at the University of Minnesota (2013-17). He helped the Gophers win four consecutive Big Ten regular season championships and made three NCAA tournament appearances. Lettieri collected 64 points (32-32=64) in 76 games in parts of two seasons (2011-13) with the Lincoln Stars in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and was named to the 2012-13 USHL All-Rookie Team. He tallied 97 points (38-59=97) in 57 games in two seasons at Minnetonka High School (2010-12).
Lucchini, 28 (5/9/95), made his NHL debut with the Ottawa Senators last season and recorded one goal in 11 games. The 6-foot, 180-pound native of Trail, British Columbia, scored his first career NHL goal and game-winning goal on Jan. 1 vs. Buffalo and made his NHL debut on Dec. 14 vs. Montreal. Lucchini also recorded 53 points (19-34=53) including five power-play goals and four shorthanded goals (SHG) and six PIM in 61 games with the Belleville Senators (AHL) in 2022-23. The left-shot forward ranked tied for first in the AHL in SHG, second on Belleville in points and shots on goal (182), and fourth in goals and assists. He led all Belleville skaters with 51 points (20-31=51) and ranked tied for first in goals and assists in the 2021-22 season.
Prior to his time in the Senators organization, Lucchini spent his first three AHL seasons (2018-21) with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Laval Rocket where he collected 33 points (20-13=33) and 22 PIM in 104 games. Lucchini owns 137 points (59-78=137), 13 PPG and 42 PIM in 237 career AHL games. He played collegiately at Michigan Tech University (2015-19) and recorded 104 points (45-59=104) and 59 PIM in 164 games. Lucchini served as the Huskies team’s assistant captain in 2017-18 and was team captain his senior season in 2018-19. He originally signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins as an undrafted free agent in 2019.