BISMARCK, N.D.–A fan favorite is back for a second season with the Bismarck Bobcats.
Forward Adam Pietila returned to Bismarck on Wednesday and is set to make his season debut when the Bobcats take on Minot in a home-and-home series this weekend. The 19-year-old from Howell, Mich. brings a fourth-line grit and attitude, but with a quality scoring touch to boot.
“He is a worker,” head coach Layne Sedevie said. “He has a really good stick and he is flat out hard. That is the reason why he had success last year, and why he will have success this year.”
In his rookie season, Pietila scored 17 goals and 32 points while playing every single game. He also racked up 158 penalty minutes, fourth-most in a single season in team history. Pietila’s offensive game came around during the Bobcats’ playoff push last spring.
“I just want to be a leader,” Pietila said. “Get the boys where we need to be. Everybody who has been here before knows the direction we have to go.”
Pietila, a Northern Michigan commit, began the year with the Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) where he earned preseason playing time. Now, he is back in Bismarck, and ready to be a goaltender’s worst nightmare.
“I know Oskar (Spinnars Nordin) did not like him in practice,” Sedevie said. “I can tell you, I do not think Linards (Lipskis) liked him standing in front because (Pietila) is just a pest.”
Pietila’s 17 goals put him in a tie for second on the team last year, making him an instant impact player for the 2022-23 season. He joins a Bobcats roster–and, potentially, power play–featuring newcomers Evan Hunter and Vertti Jantunen, who already have 5 goals in their first 6 games.
The Bismarck Bobcats play their home opener on Saturday, October 1 against the Minot Minotauros. Puck drop at the VFW Sports Center is 7:15 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at www.bismarckbobcats.com and on the free Bismarck Bobcats mobile app. Fans can listen live all season on SuperTalk 1270 AM, the radio home of the Bobcats.