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 The Austin Bruins haven’t dropped the puck yet on their 11th season in the North American Hockey League, but they already have their first commitment of the season. Forward Sutter Muzzatti announced his commitment to play his collegiate hockey at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (R.P.I) on Wednesday.

Muzzatti, 17, will begin his first full junior season with the Bruins in 2020-21 following three years in the Meijer AAA program where he averaged more than a point-per-game with 19 total tallies (14G, 5A) in 17 contests. The 6-foot-5, 203-pound forward made his junior hockey debut last season playing in two games for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL but is still looking for his first point in juniors.

“Both Austin and RPI have strong hockey traditions which I am excited to be a part of,” said Muzzatti. “I consider Austin to be a great stepping-stone for players headed to the NCAA.”

Muzzatti is the third Bruins player in three years to commit to RPI including former defensemen Dylan Davies and former netminder Brett Miller, both of whom begin their collegiate careers this season.

“We are really excited for Sutter and his family,’ said Bruins Head Coach Steve Howard. “He’s a hard-working kid that is eager to learn. We expect Sutter to continue to develop and become an impact player for the Bruins.”

A native of Okemos, Mich. Muzzatti is the son of Carolina Hurricanes goaltending coach, Jason Muzzatti, who played his collegiate years at Michigan State before logging 62 games in the NHL. 

In total, the Bruins now have seven committed players on their roster including Ben Dexheimer (Miami-Ohio), Alex Trombley (Ohio State), Barrett Brooks (Western Michigan), Carson Riddle (Western Michigan), Connor Mylymok (Alaska-Fairbanks), and Frank Dovorany (Michigan Tech).

The Bruins are set to start their 2020-21 campaign this weekend with a pair of games on the road against the Aberdeen Wings before returning to Riverside Arena and hosting the Janesville Jets on Nov. 13, and Nov. 14 for the team’s home-opening weekend.