NEW YORK, October 9, 2020 – The New York Rangers announced today that the team has agreed to terms with free agent defenseman Anthony Bitetto.
Bitetto, 30, skated in 51 games with the Winnipeg Jets this past season, registering eight assists, a plus-three rating, and 32 penalty minutes. He established career-highs in several categories in 2019-20, including games played, assists, points, plus/minus rating, and average ice time (15:10). Bitetto ranked second on Winnipeg in hits this past season (145), and he led the Jets in hits per game (2.84). He ranked 23rd in the NHL, as well as fifth among NHL defensemen, (min. 30 games played) in hits per game in 2019-20. In addition, Bitetto ranked fourth on the Jets (and ranked second among Jets defensemen) in average shorthanded ice time this past season (2:11).
The 6-1, 210-pounder has skated in 183 career NHL games over parts of six seasons (2014-15 – 2019-20) with Nashville, Minnesota, and Winnipeg, registering two goals and 25 assists for 27 points, along with 122 penalty minutes. Bitetto also skated in each of Nashville’s 14 games during the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has recorded 379 hits in his 183 career NHL games. Bitetto has averaged 9.48 hits per 60 minutes of ice time in his NHL career; since the start of the 2014-15 season, he ranks 10th among NHL defensemen (min. 100 games played) in hits per 60 minutes of ice time.
The Island Park, New York native was originally selected by Nashville in the sixth round, 168th overall, of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.