UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Sophomore goaltender Kevin Reidler (Gavle, Sweden) became the 13th Nittany Lion in program history to put pen to paper on an NHL contract as he signed a two-year, entry-level deal with the Ottawa Senators the club announced on Monday morning.
Reidler will report to American Hockey League affiliate, the Belleville Senators, on an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO) for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign with his ELC set to begin with the 2026-27 season.
“This year at Penn State has meant the world to me, not only as a hockey player, but as a person. My time as a Nittany Lion has prepared me in the best possible way to take this next step in my career, and for that, I will be forever grateful.”
Kevin ReidlerReidler, who had his best collegiate season as a Nittany Lion this year, joins Arsenii Sergeev (Calgary), Alex Limoges (Washington), Aarne Talvitie (New Jersey), Peyton Jones (Colorado), Cole Hults (Los Angeles), Evan Barratt (Chicago), Nate Sucese (Arizona), Brandon Biro (Buffalo), Andrew Sturtz (Ottawa), Casey Bailey (Toronto), Eamon McAdam (New York Islanders) and Vince Pedrie (New York Rangers) who also agreed to NHL contracts following their time at Penn State.
“Kev is a great goalie, great teammate, and a great person. Everyone loved having him in our program and we are all very happy and excited for him to sign with Ottawa,” commented head coach Guy Gadowsky. “We wish him the very best and look forward to seeing his success.”
After transferring from Nebraska-Omaha, the 2022 fifth-round (151st overall) pick of the Senators started 18 games for the Nittany Lions this season posting an 11-7-0 record with a .901 save percentage and a 3.31 goals-against average.
Reidler became just the sixth Penn State goaltender to reach double-digit wins in a single-season while his 11 victories are good for ninth all-time on the Nittany Lion single-season wins list.
For his career, the Gavle, Sweden native appeared in 26 games with 23 starts posting a 15-8-0 record with a .906 save percentage and a 3.29 goals-against average between Omaha and Penn State.
“This year at Penn State has meant the world to me, not only as a hockey player, but as a person. My time as a Nittany Lion has prepared me in the best possible way to take this next step in my career, and for that, I will be forever grateful,” mentioned Reidler.
“To the fans, I want to thank you all for the endless support throughout the season. Penn state has the best fans in all of college hockey, and it has been an honor to play in front of you this year. You are what makes this place so special. Penn State will always hold a special place in my heart, and I couldn’t be prouder to call myself a Penn Stater for life.”
Penn State concluded its season with a loss to Minnesota-Duluth in the Albany Regional semifinals and a 21-14-2 overall record after advancing to its third NCAA Tournament in the past three seasons.