Miners 18U forward Hutchins signs NAHL tender
April 8, 2014
The Pikes Peak Miners of the North American Prospects Hockey League are pleased to announce that 18U forward Connor Hutchins has signed an NAHL tender with the Janesville Jets. The Jets compete in the NAHL’s North Division.
Hutchins, 18, just completed his second year playing in the NAPHL with the Pikes Peak Miners. The native of North Richland Hills, Texas, only played in 14 of Pikes Peak’s 24 NAPHL games this season because he began the season playing in the NAHL for the Lone Star Brahmas, where he appeared in 11 games.
In those 14 games with the Miners 18U team this season, Hutchins (5’11/180) had 16 points (8 goals, 8 assists). He also had a goal in four playoff games. Hutchins had 10 points in his final five regular season games during the 2013-14 season, which included a five point game.
Last season, Hutchins had one of his career best with the Miners as he recorded 32 points in 20 games played as was named to the All-NAPHL 18U 1st Team as a forward. In 34 career NAPHL regular season games, Hutchins has 48 career points and three game-winning goals, all of which came this past season.
Hutchins is the fifth player from this year’s Pikes Peak Miners 18U team to sign an NAHL tender this season. He joins Evan Butcher (Kenai River), David Dziezawiec (Odessa), Ethan Solat (Wichita Falls) and Jeremy Solat (Wichita Falls).
A tender is a contract, of sorts, a player signs announcing his intentions to play for that particular NAHL team and that NAHL team only. Once a player signs a tender with an NAHL team, his playing rights belong to that team within the NAHL and he may not be recruited by any other NAHL team. Each team is granted ten (10) tenders, which include two (2) tenders exclusively used on players from the NAPHL - plus or minus any trades - which become active on Nov. 1. Tendered players are not eligible for the NAHL draft, which will be held on June 3, 2014.
