Omaha 16U forward Long signs NAHL tender
June 8, 2015
The Omaha AAA hockey club of the NAPHL have announced that 16U forward Austen Long has signed an NAHL tender agreement with the Amarillo Bulls. The Bulls compete in the NAHL’s South Division.
Earlier this season, Long, 17, committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Colorado College in the NCHC.
Long is a native of Blaine, Minnesota and is in his first season with the Omaha AAA Hockey Club. Long is known as a fast powerful forward with toughness and a scoring touch.
In NAPHL regular season action this season, Long (5’10/192) played in 15 games and recorded 17 points. He also was selected for and played in the 2014 NAPHL 16U All-Star Game for Team White, which won the contest.
He then led the Omaha 16U team in NAPHL playoff scoring with 10 points in five games as the team won the NAPHL 16U Championship. Long also played two games for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL where he notched a goal and had 14 penalty minutes.
“Long is your prototypical power forward who has great speed, shoots well and is always around the puck,” said Amarillo Director of Scouting Erik Blasé. “He was easily our best player in the knockout rounds at USAH Nationals this year. I think he will easily step in and play a top 9 role for the Bulls next season.”
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 became active on Nov. 1. Tendered players are not eligible for the NAHL draft, which will be held on June 9, 2015.
