Meijer AAA defenseman Hedden signs NAHL tender
November 20, 2019
The Meijer AAA hockey club of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) is pleased to announce that 18U defenseman Chris Hedden has signed a North American Hockey League (NAHL) tender agreement with the Shreveport Mudbugs of the NAHL’s South Division.
Hedden, 17, is in his first season of playing in the NAPHL for Meijer AAA. The 5’11/190 lbs. native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is currently 3rd among all NAPHL 18U defensemen in scoring so far this season. Hedden has recorded 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) in 12 games played. Four of those points came this past weekend during the NAPHL event in North Texas.
He was named the NAPHL’s 18U Defensive Peak Performer for the month of September.
Hedden made his NAHL debut with the Mudbugs earlier this season on October 18th.
“Chris is a good skating two-way defenseman that defends hard and likes to join the rush. He embodies the way we want our defensemen to play and he will continue to develop his game this season,” said Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell.
Hedden is the third player from the Meijer AAA 18U team who has signed an NAHL tender so far this 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 2, 2020.
