Pair of NAPHL players sign tenders with Soo Eagles

The Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) have announced the signing of two players from the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) to tenders for the 2013-14 season.

The first signing is Jackson Barliant, a 18-year-old forward from the Pikes Peak Miners 18U team.  The second signing is Quinton Wunder, a 17-year-old defenseman from the California Titans 18U team.

Barliant, a high energy fast paced forward, impressed the Eagles scouting staff, particularly later in the season when we played at both the Troy I event in January and the NAPHL Championship Series in February.

He finished the regular season with 10 points in 22 NAPHL games, but four of those points came in his final three regular season games in Troy in January.  During the NAPHL Championship series, he had three points in four games, which included a game-winning goal.

Barliant who is from Santa Fe, New Mexico, will be attending the Soo Eagles camp this summer in hopes of becoming a final name on the Soo Eagle roster. Head Coach of the Miners, Greg Vanover, stated, "Jackson is a great kid overall, a determined forward giving 100% out on the ice, and off ice an upstanding young man."

Wunder, who is from Simi Valley, California, is a big, solid defenseman at 6’2/175lbs.  He appeared in 14 NAPHL games this season with the Titans.  He recorded a goal and three assists along with 66 penalty minutes.  He helped California to the Consolation Championship game in the Silver Division at the NAPHL Championship Series and had an assist in five playoff games.

Last season, Wunder split time between the California Titans 18U and 16U team.  He played in all five games during the team’s playoff run to the 2012 NAPHL Championship, recording two points.

See the complete NAPHL to NAHL 2012-13 tender list here

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 4, 2013.