New Jersey 16U forward Kidney signs an NAHL tender
January 14, 2014
The New Jersey Jr. Titans of the North American Prospects Hockey League, are pleased to announce that 16U forward Matthew Kidney has signed an NAHL tender agreement with the Port Huron Fighting Falcons. Port Huron competes in the NAHL’s North Division.
Kidney, 16, is in his second season in the NAPHL with the Jr. Titans. The native of Middletown, New Jersey, currently ranks 2nd in team NAPHL scoring with 38 points (19 goals, 19 assists) in just 14 games played. He also has 30 points in 18 games played in the AYHL. He was named the #3 star for the NAPHL 16U offensive category from the most recent event in Oxford, OH, where he recorded 19 points in five games played. He ranks 3rd in NAPHL 16U scoring this season.
“My parents and I are very excited for this opportunity,” Kidney said. “With Port Huron being atop their division in the standings and sending more than 10 players to the NCAA last year, I could not be happier.”
Last year, Kidney (5’9/170) had 16 points in 22 NAPHL games and also recorded an assist in four playoff games.
Kidney is the second player in a week from the Jr. Titans 16U team to sign an NAHL tender. Earlier, NAPHL leading scorer and teammate Ryan Walker signed with the Amarillo Bulls.
Heading into the final NAPHL regular season event of the 2013-14 season, Kidney and the New Jersey 16U team is in 3rd place in the 16U Division with a 13-2-0 record.
Head Coach George Haviland said of Kidney, “I cannot say enough about Matt. We are very proud of him because he has been a lifelong member of our organization. Our recent tenders are just a testament to the players hard work over the course of this season and their young careers.”
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.
