Wenatchee 18U forward Tillinghast signs NAHL tender
February 22, 2019
The Wenatchee Wolves of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) are pleased to announce that 18U forward Jackson Tillinghast has signed a North American Hockey League (NAHL) tender agreement with the Brookings Blizzard of the NAHL’s Central Division.
Tillinghast, 17, is in his third season playing in the NAPHL and first for the Wenatchee Wolves organization. The 5’11/170 lbs. native of Louisville, Colorado, led both the Wolves and NAPHL’s 18U Division in scoring during the regular season this year with 27 points (16 goals, 11 assists) in 21 games played.
“Brookings called me and had seen me play this season at NAPHL events,” Tillinghast said to Colorado Rubber Magazine. “They were interested in me hopefully helping their team next year. I know that they have a really good staff that has a lot of experience in the hockey world, including the coach (Moe Mantha) who played many seasons in the NHL.”
Playing this season in the NAPHL for the Wenatchee Wolves’ 18U team, Tillinghast is hoping to make the leap to the NAHL next fall. “I think the biggest thing that I have to do to make Brookings next year is to continue to improve my skating and my quickness,” said Tillinghast. “The way that hockey is played now is all about speed and skill, so continuing to improve my skating is something that will help me get to the next level.”
Tillinghast had spent the previous two seasons in the NAPHL with the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders 16U and 15U teams.
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 4, 2019.
