Esmark 18U forward Burlando signs NAHL tender
The Esmark Stars AAA Hockey Club of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) are pleased to announce that 18U forward Nathan Burlando has signed a NAHL (North American Hockey League) tender agreement with the NAHL's Johnstown Tomahawks.
The 2022-23 season is Burlando's third season with Esmark's AAA Hockey program and first year with the Star's U18 squad.
The (5'10", 170 lbs.) 17 year-old from Canonsburg, PA, has registered 13 points (9 goals, 4 assists) in 8 North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) appearances so far this season, including one power play goal and one game winning shootout goal, for Esmark's U18 AAA Midget Major squad.
Overall this season to date, Burlando, an 11th grader and Canon Mac High School, has tallied 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists), including four power play goals and one shorthanded goal, in 34 games played for Esmark.
During the 2021-22 season, Burlando recorded 28 points (17G, 11A) in 30 North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) regular season (24) and Dixon Cup Playoff (6) appearances, including four game-winning goals and one shorthanded goal, helping lead the U16 Esmark Stars to the Dixon Cup NAPHL Playoff Championship.
Overall during the ’21-‘22 season, Burlando tallied 53 points (25G, 28A), including one power play goal and two shorthanded goal, in 67 games played for Esmark.
During the 2020-21 season, Burlando registered 10 (5G, 5A) points in 17 NAPHL regular season (12) and Dixon Cup Playoff (5) games played, helping lead the Stars to the league Championship game.
Overall during the 20-‘21 season, Burlando tallied 35 points (16G, 19A), including five power play goals, in 51 games played for Esmark
"Nathan has had an opportunity to skate with Johnstown and certainly made an impression on the coaching staff," said Esmark 18U head coach Dave Kosick. "He is an extremely gifted player who is crafty with the puck and has a deft touch around the net who is also an outstanding skater. He has a great knack for finding opportunities to change games."
Burlando becomes the fifth member of the 2022-2023 Esmark 18U AAA team to sign a tender for the 2022-23 season, joining three teammates who had previously signed tenders with NAHL Junior A clubs, Derek Pietrzyk, forward, Corpus Christi IceRays; Wesley Schwartzmiller, forward, Minnesota Wilderness; and Ian Norkevicus, defenseman, Fairbanks Ice Dogs; as well as teammate Colin Ruffner, forward, who signed a NCDC tender with the Mercer Chiefs.
Click here to see a list of NAPHL tenders for the 2022-23 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 November 1st. Tendere
