Alaska 16U forward Asylaev signs NAHL tender
March 11, 2019
The Alaska Oilers of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) are pleased to announce that 16U foward Nikita Asylaev has signed a North American Hockey League (NAHL) tender agreement with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights of the NAHL’s East Division.
Asylaev, 17, just completed a very good season with the Oilers 16U team. The 6’0/155 lbs. native of Ufa, Russia, was the leading scorer in the NAPHL during the 2018-19 season, recording 37 points (21 goals, 16 assists) in just 17 regular season games.
He added another nine points in four playoff games as the Oilers made it to the Dixon Cup Semi-Finals.
Asylaev won the NAPHL's 16U Offensive Peak Performer Award in both November and January this past season.
“Nikita is one of the most prolific scorers in the NAPHL,” said Knights Director of Scouting and NAHL Assistant Coach, Andrew Whiteside. “He creates a lot of offense for himself as well as his teammates with a mix of speed, strength, and skill. As a staff, we feel that Nikita’s best years of hockey are ahead of him.”
Asylaev becomes the fifth player from the Oilers 16U 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 4, 2019.
