Building for the Future
Published on March 10, 2014 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Brookings Blizzard News Release
The Brookings Blizzard announced today the signing of four tenders for the 2014-2015 season. Alex Copa, Joey Lau, Aaron Ryback and Ryan Swanson have all signed North American Hockey League tenders with the Brookings Blizzard.
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 - plus or minus any trades - which become active on Nov. 1. Tendered players are not eligible for the NAHL draft. (Source www.nahl.com)
Here is a list of players who have signed tenders with the Blizzard to date: Alex Copa Defense 5'11" 175 lbs. Blaine, MN Blaine High School 22 Points in 26 Games Played with 3 Goals and 19 Assists in 2013-2014 Reed Larson Award Finalist given to the best defensive player in Minnesota "Alex is a smart player with a lot of athletic ability. We were looking for a good stay at home defenseman and he could fill that role well for us. We are excited to bring him and look forward to having him join or organization," Blizzard Head Coach Cory Laylin.
Joey Lau Forward 5' 10" 170 lbs. Blaine, MN Blaine High School 45 Points in 28 Games Played with 12 Goals and 33 Assists in 2013-2014 "Joey is a great skater and his speed is something that really stands out when you watch him play. He is very skilled with the puck and is a smart offensive player. His ability to make plays will be a real asset," Cory Laylin.
Aaron Ryback Forward 6'1" 195 lbs. Winnipeg, MB, Canada Alexandria Blizzard (NA3HL Tender) 44 Points in 46 Games Played with 23 Goals and 21 Assists in 2013-2014 "We saw a lot of good things from Aaron last summer. He was with us at the start of the year but played the majority of the season with our NA3HL affiliate team in Alexandria and we have really seen him develop over the course of the season. He is a point-a-game player with a great right-handed shot. He can put the puck in the net and score, which is something we will need next season," Cory Laylin.
Ryan Swanson Defense 6"2" 180 lbs. Holy Family Catholic High School (Minneapolis, MN) 53 Points in 27 Games Played with 14 Goals and 39 Assists in 2013-2014 Reed Larson Award Finalist given to the best defensive player in Minnesota "Ryan has excellent hockey sense and knows the game. He is an all around player who is defensively responsible but has tremendous offensive upside. He will be sold in front of the net on the defensive end but can also create opportunities on the offensive end and can score from the defensive position," Cory Laylin.
Tendered players will join the Blizzard at camps this summer during off-season workouts and tryout camps. The Blizzard will host three open camps this summer for other players who are interested in playing for the Blizzard during the 2014-2015 season. More information can be found under the tryout page on the Blizzard website.
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