T1ER event in New Jersey moves onto final day
The third event of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) T1ER League continued on Saturday, October 28th with 18 and 16U teams taking to the ice for games for a second day of action. The third event of the 2023-24 T1ER season is taking place this weekend on October 27-29, 2023, at the Middletown Sports Complex in Middletown, NJ.
All games at the October Showcase in New Jersey can be watched exclusively on NATV.
Day 2 Recaps
T1ER 18U: A first period goal sent the Philadelphia Hockey Club past the New Jersey Jr. Titans Elite, 1-0. Nicolas Rockey picked up the lone goal in the game and goalie Lorenzo Rossi shutout the Titans stopping 26 shots. North Shore Academy defeated the NC Golden Bears 7-1. Jarrett Rainey-Gibson netted two goals and an assist, then goaltender Richard Popson Jr stopped 34 shots. The NC Golden Bears topped the Northeast Generals in a 6-4 game. Jake Wilkerson added 3 points in the contest and goalie Lennon Kuehl stopped 36 shots. The Philadelphia Hockey Club edged the North Shore Academy 5-4. Max Findley posted 3 points and goalie Lorenzo Rossi stopped 37 shots. The New Hampshire Mountain Kings defeated the New Jersey Jr. Titans Elite, 8-2. Julien Rogles netted a hat-trick and goalie German Kuzmenko stopped 22 shots. The New Jersey Titans won 5-2 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights 5-2. Goalie Aidan Foley turned away 22 shots in the contest.
T1ER 16U: North Shore Academy defeated the New Jersey Jr. Titans Elite by a score of 4-1. Nolan Beauchain netted a hat-trick and goaltender Chase Alexis stopped 24 shots. The Washington Little Capitals scored a third period goal to take a 3-2 win over the New Hampshire Mountain Kings. Johnnie Kracke scored twice for Washington and goalie Brady Knode turned away 37 shots. The North Shore Academy blanked the Northeast Generals by a score of 9-0. James Lu had a four point game and goaltender Chase Alexis posted a 28 shot shutout win.
Tenders: One of the major benefits of the T1ER League is the fact that all 32 NAHL teams have two tenders that are exclusively used on T1ER players. Each NAHL team is granted 10 tenders, plus or minus any trades, which become active on November 1. However, the two exclusive T1ER tenders have already been released and NAHL teams are eligible to start signing players for the 2024-25 season.
The October weekend marks the second event for the T1ER League and traditionally is the Pre-Tender Distribution Showcase. It represents a prime opportunity for T1ER players to showcase their abilities as this event is strategically timed during release of tenders to NAHL clubs.
What is a tender? 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.
A record number of 75 players who played in the league during the 2022-23 season signed NAHL tenders for the current 2023-24 season.
In the last three years, no other USA Hockey Midget Tier I league has had more players play in the North American Hockey League than the T1ER.
Founded in 2009 and now in its 15th season in 2023-24, the NAPHL T1ER League is the premier training ground for development, exposure, and opportunity. The success of teams on the national stage, as well as the success of T1ER players at the next levels of hockey, is further proof that the T1ER League is redefining exposure and has become the marquee place to play for elite level players, ages 13-18.
