Elite 18U forward Spaulding signs NAHL Tender

The NAPHL’s T1ER League is pleased to announce that Indiana Elite 18U forward Drew Spaulding has signed an NAHL tender agreement for the 2024-25 season with the El Paso Rhinos of the NAHL’s South Division.

Spaulding,19, has been within the NAHL family dating back to the 2020-2021 season where the Knoxville, TN native began playing for the Elite at the 15U level and would remain playing within the organization for the next four seasons.  

In total, Spaulding suited up for 68 NAPHL games, tallying 40 points (23 goals, 17 assists) at the 15U, 16U and 18U levels, including an appearance for 5 Dixon Cup playoff games. 

This season with the T1ER 18U team, the 6’2” forward recorded 7 points (5 goals, 2 assists) in 12 games, scoring 2 powerplay goals, 1 shorthanded goal and 1 game winning goal in addition to appearing in 4 Dixon Cup playoff games.  

Spaulding is the first skater from the Indiana Elite 18U team who has signed a NAHL tender agreement for the upcoming season. 

Click here to see a list of T1ER tenders for the 2023-24 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 T1ER - plus or minus any trades - which became active on November 1st. Tendered players are not eligible for the 2024 NAHL Draft.