Indiana Elite 16U defenseman Rutz signs NAHL Tender

The NAPHL’s T1ER League is pleased to announce that Indiana Elite’s 16U defenseman Charlie Rutz has signed a NAHL tender agreement for the 2025-26 season with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the NAHL’s Midwest Division.

Rutz, 16, recently wrapped up his second year in the T1ER League with Indiana Elite at the 16U level. Throughout two seasons, the Indianapolis, IN blueliner appeared in 30 games, registering 19 points (5 goals, 14 assists). 

He recorded multiple points in a game on two separate occasions, highlighted by a standout three-point performance on September 28th against the Orange County Ice Dogs. In that game, he scored twice,including a power-play goal, and added an assist to cap off an impressive showing.

As the top scoring defense for his squad, Rutz was selected to represent his team at the 2025 Top Prospects Tournament in St. Louis, MO. 

Rutz is one of two skaters from Indiana’s 16U team who has signed an NAHL tender agreement for the upcoming season. 

Click here to see a list of T1ER tenders for the 2024-25 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 2025 NAHL Draft.