Granite City forward Kothenbeutel signs NAHL tender
March 21, 2014
The Granite City Lumberjacks of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) are pleased to announce that forward Travis Kothenbeutel has signed an NAHL tender agreement with the Aberdeen Wings. The Wings play in the NAHL’s Central Division.
The 17-year-old native of Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, is in his first season of junior hockey and the NA3HL. Kothenbeutel (5’9/155) began the season with the Lumberjacks and played with the team until early November. He then went to play high school hockey for Sauk Rapids-Rice before returning to the Lumberjacks line-up in February after the high school season was over.
Kothenbeutel's uncle is Rock Johnstone, the Lumberjacks' president and director of operations. The team's coach, Brad Willner, and owner, John Hall, are longtime family friends. That made the transition easier for Kothenbeutel, who took online classes to make up for two hours of class time missed for morning practice.
"Nothing's been given to Travis and he's earned everything along the way," Willner said. "If he didn't earn his spot on our team, he wouldn't be on our team. He brings energy. He just goes all of the time and works, works, works. When he gets knocked down, he just gets back up and keeps on going."
In 24 games played in the NA3HL with the Lumberjacks during the regular season, Kothenbeutel has 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists). He also scored a goal in Granite City’s West Semi-Final series with over Alexandria.
Kothenbeutel is the second player from this year’s Granite City squad to sign an NAHL tender, joining teammate Christian Mohs (Minot Minotauros) and 11th NA3HL player overall.
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 one tender exclusively used on players from the NA3HL - plus or minus any trades - which become active on Nov. 1. Tendered players are not eligible for the NAHL draft, which will be held on June 3, 2014.