Granite City defenseman Esselman signs NAHL tender
April 29, 2016
The Granite City Lumberjacks, proud members of the NA3HL, are pleased to announce that defenseman Casey Esselman has signed an NAHL tender agreement with the Aston Rebels of the NAHL’s East Division.
Esselman, 19, just completed his first season of junior hockey with Granite City in the NA3HL. In 45 regular season games, Esselman (5’11/195) was 4th in team scoring with 32 points (8 goals, 24 assists). The native of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, also led the team with a +45 rating, which was also in the top 10 for all NA3HL defensemen.
Esselan also added two goals in five NA3HL Playoff games. At the conclusion of the season he was named to the NA3HL All-West Division Team.
Esselman was selected to and played in the 2016 NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament in Plymouth, MI for the West Division team. He recorded an assist in three games.
“Casey is an offensive defenseman who is ready to make an impact at the next level. We are proud of him for working hard this past season and earning an opportunity with Aston,” said Lumberjacks head coach Brad Willner.
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 became active on Nov. 1. Tendered players are not eligible for the NAHL draft, which will be held on June 7, 2016.
