Springfield, Illinois – While we may have taken a year off due to COVID-19, our coaches are continuing to work hard at assembling the pieces for a championship contender. Today, we are pleased to announce the tender signings of five players: Mason Hoehn, Sam Saccone, Carter Cloutier, Charlie Killian, and James Callahan!
While these player signings have already been announced on our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), we wanted to give these young men a proper Capital City introduction. We start with Mason Hoehn, a forward from Colorado who is currently playing for the Richmond Generals in the USPHL. In 28 games played this season Hoehn has 8 goals, 6 assists, and 23 penalty minutes. Hoehn played previously for Valor Christian High School where he amassed 108 points on 43 goals and 65 assists in 75 games, and sits as the school leader all time in points and assists, third in goals, and second in games played.
Our next spotlight shines down on Sam Saccone, a defenseman from Clarence Center, NY who is currently playing for the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs of the NCDC. Saccone, a right handed shot, has appeared in two games for the Monarchs without a point after playing two games for the Minot Minotauros (NAHL). Saccone grew up playing for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres program, notching at least 14 points in each of the last three seasons. Saccone’s teammates last season included Jacob Zwirecki, a 2020-21 tender signee, and Josh Adimey, who played briefly for the Jr. Blues during the 2017-18 season.
We now turn our attention to Carter Cloutier, a lefty forward from Grand Junction, CO, currently playing for the Colorado Thunderbirds 18U AAA team in the T1EHL. Cloutier has put up at least 15 points in each of his last three seasons, all for the Thunderbirds, including 7 goals and 8 assists in 11 games this season. Cloutier had been set to play for the Wenatchee Wild (BCHL) this season, but due to COVID-19 and the border closure, he elected to play for Colorado.
Looking North we find our next tender signee: defenseman Charlie Killian who is currently playing for the Peoria Mustangs (NA3HL). Killian, a native of Mendota Heights, MN, is a left handed shooting blue liner who has appeared in four games with the Mustangs and has recorded two assists. Killian began the 2020-21 season as part of the New Mexico Ice Wolves (NAHL), where he appeared in seven games without collecting a point. Prior to this season he had played high school hockey for St. Thomas Academy (USHS-MN) and 18U hockey for Blue Army AAA.
Our final spotlight this afternoon is on James Callahan, the most recent signee for the 2021-22 season. Callahan, a native of Minneapolis, MN, is a right handed defenseman who currently secures the blue line for Benilde-St. Margaret’s School (MN) as their Captain, and for Team SIT Financial Services in the UMHSEHL. In 25 combined games, Callahan has 4 goals, 6 assists, and 18 penalty minutes. In four seasons overall at BSM, Callahan has totaled 9 G, 46 A, and 68 PIMs.
Hoehn, Saccone, Cloutier, Killian and Callahan are the ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth players (respectively) to sign a tender for the 2021-22 season. This list includes: Caden Eaton (Fox Motors 18U AAA), Jared Kaplowitz (Nashville Jr. Predators 18U AAA), Carter Schram (Meijer AAA 18U), Mac Gadowsky (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 18U), Nick Sewecke (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 18U), Matthew Smith (CarShield AAA 18U), Coby Weber (CarShield AAA 18U) and Carson Jones (North Iowa Bulls).
We want to congratulate each of these young men for joining an extended Jr. Blues family that includes over 350 NCAA alumni and over 150 professional alumni. We are excited to see what the next few months will bring us, and look forward to seeing all of you on the ice this summer!
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.Tendered players are not eligible for the NAHL draft, which is held each year in the summer.
