skip navigation

Esmark 16U Defenseman Rapone Signs NAHL Tender

By AK, 04/01/17, 5:00PM EDT

Share

Inks Tender with Johnstown Tomahawks

The Esmark Stars AAA Hockey Club, of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL), are pleased to announce that 16U defenseman William Rapone has signed a North American Hockey League (NAHL) tender agreement with the Johnstown Tomahawks. The Tomahawks compete in the NAHL's East Division.

Rapone, 16, completed his second 16U season with the Esmark program during the 2016-17 season.

The 5’10”/160 lbs. native of Greensburg, PA, led Esmark’s defenseman in team NAPHL scoring this season with 23 points (6 goals, 9 assists in 23 regular season games; and 2 goals, 6 assists in five playoff games), helping the Stars to the NAPHL Playoff Championship … and their first ever Dixon Cup.  He was also named to the 2016-17 All-NAPHL 16U second-team.

Rapone was also selected to and participated in the NAPHL’s 2016-17 16U All-Star game recording an assist for the victorious Team Suter team, in their 6-2 win over Team Dixon.

He led the Stars defenseman in scoring during the overall 2016-17 season, registering 57 points (19 goals and 38 assists), including 10 power play goals and 2 shorthanded goals, in 77 games played.

During the 2015-16 season he recorded 26 points (11 goals and 15 assists) including 2 power play goals and 1 shorthanded goal, in 64 games played.

"Billy is a powerhouse,” said Esmark 16U head coach Yuri Krivokhija.  “His compete level is always on maximum and he has matured into one of the nation’s top 16U defenseman”

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 NAPHL - 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 6, 2017.

The Pittsburgh-based Esmark Stars AAA Hockey Club, and its predecessor programs Pittsburgh Stars and Pittsburgh Viper Stars, are the oldest Tier I (AAA) program in the Mid-Am District (Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania) of USA Hockey and one of the oldest Tier I (AAA) programs in the nation.

For 33 years the Stars program has provided elite amateur ice hockey players the opportunity to be showcased on a local, national and international level.