Pittsburgh, PA - The Esmark Stars AAA Hockey Club of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) are pleased to announce that 18U forward Derek Pietrzyk has signed a NAHL (North American Hockey League) tender agreement with the NAHL's Corpus Christi IceRays.

The 2022-23 season is Pietrzkys' fourth season with Esmark's AAA Hockey program and second season with the Star's U18 squad.

The (6'0", 181 lbs.) 18 year-old from Pittsburgh, PA, has registered 8 points (5 goals, 3 assists), in 8 North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) appearances so far this season, including one game winning goal for Esmark's U18 AAA Midget Major squad.

Overall this season to date, Pietrzyk has tallied 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists), including one power play and one shorthanded goal, in 29 games played for Esmark.

During the 2021-22 season, Pietrzyk registered 7 points (4 goals, 3 assists), including one game-winning goal, in 25 North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) appearances (20 regular season and five Dixon Cup NAPHL Playoff games) for Esmark's U18 AAA squad.

Overall during the 2021-22 season, Pietrzyk tallied 17 points (10 goals, 7 assists), including two power-play goals, in 47 games played for Esmark in an injury shorten season.

Pietrzyk skated for Esmark's U16 team during the 2020-21 season and their U15 team during the 2019-20 season.

"Derek has the build, size and strength to be a successful power forward in the junior world" said Esmark 18U head coach Dave Kosick. "He is a big strong kid who thrives in the tough areas of the game.  And as his overall game continues to develop and evolve his future is bright, as he has all the tools of today's elite power forwards."

Pietrzyk becomes the first member of the 2022-2023 Esmark 18U AAA team to sign a tender with a Junior A club. 

The IceRays, who play in the NAHL's eight-team South Division along with the Amarillo (TX) Wranglers, El Paso (TX) Rhinos, Lone Star (TX) Brahmas, New Mexico Ice Wolves, Odessa (TX) Jackalopes, Oklahoma Warriors and Shreveport (LA) Mudbugs, play in the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi and are coached by Sylvain Clouthier.

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 November 1st. Tendered players are not eligible for the 2023 NAHL Draft.