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Esmark U18 Forward Signs NAHL Tender

By DLG, 11/21/22, 10:00PM EST

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Schwarzmiller Signs with Minnesota Wilderness

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

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

The (6'1", 170 lbs.) 17 year-old from Pittsburgh, PA, is currently the second leading scorer in NAPHL play and has registered 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists), in 8 North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) appearances so far this season, including one power play goal and one game winning goal for Esmark's U18 AAA Midget Major squad.

Overall this season to date, Schwarzmiller, a senior at South Fayette High School, has tallied 53 points (22 goals, 31 assists), including three power play and one shorthanded goal, in 31 games played for Esmark.

During the 2021-22 season, Schwarzmiller registered 29 points (14 goals, 19 assists), including four game-winning goals, one power play goal and two shorthanded goals in 30 North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) appearances (24 regular season and six Dixon Cup NAPHL Playoff games) in helping lead Esmark's  U16 AAA squad to the NAPHL Dixon Cup Championship.

Overall during the 2021-22 season, Schwarzmiller, tied for the scoring lead for Esmark's Midget Minor team as he tallied 58 points (32 goals, 26 assists), including nine power-play and two shorthanded goals, in 67 games played.

"Wes is an extremely bright young man who is gifted with elite level hockey skill" said Esmark 18U head coach Dave Kosick. "He has good size and strength and he matches that with a very cerebral approach to the game."

Schwarzmiller becomes the second member of the 2022-2023 Esmark 18U AAA team to sign a tender with a NAHL Junior A club, joining teammate Derek Pietrzyk, forward, who tendered with the Corpus Christi IceRays.

The Wilderness, who play in the NAHL's eight-team Midwest Division along with the Anchorage (AK) Wolverines, Chippewa (WI) Steel, Fairbanks (AK) Ice Dogs, Janesville (WI) Jets, Kenai River (AK) Brown Bears, Springfield (MO) Jr Blues, and the Wisconsin Windigo, play in the Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet, MN, and are coached by Head Coach / General Manager David Boitz.

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.