Pittsburgh, PA - The Esmark Stars AAA Hockey Club of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) are pleased to announce that 18U forward Colin Ruffner has signed a USPHL NCDC (National Collegiate Development Conference) tender agreement with the NCDC's New Jersey-based Mercer Chiefs.

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

The (5'11", 170 lbs.) 17 year-old from Upper St. Clair, PA, has registered 15 points (3 goals, 12 assists), in 8 North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) appearances so far this season, including one power play goal and two power play assists, for Esmark's U18 AAA Midget Major squad.

Overall this season to date, Ruffner, who is a senior at Upper St. Clair High School, has tallied 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists), including two power-play  goals, in 31 games played for Esmark.

During the 2021-22 season, Ruffner registered 23 points (16 goals, 7 assists), including two game-winning goals, in 27 North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) appearances (21 regular season and six Dixon Cup NAPHL Playoff games) in helping lead Esmark's  U16 AAA squad to the NAPHL's Dixon Cup Championship.

"Colin has a great set of hands ... and an elite level of vision and anticipation" said Esmark 18U head coach Dave Kosick. "He not only sees the ice and understands the options at remarkable speed, but his instincts, with or without the puck, in terms of options are fun to watch."

Ruffner becomes the fourth member of the 2022-2023 Esmark 18U AAA team to sign a tender with a Junior A Club for the the 2023-2024 season. He joins teammates Derek Pietrzyk, forward, Corpus Christi IceRays; Wesley Schwartzmiller, forward, Minnesota Wilderness; and defenseman, Ian Norkevicus, Fairbanks Ice Dogs; who all had previously tendered with North American Hockey League (NAHL) clubs

The Chiefs, who play in the NCDC's seven-team South Division along with the Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Jersey Hitmen, P.A.L. Junior Islanders, Rockets Hockey Club, Utica Jr Comets, and the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights, play at the Ice Land Arena in Hamilton, NJ, and are under the direction of Head Coach Rod Broderick.

A tender is a contract, of sorts, a player signs announcing his intentions to play for that particular NCDC team and that NCDC team only. Once a player signs a tender with an NCDC team, his playing rights belong to that team within the NCDC and he may not be recruited by any other NCDC team.