North Iowa forward Eha signs NAHL tender
March 19, 2020
The North Iowa Bulls, proud members of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL), are pleased to announce that forward Carter Eha has signed an NAHL tender agreement with the Minnesota Magicians of the NAHL's Midwest Division.
Eha made his junior debut in Manitoba this season, before landing in the NAHL with the Jamestown Rebels at the end of October. After tallying his first junior goal and two assists in five games during the month of November, the Bloomington, Minnesota native headed west at Thanksgiving as Lucas Wahlin moved east on a call-up to the Rebels.
He immediately made an impact for the Bulls, tallying points in six of his first eight games at the Tier III level, including an assist in a win over Alexandria on December 7, in the team's final game at the former North Iowa Ice Arena. Just four weeks later, he helped to christen the team's new Mason City Multipurpose Arena with two goals and two assists in a win over the Breezy Point North Stars.
Eha finished his half-season with the Bulls with 10 goals and 13 assists in just 22 games. Three of his goals in the home stretch of the season were game-winners, and his four game-winning goals for the season tied for the team's top mark.
"Carter came to our team at a time when we really needed to add a physical presence to our lineup," said North Iowa head coach Todd Sanden. "He immediately interjected himself into that physical role and was difficult to play against every night. He opened up time and space for not only himself, but his linemates as well. That extra physicality also led to more offense in our lineup."
Eha is one of five North Iowa Bulls players to sign an NAHL tender this season, with a burst of tender signings at the end of the season. Four Bulls players have signed tenders with NAHL teams in the month of March alone. Almost 50 North Iowa Bulls players have appeared for NAHL teams after suiting up for the Bulls, including eight who have reached the NCAA Division I level.
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 one tender exclusively used on players from the NA3HL - 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 2, 2020.
