Granite City forward Walters signs NAHL tender

Hayden Walters began the 2021-22 season playing the NAHL for the Minnesota Wilderness.

The Granite City Lumberjacks of the NA3HL are pleased to announce that forward Hayden Walters has signed a North American Hockey League (NAHL) tender agreement with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the NAHL’s Midwest Division.

Walters, 18, is in his first season of playing junior hockey, which has been spent in the NAHL and NA3HL this season. The 6’0/165 lbs. native of Sartell, MN, bean the season in the NAHL with the Minnesota Wilderness, appearing in 16 games.

In January, Walters joined the Lumberjacks and has appeared in three games to date putting up 2 goals and 3 assists for five points.

He also played in the 2021 NAHL Prospects Challenge.

Associate Head Coach DJ Vold had this to say about Walters. “We were really excited to get Hayden from the Wilderness. He’s the type of player who can make a huge impact when he has the puck on his stick. The Ice Dogs were really excited to get the opportunity to sign Hayden after watching him on film. He deserves this chance in the NAHL again.”

Walters is the third player from the Lumberjacks roster this season who has signed an NAHL tender.

Click here to see a list of NA3HL tenders for the 2021-22 season

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 NA3HL - plus or minus any trades - which became active on November 1st. Tendered players are not eligible for the 2022 NAHL Draft.