USHL Tenders: Who signed Tender Agreements from 2012-2017 and the results that followed

This research was originally published on April 19, 2018

Following the NTDP Evaluation Camp, many top prospects in the U.S. and Canada will be offered tenders to USHL clubs. With the draft only a few weeks out, more and more players signing tenders, including Alex Gaffney, Ruben Rafkin, Colby Ambrosio, Chase Bradley and Wyatt Schingoethe signing with Waterloo.

A tender is a binding contract between a player and USHL organization, where the team gives up a first-round pick for rights to that player. By signing a tender, a player can sign with the team before the draft and earn a roster spot and certain percentage of games for the following season. Without signing a tender, there is no guarantee a drafted player will be in the lineup the following season.

Last year Robert Mastrosimone tendered with the Chicago Steel and was put right in the lineup at the beginning of the season. But Grant Silianoff, the first overall pick in Phase I of the USHL Draft, only played a few games with Cedar Rapids.

A team may want to use a tender on players who can help their organization but could be possibly drafted earlier by a different team. For players, it takes away the uncertainty of where they will be drafted and gives them more power in the decision-making process.

In 2016, Jaxon Nelson tendered with Sioux Falls because it was close to home. If he hadn’t tendered and had been drafted by a different team, he may not have gone to the USHL at all. But with tenders, teams are gambling on whether players are ready and willing to play in the USHL the next season.

Some people measure the success of a tender based on if that player made the NHL or how many points the player scored. We looked at the short-term success in the USHL and long-term success following the USHL.

There have been 48 Tenders since the league decided to adopt this rule in 2012. Below is a list of each player who was tendered, the team that tendered them and corresponding statistics and information.

Tenders First Year in the League 2012-2017

Name		Year		Team			GP		Goals	Points	Plus/Minus
Robert Mastrosimone		2017		Chicago			60		16	45	2
Trevor Kuntar		2017		Youngstown			43		2	4	-8
Emilio Petterson		2016		Omaha			57		10	27	-32
Curtis Hall		2016		Youngstown			59		7	21	7
Jaxon Nelson		2016		Sioux Falls			54		7	18	-13
Christian Krygier		2016		Lincoln			50		2	5	9
Calen Kiefiuk		2016		Bloomington			52		4	11	-4
TJ Walsh		2016		Cedar Rapids			47		8	16	-21
Sampo Ranta		2016		Sioux City – 2			30		6	9	-2
Jack Randl		2016		Omaha-2			59		9	19	-19
Andrei Svechnikov		2016		Muskegon-2			49		29	58	29
Max Ellis		2016		Youngstown-2			49		5	16	5
Baron Thompson		2015		Dubuque			26		2	4	2
Joey Keane		2015		Dubuque			55		2	11	12
Liam Walsh		2015		Cedar Rapids			13		2	3	1
Graham Lillibridge		2015		Muskegon			47		1	12	0
Brandon McManus		2015		Omaha			58		17	39	-11
Eeli Tolvanen		2015		Sioux City			49		17	38	-14
Mikey Anderson		2015		Waterloo			57		1	16	6
Jacob Tortora*		2015		Youngstown*			*NTDP
Hugh McGing		2014		Cedar Rapids			54		11	19	-4
Derek Daschke		2014		Cedar Rapids -2			55		3	12	9
William Knierim		2014		Dubuque			60		12	28	-6
Mitch Elliot		2014		Muskegon			58		0	4	1
Hank Crone		2014		Omaha			54		2	11	-6
Sam Rossini		2014		Waterloo			44		1	5	-4
Ty Farmer		2014		Youngstown			39		0	5	2
Cameron Askew		2013		Indiana			*QMJH
Chaz Switzer		2013		Muskegon			23		0	1	0
Tory Dello		2013		Tri City			46		2	7	-6
Christian Cakebread		2013		Fargo			44		8	15	-33
Ivan Provorov		2013		Cedar Rapids			56		6	19	-6
Jake Henderson		2013		Omaha			57		7	20	-7
Brent Gates Jr		2013		Green Bay			50		11	15	5
Aaron O’Neil		2013		Green Bay-2			32		1	2	-2
Dennis Smirnov		2013		Indiana-2			47		15	41	20
Paul O’Connor		2012		Cedar Rapids			37		0	4	-3
Chris Birdsall		2012		Cedar Rapids -2
Keegan Ford		2012		Dubuque			43		4	16	19
Seamus Malone		2012		Dubuque			50		6	27	12
Butrus Ghafari		2012		Fargo			48		1	7	14
Brendan Lemieux		2012		Green Bay			11		1	2	-2
Jake Linhart		2012		Green Bay-2			58		1	7	-1
Joshua Jacobs		2012		Indiana			48		2	15	-5
Ryan Tait		2012		Omaha			56		3	18	-7
Ryan Mantha		2012		Sioux City			52		1	7	15
Kyle Connor		2012		Youngstown			62		17	41	-17
JJ Piccinich		2012		Youngstown-2			63		3	15	-14

Averages                 48             6               16                  -2         

 

USHL Tenders Second Year in the League 2012-2017

Name	Year	Team		GP	Goals	Points	(+/-)
Robert Mastrosimone	2017	Chicago	*DNQ
Trevor Kuntar	2017	Youngstown	*DNQ
Emilio Petterson	2016	Omaha		60	14	46	4
Curtis Hall	2016	Youngstown		54	13	31	-4
Jaxon Nelson	2016	Sioux Falls		58	8	17	-2
Christian Krygier	2016	Lincoln		48	0	8	10
Calen Kiefiuk	2016	Bloomington		60	18	46	-21
TJ Walsh	2016	Cedar Rapids		32	2	8	-11
Sampo Ranta	2016	Sioux City – 2		53	23	37	-14
Jack Randl	2016	Omaha-2		49	20	32	11
Andrei Svechnikov	2016	Muskegon-2	*Went OHL
Max Ellis	2016	Youngstown-2		58	17	38	-4
Baron Thompson	2015	Dubuque	*Went WHL
Joey Keane	2015	Dubuque	*Went OHL
Liam Walsh	2015	Cedar Rapids		48	4	6	-7
Graham Lillibridge	2015	Muskegon		59	4	28	15
Brandon McManus	2015	Omaha		53	18	39	6
Eeli Tolvanen	2015	Sioux City		52	30	54	18
Mikey Anderson	2015	Waterloo		54	5	34	29
Jacob Tortora*	2015	Youngstown*	*NTDP
Hugh McGing	2014	Cedar Rapids		60	23	51	32
Derek Daschke	2014	Cedar Rapids -2		60	2	13	-12
William Knierim	2014	Dubuque		53	14	27	-2
Mitch Elliot	2014	Muskegon		55	5	13	-7
Hank Crone	2014	Omaha		62	17	41	-5
Sam Rossini	2014	Waterloo		46	2	8	1
Ty Farmer	2014	Youngstown		19	3	6	2
Cameron Askew	2013	Indiana	*QMJHL
Chaz Switzer	2013	Muskegon		50	0	4	-2
Tory Dello	2013	Tri City		53	2	17	9
Christian Cakebread	2013	Fargo		46	3	4	-12
Ivan Provorov	2013	Cedar Rapids	*Went WHL
Jake Henderson	2013	Omaha	* Went OHL
Brent Gates Jr	2013	Green Bay		33	10	27	-9
Aaron O’Neil	2013	Green Bay-2		41	1	2	-17
Dennis Smirnov	2013	Indiana-2		53	18	40	-4
Paul O’Connor	2012	Cedar Rapids	*NAHL-Minot St
Chris Birdsall	2012	Cedar Rapids -2
Keegan Ford	2012	Dubuque		60	1	17	-13
Seamus Malone	2012	Dubuque		55	23	46	10
Butrus Ghafari	2012	Fargo		41	1	6	-5
Brendan Lemieux	2012	Green Bay	*Went OHL (in rookie season)
Jake Linhart	2012	Green Bay-2		58	2	20	7
Joshua Jacobs	2012	Indiana		56	5	23	36
Ryan Tait	2012	Omaha		59	16	29	9
Ryan Mantha	2012	Sioux City		53	3	15	11
Kyle Connor	2012	Youngstown		56	31	74	-15
JJ Piccinich	2012	Youngstown-2		60	27	58	-12
			Averages:	52	10	27	1

Based on this chart, we can see that three tendered players (Kyle Connor, Ivan Provorov, Eeli Tolvanen) have played in the NHL. All but two have played in the CHL or Division I college hockey. Two players never played in the USHL, only one goaltender has been tendered and only one player has averaged a point per game or more in their rookie season.

Some players have had great success, some have had mediocre and some have struggled in their rookie years. But players have shown considerable improvement in their second years, at times almost doubling their rookie-season point totals.

Of the 48 players who were tendered, only 12 played a third season in the league. So 25 percent of players play one season or less, 50 percent play two seasons and 25 percent play three seasons or more. This means teams will most likely tender players who will play two seasons or less, and that players will not have an extreme impact in their rookie campaigns.

When players tender with teams, they indicate they are choosing the USHL over their high school, prep or midget teams. Most players will see limited ice time in their first year. While in the USHL players may sacrifice playing time, they will be able to work out, practice and play with some of the top prospects in the country.

While some may say it’s important for players to tender and complete their rookie year so they hit their stride in draft year, thinking about the draft year is short-sighted.

Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images