Pictured: Jason Koehn, playing in a game for the Bruins at the 2015 NAHL Showcase in Blaine, MN
AUSTIN, MN – Head Coach/General Manager Kyle Grabowski announced on Thursday that the Bruins have signed four players to tender agreements for the 2016-17 season. Forwards Jason Koehn, Jon Richards, Liam Thrawl, and Luke Notermann have all agreed to join the Bruins organization.
Bruins fans are already familiar with Jason Koehn (Grand Rapids, MN), who appeared in 9 games for Austin this season as an affiliate player. Koehn has since returned to Grand Rapids High School for his senior year where he has netted 2 goals and an assist in 8 games.
“Koehn is a power forward type we really like,” Grabowski said. “We think he’s a young kid who’s going to be a real good two way center and he has a good skill set to go with it. He’s a kid who can probably be here for two or three years and be a dominant player by the time he finishes.”
Jon Richards (Detroit Lakes, MN), is currently a junior at Detroit Lakes High where he leads the Lakers in points with 15 (11 goals, 4 assists) through 7 games. Richards finished the 2014-15 season with 67 points (32 goals, 35 assists) in 25 games, good for top 10 in the state.
"Jon is a smart hockey player and he scores a ton of points,” Grabowksi said. “He’s a guy we’re hoping comes in and fills a top six role on the wing or down the middle and puts some pucks in the net for us.”
Liam Thrawl (Chicago, IL) has played for the HPHL’s Team Illinois program since 2013, suiting up in 53 games at the U16 level and a total of 15 for the U18s, including 12 this season – in which he has 4 goals and 5 assists. He appeared in one game for the Janesville Jets this season.
Grabowksi describes Thrawl as "more of a skilled center who plays 200 feet."
“He’s not a big kid but he skates well and I think he plays bigger than his size," he said. "We’ll have to grow his game offensively when he gets to this level but a good kid who works super hard and we think he fits in with what we’re trying to do here.”
Luke Notermann (Blaine, MN) is a senior at Blaine High School, where he has been a consistent point producer in both the regular season and playoffs over the past two seasons. Notermann had a team leading 51 points last season, doubling up his mark from the prior campaign. He leads the Bengals in points so far this season, with 8 goals and 15 assists in 23 games. Perhaps most impressive, however, are Notermann’s playoff numbers – 14 points in 11 career postseason games.
“Luke is a kid we’re really excited about,” Grabowski said. “He’s been a dominant player in the Elite League in the fall. He’s another guy like Richards who we’d expect to come in and play in the top half of our lineup offensively and put some pucks in the net.” Notermann was in Bruins camp this past summer and was chosen in the 2015 USHL draft by Sioux Falls.
NAHL tender agreements ensure that a player’s playing rights within the league belong only to the team with which that player signs. Each team is granted 10 tenders.
