CarShield 18U defenseman Richards signs NAHL tender

The NAPHL’s T1ER League is pleased to announce that CarShield AAA 18U defenseman Austin Richards has signed an NAHL tender agreement for the 2024-25 season with the Odessa Jackalopes of the NAHL’s South Division.

Richards, 18, is in his third season for CarShield AAA in the NAPHL’s T1ER League. The 5’10/170 lbs. native of Amarillo, TX, has appeared in eight T1ER games to date with the CarShield 18U team and recorded three points.

In 30 games overall with CarShield so far this season, Richards has 16 points. He also made his NAHL debut with the Jackalopes earlier during the 2023-24 season, appearing in two games.

During the 2022-23 season, Richards had four points in eight T1ER games and 11 points in 38 games with CarShield overall.

During the 2021-22 season, he played for the CarShield 16U team in the NAPHL.

He is the fourth player from the CarShield AAA 18U team who has signed an NAHL tender so far this season.

Click here to see a list of T1ER tenders for the 2023-24 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 T1ER - plus or minus any trades - which became active on November 1st. Tendered players are not eligible for the 2024 NAHL Draft.