Brandon Duhaime of the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy midget U18 team has signed a tender agreement with the North American Hockey Leagues (NAHL) Keystone Ice Miners in Connellsville, Pennsylvania.
Duhaime, 17, played the last three seasons at POE. This season he accumulated 25 points in 25 games, scoring 9 goals and 16 assists in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League’s (CSSHL) Prep Division. The Kelowna native matched that exact same output in 24 games in the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL). Duhaime completed the season with 50 points in 49 regular season games in both leagues. “Our goal as an Academy when we joined the NAPHL was to give our players the most exposure we could,” explains Ryan Wade, head coach of the POE U-18 team. “This is a great opportunity for Brandon and it proves that the model works of playing in the NAPHL and moving up to the NAHL.”
In the three years POE has been apart of the NAPHL, the 5-11 and 160-pound skilled forward is the second POE player to sign an NAHL tender, following Fabio Arnold (Aberdeen Wings 2011-12).
Two POE alumni currently play in the NAHL, Josh Bowes (2009-2012) with the Johnstown Tomahawks and Chris Koukis (2009-2012) with the Wenatchee Wild. Duhaime will look to become the third player in the fall.
