Eagles tender Tonkovich
Soo Eagles have signed a prime prospect from the Pittsburgh area to a North American Hockey League tender for the 2015-2016 season.
Eagles coach-general manager Bruno Bragagnolo has confirmed to HockeyNewsNorth.com that the Soo has tendered Austin Tonkovich, a strapping 6-foot-1, 185 pound, 1997 birth-year left winger.
In 47 games this season with the Pittsburgh Penguins tier 1 elite, major midget team, Tonkovich has 17 goals, 35 assists, 52 points and 54 penalty minutes.
Eagles scouts Tom Farnquist and Doug Bailey have both seen Tonkovich play extensively. Tonkovich is described as a power forward who has Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association ability “written all over him.”
Of note, a teammate of Tonkovich’s is forward Austin Lemieux, who is the son of retired National Hockey League superstar Mario Lemieux, now the principal owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins team that he starred for over so many years.
Like Tonkovich, the younger Lemieux is one of the top scorers for the major midget Penguins.