SHREVEPORT – The Shreveport Mudbugs, proud members of the North American League are pleased to announce the signing of forward Bennett Norlin to a tender contract for the 2017-2018 season. Norlin becomes the fifth player signed by the Mudbugs for next season. He hails from the prestigious Shattuck St. Mary’s hockey program.
“Bennett is a guy we’ve had our eye on all season,” Director of Scouting Mike Grattan said. “He is a strong, very good sized, hard-skating power forward plays a drive game. At the same time, Bennett also possesses very good hands and a skill set that makes him even more effective off the rush and in tight spaces. We were able to evaluate Bennett at various points during the season, in a variety of different venues and game settings. We like the consistency of the evaluations and believe we have a good feel for the type of game he plays.”
The Apple Valley, MN native is currently in his first season on Shattuck’s Prep level team. Last season, Norlin tallied 33 goals and 22 assists as a member of Shattuck’s U18 ‘AAA’ team. Before that, the 6’2, 190 pound forward checked in at just under a half point per game on Shattuck’s U16 ‘AAA’ squad. He has spent the last four seasons dawning the Shattuck colors, joining the likes of NHL superstars like Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews, both of whom honed their skills with the Shattuck program.
Associate Head Coach Francis Anzalone believes Norlin checks all the key boxes, and called this signing, the ultimate “process tender.”
“We have a process we go through any time we offer out a tender,” Anzalone said. “What really impressed us is how thorough Bennett was with his process. He was extremely diligent and asked us the tough questions we want to hear from players- questions about our culture, playing style and vision for the program. We feel very confident Bennett is our kind of guy.”
Norlin joins a handful of midget and prep level prospects who have joined the Mudbugs’ fold for next season. To learn more about the players tendered by- the Bugs for the 17-18 season, click here.