Bobcats Tender, Add Chicago’s Shively
BISMARCK, ND – The Bismarck Bobcats are pleased to announce that the team has signed defenseman John Shively to a tender agreement for the 2017-18 season.
Shively, a West Dundee, Ill., native, has three goals and 19 assists for the Chicago Mission U18 of the High Performance Hockey League in 2016-17.
“John is a player we’ve been following throughout his AAA career and we’re pleased to see what a big year he’s been having for the Mission,” noted Bobcats assistant coach and director of player personnel Garrett Roth. “He’s a defenseman who skates well and moves the puck well; we think he is a great fit for our team going forward.”
For Shively, a 1998 birthyear with two years of junior eligibility remaining after the 2016-17 campaign, his interaction with the Bobcat staff is what convinced him to sign a tender—a pre-draft agreement that places a player directly onto a team’s 30-man protected list for the next season.
“Coach Roth gave me a call and gave me some insight on how my skill set would help the team and how the team will help me advance my career,” stated Shively. “I appreciated how the staff viewed me as a player, which made it an easy decision to sign with the Bobcats.”
Thanks to a new rule instituted for the 2016-17 season that allows each team to add two tendered players to its full-time current roster on February 10, Shively will be joining the Cats at the conclusion of the Mission’s campaign.
“I’m very excited to jump right into junior hockey once our season ends with the Mission,” added Shively. “My expectation is that the level of play will be much higher, meaning I will need to make quicker decisions with the puck. It’s a challenge I’m looking forward to.”
The Bobcats, meanwhile, will host the Minnesota Wilderness and Brookings Blizzard for a two-game home weekend, starting Friday with Minnesota.
Tickets are now on sale for both home contests: fans can buy and print tickets online 24 hours a day at BismarckBobcats.com or charge by phone during regular business hours at 222-3300.
Friday’s home tilt will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270 AM, and worldwide on HockeyTV.com–the web television partner of the North American Hockey League–with pregame coverage starting at 6:50pm.
Pro-rated season tickets are now on sale for the Bobcats’ landmark platinum anniversary campaign fans can get more information or reserve their seats for all of Season Twenty now by calling 222-3300.