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C.R. RoughRiders signed Canadian center to tender
15-year-old Thomas Vandenberg counts as clubs first-round pick in upcoming USHL Draft, Phase I
Jeff Johnson
Apr. 10, 2024 12:38 pm
CEDAR RAPIDS - The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders announced Wednesday they have signed center Thomas Vandenberg to a United States Hockey League tender agreement.
Vandenberg, 15, is 5-foot-11 and 161 pounds and hails from Nepean, Ontario. He counts as the Riders’ first-round pick in the upcoming 2024 USHL Draft, Phase I.
"Our scouting staff did a great job identifying Thomas,” said Mark Carlson, Cedar Rapids Head Coach and General Manager. “He is a very talented, responsible, hard-working hockey player that displays leadership ability on and off the ice. His hockey sense, vision, skating and work ethic impact the game. He’s a competitive, character guy that plays with physicality and plays hard in all three zones."
Vandenberg played most of this season with the Myers Automotive 16U AAA team in Ottawa, Ontario this season. The RoughRiders have apparently lured him away from major junior country in Canada.
"The entire RoughRider organization is very excited to work with Thomas on his development as a hockey player and as a person,“ Carlson said. ”We welcome Thomas and the Vandenberg family to The Stable and Ridertown USA.“
"I'm thrilled that Mark and the Cedar Rapids organization have chosen me to be a RoughRider,” said Vandenberg. “I'm very excited to get to work and start the next chapter of my hockey journey in the USHL."
The USHL tender process allows teams to sign as many as two players with a 2008 birthdate. Tendered players must be on their teams’ roster the entire 2024-25 season and play in at least 55 percent of its games.
Phase I of the 2024 league draft is May 6, Phase II is May 7.
Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com