The Norfolk Admirals announced they signed Sacred Heart University graduate student Braeden Tuck for the 2024-25 ECHL season. Tuck dawned the “C” his final three seasons at Sacred Heart and was named the NCAA (AHA) Individual Sportsmanship Award winner for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons for the incredible sportsmanship he showed throughout his college career. In his five-year tenure at the University, Tuck amassed 157 games played, tallying 34 goals and 74 assists with a +14 goal differential. Along with his sportsmanship awards, Tuck was named to the NCAA (AHA) All-Rookie Team and NCAA (AHA) Rookie of the Year for the 2019-20 season. The Osoyoos, British Columbia native was named to the NCAA (AHA) Second All-Conference Team in the 2020-21 season and NCAA (AHA) Third All-Conference Team for the 2021-22 season.
Tuck’s journey to professional hockey took him through the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) with his hometown Osoyoos Coyotes. He played 50 games in the 2015-16 regular season with the Coyotes, putting up an incredible 28 goals and 33 assists. Through 10 playoff games, Tuck tallied two goals and eight assists. During that season, Tuck was called up to the West Kelowna Warriors in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). He played one game but did not notch a point. At the end of the season, Tuck was named 2015-16 KIJHL Rookie of the Year for the Okanagan Division.
Following his one year in the KIJHL, Tuck went on to play three seasons in the BCHL with the Trail Smoke Eaters, being named captain in his final season with the club. He played 164 regular season games with the Eaters, notching 39 goals and 69 assists. The Eaters made the playoffs all three seasons Tuck was with the club. He played 38 games, tallying 11 goals and 16 assists.
Entering his first year of pro hockey, Tuck will look to play a simple game to get the ball rolling for him. As Admirals’ Jeff Carr stated, they will be looking for Tuck to “be a pivotal rookie” for the team. Things will not come easy for the 26-year-old, but Carr expects the net-front and wall battles to start shining for him toward the middle of the season.
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