Eugene, OR - The Eugene Generals signed Arvada, CO native Tyler Poulsen to a tender for the 08/09 hockey season. Poulsen, a 5-5 115 lb. 15 year old forward, played for the Colorado Bantam AAA Thunderbirds last season, where he was the second leading scorer on the team with 43 points in 55 games with the Thunderbirds

"Tyler represents a long term investment in youth," Generals Head Coach Jay Miller stated. "Tyler is a great kid with substantial skill. While initially he probably won't be a lamp lighter, he will definitely turn some heads. In the long run, with our commitment to taking a young player like Tyler and developing his skill and giving him the exposure needed, in time, we expect him to be an impact player and eventually move on to a higher level."

Poulsen was the Generals third tender this season from Colorado. He will join fellow Colorado natives, forward AJ Flores and defenseman Blake Bishop, who played for the Pikes Peak U18 AAA major team and Arapahoe Ice Warriors respectively.

"Finding youth isn't an accident this year," Generals GM Flint Doungchak commented. "We're looking to find a good mix of hard working young athletes and combine them with the proven experienced talent we have. As success isn't just about finding talent, it's about developing it, we're working to find young individuals committed to the pursuit of excellence. Tyler represents what we're looking for. I think we're a good club, but we can be better, a lot better. Great youth will help."

"Tendering with the Generals seemed like the next step in my hockey career," Poulsen said. "Being able to play Junior A hockey at 15 is an amazing opportunity for me. The Generals seem like a great organization where the coaching staff can help me improve and develop my skill. I'm going to work extremely hard to prove that I can play at this level even though I'm so young, and I will help my team in any way possible to win the cup this season."