With the mid-way point of the 2017-18 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite season approaching, members of the U18 Elite team are wasting no time preparing for life after the program.

In early November, 18U defensemen Hunter Mueller signed a tender with the Coulee Region Chill in the NAHL. The first year Penguins Elite defender is having a strong start to the season, leading Elite defensemen in scoring with 5 goals and 11 assists through the first twenty-six games of the season. The Coulee Region Chill currently sit sixth in the Midwest Division in the NAHL.

Forward Matt Weber capped a strong start to the season by signing a tender with the Shreveport Mudbugs in the NAHL. Through the first 28 games of the season, Weber currently leads the team in scoring with 10 goals and 21 assists, with a +20 plus/minus. Weber looks to join a Mudbugs team that currently sits 1st in the NAHL with 42 points.

Tyler Love also signed committed in early December, signing a tender with the Corpus Christi Ice Rays in the NAHL. The shutdown defenseman, has one goal and ten assists, and a +19 rating, through the first 28 games of the season. The Ice Rays sit fifth in the South Division of the NAHL.

Part of the 2015-16 National Championship winning U18 team, goaltender Chad Veltri, now with the Corpus Christi Ice Rays, recently committed to Division 1 Niagara University. The Fox Chapel native currently owns a 10-6-0 record with a 2.14 GAA and 0.934 SV%, good for third among rookie goaltenders in the NAHL.

The 18U Elite take a 19-7-2 record into the holiday season with a 14-4-2 record in Tier 1 Elite league play. The Penguins look to push into the new year as they eye a birth in the USA Hockey National Championship.