The Madison Capitols announced on Tuesday that they have signed Stephen Cover to a USHL tender agreement for the 2025-26 season.
Cover is a 2009-born, right shot forward hailing from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He just finished his season playing with Mount St. Charles Academy's 15O AAA team that won the 2025 USA Hockey National Championship on Sunday at the home of the Capitols, Bob Suter's LEGACY20 Arena.
"I am very excited to join the Capitols organization and have the opportunity to develop both on and off the ice,” Cover said following the announcement. “I chose the Capitols because of the friendly coaching staff and the constant ability to develop and work on your game."
Cover led the 15O nationals in points this year with 15 as well as having 16 points to lead the way at 14U last season. Coming in at just under six foot tall, Cover models his game after Joe Pavelski and had a chance to meet the former Dallas Stars forward on Sunday after winning the championship with the Jr. Mounties.
Capitols head coach and general manager Andy Brandt called Cover "an extremely intelligent hockey player" with the ability to anticipate plays and get to scoring areas.
“We’ve been watching Stephen over the past two years, and it's been impressive to see what he's done with his development,” Brandt said in a statement. “He's a player that rises in big moments, as he's now led the National Tournament in scoring at his age group in back-to-back years. Our staff is excited to have the opportunity to work with Stephen over the next couple of years."
The forward becomes just the third tender in Capitols franchise history. The team tendered Will Felicio, also out of Mount St. Charles, in March of 2022 and Jet Kwajah in March of 2024.
According to Capitols director of scouting Justin Friedman, Cover is a complete player with extremely high intelligence who sees the ice well and is a pure finisher.
"Stephen is a kid that we got to know a bit last year,” Friedman said. “I had a chance to get out and start to look at the landscape of the 2009 birth year level, and he was a player who caught our eye early. He was the leading scorer at (USA Hockey 14U Nationals) last year, and attended one of our camps and did extremely well.”
As the Capitols focus on the upcoming Clark Cup Playoffs, Cover becomes the first player to lock in his spot on the roster for the 2025-26 season. With the tender, the Capitols will replace their first-round pick in the 2025 USHL Phase I Draft with Cover. Madison may still tender one more player as the team still holds their second-round selection for the Phase I Draft.