Howlings

BISON INK GOALTENDER JAKE BARCZEWSKI  By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison Bloomington, IL  - Bloomington Bison Head Coach Phillip Barski announced today that the team has signed goaltender Jake Barczewski to an ECHL standard player contract.   Barczewski, 26, appeared in 40 games with the Utah Grizzles last season, posting a 16-15-3 record with a .902 save percentage and a 3.49 goals against average. The O’Fallon, Missouri native completed his collegiate career in 2023-24 with the University of Michigan, where he totaled a 20-14-3 record with a .907 save percentage, a 2.84 goals against average, and two shutouts in 37 games. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound netminder played four seasons at Canisius College from 2019-2023, amassing a record of 44-42-8 with six shutouts in 100 games. In his final season with Canisius College, Barczewski was named to the NCAA (AHA) All-Tournament Team and Tournament MVP while claiming the AHA Conference Championship. In addition, he was named to the 2021-22 NCAA (AH...

JAKE MURRAY SIGNS WITH SWAMP RABBITS FOR 2025-26 Defenseman comes to the Upstate after a career year with Bloomington last season. By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits (GREENVILLE, S.C.) –  The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and AHL’s Ontario Reign, announced today via a Swamp Rabbit Moving Transaction that defenseman Jake Murray has signed with the team for the 2025-26 ECHL Season. Murray, the 14th player announced and fifth newcomer, joins Dustin Geregach, Tristan De Jong, Jordan Power, Jacob Modry, and Josh Atkinson on the back-end, and Austin Saint, Brent Pedersen, Liam Finlay, Ryan O’Reilly, Ryan O’Hara, Ben Poisson, and Jack Brackett up front. The Swamp Rabbits acquired Murray’s rights at the end of the 2024-25 ECHL Season to complete a future considerations trade with the Bloomington Bison. The 6’3”, 216-pound blueliner put in a solid sophomore campaign with the Bison: he played all 72 games, notching five goals and 34 points,...

Pre-season game on October 11th in Johnstown, PA, celebrates the diamond anniversary of the historic arena. By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits (JOHNSTOWN, Pa.) —   1ST SUMMIT ARENA @ Cambria County War Memorial’s 75th anniversary celebration will kick off this October with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits ushering in the return of ECHL hockey to Johnstown for the first time in the last 15 years. For one nostalgic weekend, The ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits, formerly the Johnstown Chiefs hockey team, will take the ice at the historic arena.  The team will host the Wheeling Nailers in the First Summit Arena Diamond Anniversary Pro Classic, a special ECHL pre-season game to be played Saturday, Oct. 11. The Swamp Rabbits, 2024 South Division Champions and affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and AHL’s Ontario Reign, last played as the Chiefs in Johnstown on April 3, 2010, relocating to Greenville, S.C., following the 2010 season. The Swamp Rabbits will hold a portion of their trai...

 By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison Bloomington, Ill.  – Bloomington Bison Head Coach, Phillip Barski, announced today that the team has signed defenseman Seung Jae Lee to an ECHL standard player contract. Lee, 22, played the last three seasons at Yonsei University, collecting 13 points (3g, 10a) in 24 games. The South Korean native led his team’s defensemen in points in each of the last two seasons. The 6-foot-1, 176-pound defenseman represented South Korea at the Asia Championship last season, posting a goal and an assist in three games played. He has represented his country for four years in national play, including the 2025 Asian Winter Games, where he played alongside Chongmin Lee. During the eight tournament games, Seung Jae Lee tallied seven points (3g, 4a) and a +5 rating.   2025-26 Flex Plan Vouchers are now on sale! A flexible ticket bank of 12 tickets allows you to choose which games to attend and how many tickets you need for each game! Pricing starts at just $240. To secure...

JASON PAYNE APPOINTED AS ASSOCIATE COACH OF THE SWAMP RABBITS Veteran coach brings six seasons of ECHL experience with Cincinnati, the previous four as Head Coach.  By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits (GREENVILLE, S.C.) –  The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and AHL’s Ontario Reign, announced today that veteran ECHL coach Jason Payne has been appointed as the team’s Associate Coach. Payne comes to the Upstate after spending the last six seasons with the Cincinnati Cyclones, serving as Head Coach for the past four seasons. While with the Toronto Maple Leafs ECHL affiliate, he compiled a 143-114-31 record in 288 games for a career 0.550 win percentage. In the 2022-23 season, Payne led the Cyclones to a 47-16-6-3 record and 103 points, the second most points in the entire ECHL, earning the privilege to coach the 2023 Western Conference All-Stars and culminating in the 2023 Central Division Championship. “I’m excited for such a great opp...

By: Alan Fuehring, Bridgeport Islanders BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (August 6, 2025) -  The Bridgeport Islanders, American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, have signed defenseman Sean Day to an AHL contract. Day, 27, has 110 points (20 goals, 90 assists) in 277 career AHL games with the Syracuse Crunch and Hartford Wolf Pack. He posted career highs in goals (8), assists (32), points (40), and games played (69) with Syracuse in 2021-22, the same season he made his NHL debut with the Tampa Bay Lightning (two games). Born in Leuven, Belgium, Day recorded 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 45 games with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) last season. He has also spent parts of two seasons in the ECHL, collecting 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 55 games with the Maine Mariners from 2018-20. Before turning pro, Day played five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Mississauga Steelheads, Windsor Spitfires, and Kingston Frontenacs. He recorded 158 points (...