TOSTI: GOALTENDER GARRETT BARTUS INKS DEAL WITH SWAMP RABBITS
Netminder set to don Greenville jersey for sixth pro season after earning 38 wins in Fort Wayne
BY: Brian Tosti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Greenville, SC – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits announced today that goaltender Garrett Bartus has signed with the club for the upcoming 2018-19 season. Bartus enters his sixth season in the pro ranks with 149 career games played in the ECHL and SPHL. In the last two seasons, he has combined for 60 games and 38 wins with the Fort Wayne Komets.
Bartus, 28, worked in tandem for the Komets for the last two years and recorded his 50th career ECHL win on Mar. 24 against Wichita. Across five seasons, the 6-foot-2 netminder has played 93 games across five teams and earned a 2.96 goals-against average and .902 save percentage. Bartus also appeared in a Greenville uniform during the 2013 postseason and on Jan. 4, 2015.
“The biggest thing that has helped the most over the past couple of seasons is working more on the mental side of the game,” said Bartus who has continued to climb the ranks in recent years. “Whether it’s in-game focus, attention to details, or just playing and not overthinking, I feel it has helped me improve the most.
“It was a no-brainer when Coach Kerr came calling to play for him again,” he continued. “He’s a genuine coach that truly cares about the guys on the team and has an insatiable drive to win. The culture he builds around the room is contagious and it’s really a fun and rewarding thing to be a part of.”
Beyond the ECHL, the St. Charles, Illinois native has spent stints in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose and Rochester Americans on tryout contracts. Bartus played under Swamp Rabbits Head Coach Kevin Kerr with the Macon Mayhem during the franchise’s inaugural season of 2015-16 and collected the SPHL’s top honors. He was named the league’s MVP, Goaltender of the Year, First All-Star Team, and the best save percentage (.929) of any netminder. After starting the following season in Macon with even greater success, he earned a call-up to Fort Wayne and has not looked back.
“Garrett is a solid and reliable goaltender to have at this level. He has really elevated his game over the last few years and is willing to battle every day to get better,” said coach Kerr. “We want to build our team from the net out this season and Garrett is going to give us some great depth at the goaltender position. We couldn’t be happier to have him in Greenville this season.”
Bartus turned pro in 2013 after playing four seasons at the University of Connecticut. He tended the crease in 111 games and earned 40 wins at his alma mater. As a junior, Bartus started all 39 games for the Huskies, led the nation with 1,179 saves, and broke school records for career saves, shutouts in a season (5), and 35 wins.
Bartus is one of 13 players announced as part of the Swamp Rabbits offseason roster for the 2018-19 season. The list also includes forwards Austen Brassard, Mike Pelech, Travis Howe, Alex Globke, Timmy Moore, Will Merchant, JT Henke and Johno May and defensemen Jake Bolton, JC Brassard, Trevor Owens, and Sean Flanagan. As the offseason continues, stay tuned to SwampRabbits.com for a full updated list of players to sign for the upcoming season.
