BY: Jordan Kuhn, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Greenville Swamp Rabbits have agreed to terms on a Standard Player Contract with defenseman Luke Ripley. The 6-foot-4 blue-liner will enter his third season with the Swamp Rabbits organization.
“The biggest factor right away, I liked where our season was going at the end of last year. I liked our group, and how we were trending,” Ripley said. “The city of Greenville is great. I’m comfortable there and it’s familiar. The fans are great. The conversations with Lordo were incredible, and I’m so excited to get started with him.”
Ripley’s development as a pro defenseman hit a new gear in year two from year one. The 26-year-old played in four fewer games in his second year due to an upper body injury, but tripled his point output. He also significantly cut down on the penalties, having only taken five minor penalties in 31 games last season. Overall, he has scored four goals and eight assists in 66 games as a pro.
“I’m happy to have Ripley back for another season as he brings character and two years’ experience in Greenville. He adds size and a defense-first mindset to our d-core,” said head coach Andrew Lord. “He has the ability to play a shutdown role matching up against other teams’ top lines with his reach and skating for a big body. Luke can also be effective on the PK and he takes pride on being hard to play against. I’ve heard nothing but good things about him as a teammate and a person, so it’s exciting to have him back.”
The native of Kitimat, British Columbia played for a perennially contending University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish club that won a Big Ten regular season and conference championship in 2018. He served as an alternate captain in both his junior and senior seasons. All told, he scored 15 points in 120 games at Notre Dame.
Ripley also made waves prior to his collegiate career at the junior level, as team rookie of the year with the Dawson Creek Rage (NAHL) in 2011, and he was named to Team Canada West in the 2013 World Junior A Challenge, where he won the silver medal.
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