Greenville takes the ice for their lone preseason tilt against their in-state rivals
BY: Matt Trust, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Greenville, SC – Tonight, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits play host to the South Carolina Stingrays for their lone preseason matchup before the 2020-21 regular season. All tickets tonight are $10 with proceeds benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).
Greenville Swamp Rabbits (0-0-0-0) vs. South Carolina Stingrays (0-0-0-0)
December 5, 2020, | 7 PM | Preseason Game #1 | Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Referees: Logan Gruhl (29)
Linesmen: Shane Gustafson (87), Scott Senger (56)
Ticket Information: https://www.swamprabbits.com/en/tickets
Broadcast Information:
LISTEN LIVE: https://mixlr.com/swamp-rabbits
WE’RE BACK, BABY:
After a 272-day hiatus and the longest offseason in ECHL history, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits return to action tonight for an exhibition game against the South Carolina Stingrays. Due to COVID-19, the ECHL announced the cancellation of the 2019-20 season’s conclusion and the 2020 Kelly Cup Playoffs on March 15, 2020. Nearly 300 days later, the ECHL is the first professional hockey league in North America to retake the ice and open its venues to a live audience. The Swamp Rabbits and Bon Secours Wellness Arena will welcome patrons with policies and procedures in place that emphasize the safety and well-being of guests and employees. Fans will be socially distant in the arena with pod seating and required to wear a mask unless eating or drinking. Vendors on the concourse will be utilizing personal protection equipment such as plexiglass, masks, and shields to ensure safety.
LORD OF THE SWAMP:
Andrew Lord was named the new Head Coach of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on June 19, 2020, and will debut behind the bench tonight. Lord spent the last six seasons as the bench boss for the Cardiff Devils of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) in the United Kingdom. In six seasons at the helm, Lord quickly became the winningest coach in Devils history after posting a miraculous 221-75-22 all-time record. During his tenure, Cardiff captured three conference titles, two Challenge Cup championships, two league titles, and two playoff championships. The 2008 R.P.I. graduate is joined by newly hired assistant coach Phillip Barski. Barski joins the Swamp Rabbits organization after serving as head coach of Podhale Nowy Targ in the Polska Hokej Liga, the top hockey league in Poland.
TRAINING CAMP HEADLINES:
Greenville’s Training Camp roster features two-player on an NHL Entry Level Contract (Jacob Ingham, Ryan Bednard) and seven players on AHL contracts including twin rookie forwards, Jack and Nick Poehling. The roster features Adam Samuelsson on a tryout, son of 2x Stanley Cup Champion Ulf Samuelsson. Four players who spent time with the Swamp Rabbits in 2019-20 are included on the roster, including sophomore forward Liam Pecararo. As a rookie, Pecararo led Greenville in goals with 23 and finished third on the club in scoring. Pecararo tallied an early-season shorthanded breakaway goal which earned ECHL Goal of the Year honors. Only 49 games into his professional career, the Canton, Massachusetts native has skated in 10 AHL games with the Springfield Thunderbirds.
WELCOME BACK BRENDAN:
Forward Brendan Connolly will make his return to Greenville after spending the last five seasons playing in Europe. Connolly previously played 150 games for the Greenville Road Warriors across three seasons from 2010-2013 and totaled 166 points (70 goals, 96 assists). A longtime Greenville resident, Connolly ranks second all-time in scoring in Greenville hockey history. Overall, the Canmore, Alberta native enters the 2020-21 season with 618 points (262 goals, 356 assists) in 603 total professional games. Last season, Connolly finished third in the EIHL scoring race with 55 points in 48 games with the Sheffield Steelers.
GLIMPSE BACK, MOVE FORWARD:
Last season, Greenville concluded the 2019-20 season with a 29-30-4-1 record. The Swamp Rabbits and Stingrays battled eight times with South Carolina claiming six of eight meetings. On two occasions, 60 minutes were not enough to decide a winner, with South Carolina winning a 3-2 shootout decision on November 9, 2019, and edging Greenville in overtime on February 15, 2020, 4-3. All-time, the Swamp Rabbits are 57-62-12 against their in-state rival.
#RABBITSRISING#
SINGLE GAME TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!
Rise With Us and pack Bon Secours Wellness Arena for the return of professional hockey in the United States! Single Game Tickets are available to purchase today here.
GEAR UP!
Get ready for the 2020–21 season by heading to our online store, the Hop Shop to purchase your brand new jerseys. On sale now!
ABOUT US
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has been providing family-friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly the Greenville Road Warriors, the Swamp Rabbits are the highest level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina. The Swamp Rabbits are proud affiliates of the NHL’s Florida Panthers and AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League. Since the conclusion of the 2019-20 NHL Season, 678 former ECHL players have debuted in the NHL. Nine former Greenville Road Warriors/Swamp Rabbits have later made their NHL debut
