By: Mark Shelley, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Fifth-year net-minder earns first career selection to ECHL’s midseason classic.
SHREWSBURY, NJ – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, are excited to announce goaltender Ryan Bednard has been selected to the 2024 ECHL All-Star Team as part of the 2024 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Gulfstream.
Swamp Rabbits fans can watch Bednard represent Greenville in the League’s midseason showcase, hosted by the Savannah Ghost Pirates, on Monday, January 15, at 7:00 p.m. ET at Enmarket Arena. The game will air LIVE exclusively on NHL Network and be streamed via FloHockey.
Bednard’s all-star selection is the first of his five-year professional career. Through 15 games in the 2023-24 campaign, the 6’5″, 207-pound net-minder compiled a record of 8-7-0-0 with one shutout, a 3.27 GAA, and 0.903 SV%. With his lone shutout earned thus far, Bednard became the Swamp Rabbits all-time leader with 7 to his credit.
A native of Macomb Township, Mich. Bednard, boasts a record of 65-52-10-3 in 133 ECHL games with nine shutouts, a 2.85 GAA, and 0.909 SV% with the Swamp Rabbits, Wheeling Nailers, and South Carolina Stingrays. Four of his five professional seasons have come in The Upstate, earning a record of 49-33-7-3 with his team record seven shutouts, a 2.78 GAA, and 0.912 SV% in 94 games. Additionally, Bednard has logged 17 games, six wins, and one shutout in the American Hockey League with the Springfield Thunderbirds, Syracuse Crunch, Hershey Bears, Abbotsford Canucks, and Belleville Senators. Before turning professional, the 26-year-old backstopper skated in the NCAA with Bowling Green State University, the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms, and the NAHL with the Johnstown Tomahawks. The Florida Panthers drafted him in the 2015 NHL Draft (7th Rd/#206).
The 2024 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Gulfstream will consist of the host Savannah Ghost Pirates taking on a team of ECHL All-Stars representing the other teams in the League. The event will also feature several skills events, which will count as a goal towards the winning player’s team score. The 2024 ECHL All-Star Skills Competition will occur between periods of the game, with results counting towards the cumulative score. The game’s first two periods will be 5-on-5, while the final period will consist of 3-on-3.
There have been 72 players from the ECHL All-Star Game have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 56 since 2002.
The roster for the ECHL All-Stars was determined by a vote of coaches, team captains, media relations directors, broadcasters, and media members.
ECHL All-Star Roster
Goaltenders
Ryan Bednard, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Peyton Jones, Iowa Heartlanders
Thomas Milic, Norfolk Admirals
Defensemen
Kris Myllari, Allen Americans
Jalen Smereck, Cincinnati Cyclones
Nathan Staios, Florida Everblades
Gabriel Chicoine, Maine Mariners
Jonny Tychonick, Newfoundland Growlers
Connor Moore, South Carolina Stingrays
Luka Profaca, Tulsa Oilers
Kyle Mayhew, Utah Grizzlies
Trevor Cosgrove, Worcester Railers
Forwards
Patrick Grasso, Adirondack Thunder
Mitch Fossier, Atlanta Gladiators
Jack Dugan, Fort Wayne Komets
Mark Rassell, Idaho Steelheads
Cameron Hillis, Indy Fuel
Brendan Harris, Jacksonville Icemen
Ty Glover, Kalamazoo Wings
Max Andreev, Kansas City Mavericks
Mitchell Hoelscher, Orlando Solar Bears
Alex Aleardi, Rapid City Rush
Matt Brown, Reading Royals
Brandon Hawkins, Toledo Walleye
Anthony Beauregard, Trois-Rivières Lions
Dillon Hamaliuk, Wheeling Nailers
Peter Bates, Wichita Thunder
Serving as the start of the All-Star festivities, the Savannah Ghost Pirates will also be hosting Fan Fest on Sunday, January 14, at Enmarket Arena. Fan Fest will feature live music, interactive games, player autographs, giveaways, and an exclusive area dedicated to the Hockey Hall of Fame featuring some of hockey’s most famed memorabilia exhibits and trophies. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets for Fan Fest.
The 16th class of the ECHL Hall of Fame will be officially inducted at a luncheon presented by BFL CANADA and Sutton Special Risk on Monday, January 15, at noon at the Savannah Convention Center. Tickets include a plated lunch with the ECHL Hall of Fame ceremony and are on sale for $75 per person.
The 2024 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by Gulfstream, will occur on Monday, January 15, 2024, at Enmarket Arena. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets today!
About the ECHL
Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 28 teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces for its 36th season in 2023-24. There have been 744 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including four who have made their NHL debuts in the 2023-24 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 28 of the 32 NHL teams in 2023-24, marking the 27th consecutive season that the League has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com.
About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits …
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has provided 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 the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s LA Kings and the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Greenville is an ECHL Premier’ AA’ Hockey League member.
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