SWAMP RABBITS ADD LIAM FINLAY FOR 25-26

Sixth-year forward reunites with Coach Costello, having spent last season with the EIHL’s Glasgow Clan.

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 Liam Finlay has signed with the team for the 2025-26 ECHL season.

Finlay, the second newcomer announced, joins Ryan O’Reilly up front alongside returning defensemen Dustin Geregach and Tristan De Jong on the roster for the upcoming campaign.

Finlay joins the Swamp Rabbits after completing his fifth professional season with the EIHL’s Glasgow Clan. The 5’7”, 180-pound forward earned 13 goals and 39 points in 53 games and later factored in two postseason games for the Scottish club.

Finlay is reunited with Head Coach/General Manager Chad Costello, with the two previously crossing paths for a pair of seasons with the Allen Americans. Under Costello’s guidance as a rookie in the 2022-23 campaign, he ignited the ECHL with 33 goals and 70 points in 54 games. His 33 goals were third-best amongst first-year players and eighth in the entire league, and his 70 points ranked fourth on the rookie leaderboard. For his efforts, Finlay represented the Western Conference in the 2023 ECHL All-Star Classic and was selected as a member of the 2023 ECHL All-Rookie Team.

“I’m pumped to join the Swamp Rabbits. I’ve talked to many former players who have played in Greenville, and everyone has raved about the lifestyle and the city. Another major factor in signing was the familiarity with Coach Costello and Tony Deynzer, our equipment manager. We’ve had a phenomenal relationship dating back to our Allen years, and I’m super excited that we can reunite and that Coach has this opportunity to lead us. He called me right away, and the rest is history,” Finlay said of reuniting with Coach Costello in signing with the Swamp Rabbits. “Speed and smarts are my two biggest attributes. I’m not the biggest guy, so I try to bring as much speed as possible, which leads to an exciting brand of high-flying hockey. I’ve had the privilege to play this game in many different countries with different approaches, but I always felt my game translated better in North America than anywhere else. That, combined with super high expectations, make this a season I’m very much looking forward to.”

“We are extremely excited as a staff signing Liam Finlay. Fins is one of those offensive players that’s so exciting to watch that anytime he touches the puck, fans will jump out of their seats,” Costello said of bringing Finlay to the Upstate. “Liam has a great mix of speed, skill, vision, and passing ability, making it difficult for defenders to stop or slow him down. His production in the ECHL in such a short time is not matched by many in the league. Being able to team up with Fins and pursue a championship run together is exciting. His passion for the game is high, and he’s a joy to be around in the room. We are very fortunate to have him as we gear up for the 2025-26 season.”

From Kelowna, British Columbia, Finlay, 28, enters his third ECHL season and sixth overall as a professional. He begins the 2025-26 season with 215 career games across Europe (Scotland, Finland, Slovakia, Germany, and Sweden) and the ECHL, totaling 78 goals, 112 assists, and 190 points. Before turning professional, Finlay played four seasons of NCAA college hockey with the University of Denver, earning 98 points in 158 games while claiming the 2017 National Championship. He also split time in the BCHL between the Vernon Vipers and Penticton Vees over three campaigns, earning All-Rookie team honors in 2015.

About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits …
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 the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s LA Kings and the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League.

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