SWAMP RABBITS SIGN D-MAN JAKE MURRAY
JAKE MURRAY SIGNS WITH SWAMP RABBITS FOR 2025-26
Defenseman comes to the Upstate after a career year with Bloomington last season.
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 defenseman Jake Murray has signed with the team for the 2025-26 ECHL Season.
Murray, the 14th player announced and fifth newcomer, joins Dustin Geregach, Tristan De Jong, Jordan Power, Jacob Modry, and Josh Atkinson on the back-end, and Austin Saint, Brent Pedersen, Liam Finlay, Ryan O’Reilly, Ryan O’Hara, Ben Poisson, and Jack Brackett up front.
The Swamp Rabbits acquired Murray’s rights at the end of the 2024-25 ECHL Season to complete a future considerations trade with the Bloomington Bison. The 6’3”, 216-pound blueliner put in a solid sophomore campaign with the Bison: he played all 72 games, notching five goals and 34 points, finishing fourth in scoring on the roster while pacing all defensemen. The final game of last season on April 13th at Fort Wayne was his 100th in the “Premier AA Hockey League”.
“From the jump, Coach Costello made it clear that there was a place for me, an opportunity for me to showcase my abilities and develop. There’s also a plan and opportunity for our group to be a creative and high-octane team, so I’m excited to be a part of that, in addition to a great community in Greenville this season,” Murray said of signing with the Swamp Rabbits. “It’s also special to be reunited with Coach Payne, who provided me with my first opportunity to play professionally in Cincinnati. If I had to describe myself as a player, I’d say I’m cerebral: I love to think the game and be a step ahead. I thrive on going up against another team’s top players on the defensive side, but I don’t limit myself and feel I can play both with and without the puck. We’re in a very competitive division, so that adds fuel to the expectations we have in our room of winning this season. Personally, I know I’m still young, but I want to be a leader and challenge myself to dominate when my number is called. If we can put that all together, we’re going to make quite a run to great things at the end.”
“Getting Jake signed for the upcoming season is tremendously exciting. He is young, strong, skilled, and motivated, which is a dangerous combination for the opposition to face,” Chad Costello, Head Coach/GM of the Swamp Rabbits, said of signing his newest defenseman. “Jake works hard off the ice, so he’ll be fit and ready to go right away. Having a strong defense corps is a major priority for our team, and with the addition of Jake, we are looking very strong on the back-end. He has the ability to climb the ladder and make the jump to the next level. It will be fun for our staff to help him get there.”
Hailing from Oakville, Ontario, Murray, 23, enters his third season of professional hockey, previously skating with the Idaho Steelheads and Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL and Texas Stars in the AHL. Between both North American Leagues, he brings 119 games, seven goals, 37 assists, and 44 points to the Swamp Rabbits this season. Before his professional experience, Murray skated in 257 games in the OHL with the Kingston Frontenacs and Guelph Storm, collecting 100 points (14g-86ast). He served as an alternate captain for three seasons: two with Kingston and one with Guelph.
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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.
