SWAMP RABBITS WIN ECHL AWARD FOR TICKET DEPARTMENT OF THE YEAR – GROWTH
Department earns league recognition after fourth straight nomination in category
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(GREENVILLE, SC) – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and AHL’s Ontario Reign, announced that the team was named the ECHL Ticket Department of the Year – Growth during the 2025-26 Team Awards, presented by SponsorCX, that took place at the 2026 ECHL Hockey Summer Meetings in Nashville on Wednesday, June 24th.
The Swamp Rabbits were finalists for six different awards, the third season in a row that the team was nominated in a half dozen award categories. The team has been a finalist now 32 times since Spire Sports + Entertainment acquired the team in 2020, with this recognition serving as their fifth win coming out of this summer’s meetings.
“I’m super proud of our team. This is a full team award, and I appreciate everyone in our organization being a part of this outstanding accomplishment,” said Andrew DePuy, Vice President of Sales. “Our team has been building to this moment with consistent growth over the last four seasons finishing as a finalist in this category. From 12 lower bowl sellouts, to records in average and total attendance, this is an award that is a true reflection of our entire organization working together for the betterment of our fans and our team. I want to thank the ECHL for this recognition and can’t wait to see where our team goes from here in the 2026-27 ECHL Season.”
This is the Swamp Rabbits first win in Ticket Department of the Year (Growth), and the team’s fourth consecutive season vying for the league’s recognition. The sales team achieved growth in FSE (Full Season Equivalents) for a fourth consecutive campaign, growing over 40% year-over-year. Additionally, the team set multiple franchise and Greenville hockey records in attendance, most notably 10,852 students, teachers, and fans for our annual “School Day Game” on November 12th, average attendance of 5,115 fans, and a total attendance of 184,055, the highest in franchise history. The Swamp Rabbits saw an average attendance of 7,200 for specialty games, 12 lower bowl sellouts, and over 400 more fans on average per game compared to the 2024-25 ECHL Season.
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SWAMP RABBITS ANNOUNCE 2026 SEASON ENDING ROSTER
Team lists 20 players in next step of 2026-27 roster construction
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(GREENVILLE, SC) – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and AHL’s Ontario Reign, announced their 2026 Season Ending Roster.
Season-Ending Rosters may include up to 20 players. Season-Ending Rosters cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2025-26.
Each team is entitled to reserve rights to a maximum of eight players from the list of 20 by extending a qualifying offer no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on July 7. Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded. Teams are not required to extend a qualifying offer to players who sign a contract prior to July 7.
The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until 11:59 p.m. ET on July 22 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season. Any Player who has played in more than 190 professional regular-season games is ineligible to receive a Qualifying Offer.
All regular-season games played in any of the following leagues shall count towards a Player’s Rookie/Veteran and Qualifying Offer status.
North America – National Hockey League, American Hockey League, ECHL, Central Hockey League (Defunct, but games played count toward veteran status)
Europe – Czech Extraliga (Czech Republic), Liiga (Finland), DEL (Germany), KHL (Russia), Slovak Extraliga (Slovakia), SHL (Sweden), National League (Switzerland)
The following is the Swamp Rabbits 2026 Season Ending Roster:
• Simon Latkoczy (G)
• Jacob Modry (D)
• Jordan Power (D)
• Joe Prouty (D)
• Timothy Lovell (D)
• Jake Murray (D)
• Michael Mastrodomenico (D)
• Dillon Hamaliuk (F)
• Ben Poisson (F)
• Dante Sheriff (F)
• Carter Savoie (F)
• Denis Smirnov (F)
• Jake Percival (F)
• Ryan O’Reilly (F)
• Caiden Gault (F)
• Jack Brackett (F)
• Connor Milburn (F)
• Ryan O’Hara (F)
• Joshua Zary (F)
• Tate Singleton (F)
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SWAMP RABBITS COMPLETE FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS TRADES
Dillon Hamaliuk comes from the Fort Wayne Komets; Tristan De Jong heads to the Greensboro Gargoyles
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(GREENVILLE, SC) – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and AHL’s Ontario Reign, completed two future considerations trades from earlier this season via Swamp Rabbit Moving Transactions:
• The Swamp Rabbits acquired forward Dillon Hamaliuk from the Fort Wayne Komets to complete a March 19th trade that also saw the team acquire Connor Milburn in exchange for Josh Atkinson
• The Swamp Rabbits send defenseman Tristan De Jong to the Greensboro Gargoyles to complete the deal for Wade Murphy on January 12th
Hamaliuk played two games this season with the Komets, notching a pair of assists. Last season, the 6’4”, 205-pound forward split time between Europe and the ECHL, earning two goals and four points in 15 games with Slovakia’s HC Nove Zamky. Hamaliuk returned to the States to suit up with the Florida Everblades, potting a baker’s dozen of points (6g-7ast) in 27 games, and an additional five points (1g-4ast) in 10 playoff games, culminating in an Eastern Conference Finals finish.
From Leduc, Alberta, Hamaliuk, 25, has factored in over 140 games across five seasons of professional hockey, spanning Slovakia, the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda and Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins (52gp, 3g-7ast-10pts), and the ECHL with the Wichita Thunder, Wheeling Nailers, Everblades, and Komets (75gp, 25g-36ast-61pts). Prior to turning professional, Hamaliuk played parts of five WHL seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Kelowna Rockets, winning the 2017 championship with Seattle. He was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the 2019 NHL Draft (2nd Rd/#55).
De Jong completed his first full season with the Swamp Rabbits in 2025-26, scoring his first professional goal on Halloween against Orlando. He turned professional in the Upstate out of the University of Guelph, registering his first professional point in his debut on February 23rd, and completes his time with the Swamp Rabbits having earned two goals, eight assists, and 10 points in 60 career contests.
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SWAMP RABBITS ANNOUNCE 2026 PROTECTED LIST
31 players named in first formality of offseason roster construction for 2026-27 ECHL Season
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(GREENVILLE, SC) – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and AHL’s Ontario Reign, announced the 2026 Protected List, the first stage of roster construction for the 2026-27 ECHL Season.
Teams are allowed to protect as many players as they wish provided the players protected meet the guidelines as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association which state that teams shall retain the rights to each player that:
1. Signed an SPC in 2025-26 with the Member, and has not been traded or released, OR
2. Signed an SPC in 2025-26, and was recalled to the NHL/AHL or IIHF team, and has not been traded or released, OR
3. Had received a Qualifying Offer last summer for the current Season, DID NOT sign an SPC, and has not been traded or released, OR
4. Has been suspended by the Member or League, and has not been traded or released, OR
5. Signed an SPC on or after the first day of the 2025-26 Regular Season, then subsequently signed an NHL/AHL contract, and has not been traded or released, OR
6. Has executed the ECHL Retirement Form, and has not been traded or released.
Protected lists may exceed 20 players.
The ECHL also announced that teams must complete all Future Consideration trades by 3 p.m. ET on June 20 and that teams must submit their Season-Ending Roster by 3 p.m. ET on June 22.
Season-ending rosters may include up to 20 players and cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2025-26.
The Swamp Rabbits Protected List features 31 players (19 Forwards, 9 Defensemen, 3 Goaltenders):
• Pierce Charleson (G)
• Kevin Mandolese (G)
• Simon Latkoczy (G)
• Cole Fraser (D)
• Jacob Modry (D)
• Joe Leahy (D)
• Jordan Power (D)
• Joe Prouty (D)
• Tim Lovell (D)
• Jake Murray (D)
• Michael Mastrodomenico (D)
• Tristan De Jong (D)
• Ben Poisson (F)
• Brent Pedersen (F)
• Dante Sheriff (F)
• Stuart Rolofs (F)
• Arvid Caderoth (F)
• Casey Dornbach (F)
• Ben Freeman (F)
• Carter Savoie (F)
• Denis Smirnov (F)
• Jake Percival (F)
• Ryan O’Reilly
• Caiden Gault (F)
• Jack Brackett (F)
• Connor Milburn (F)
• Ryan O’Hara (F)
• Wade Murphy (F)
• Josh Zary (F)
• Tate Singleton (F)
• Patrick Polino (F)
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SWAMP RABBITS NAMED A FINALIST FOR SIX ECHL AWARDS
Team earns recognition in a half dozen categories for a third consecutive season
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(GREENVILLE, SC) – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and AHL’s Ontario Reign, announced in conjunction with the ECHL that the team is a finalist in six different award categories for the 2025-26 Team Awards, presented by SponsorCX, taking place at the 2026 ECHL Hockey Summer Meetings in Nashville on Wednesday, June 24th.
The Swamp Rabbits are team finalists for five categories: Most Creative Ticket Package (Handy Man Hal Meet & Greet), Specialty Jersey of the Year (Military Appreciation Night, presented by Budweiser), Ticket Department of the Year (Growth), and Group Department of the Year, both Aggregate and Growth. Additionally, Senior Manager of Group Sales Hunter Roush is a finalist for Ticket Sales Professional of the Year.
This is the third season in a row that the Swamp Rabbits are vying for six different ECHL awards. The team has been a finalist now 32 times since Spire Sports + Entertainment acquired the team in 2020, earning four wins entering this summer’s meetings.
“Being nominated for six total league awards is a testament to our group’s effort and commitment to providing a polished, professional product, that blends fun and creativity,” said Tim Vieira, President of the Swamp Rabbits. “Each award nomination tells a unique story from our past season — notably, the three ticket sales growth and aggregate nominations that highlight the objective results as a product of the hard work and dedication our Front Office Staff put in throughout the season, championed by the leadership of Andrew DePuy.
He continued: “Hunter Roush’s nomination as Sales Professional of the Year is a very well-deserved recognition. Hunter has elevated our fan experience in Greenville, has found unique ways to engage new markets to our product and has done it all while providing tremendous leadership and guidance to younger staff.”
The Handyman Hal Meet & Greet Ticket Package successfully blended entertainment, influencer marketing, and family engagement into a unique sales offering for Stomper’s Birthday, presented by Big Air Trampoline park. The package capitalized on Handyman Hal’s massive digital presence as a YouTube Kids Show sensation with over 1.5 million YouTube subscribers. Handy Man Hal made his first-ever appearance at a professional hockey game, and his presence culminated in a post-event YouTube video that has over 85,000 views since it release. The activation drove strong fan interest and demand, resulting in 183 tickets sold and generating $6,375 in total revenue. Beyond the numbers, the package stands out for its originality and leveraging a widely recognized children’s content creator to introduce new audiences to Swamp Rabbits hockey in an innovative and family-friendly way.
The Swamp Rabbits unveiled the jersey for Military Appreciation Night, presented by Budweiser, through a creative, story-driven social media rollout that went beyond a traditional reveal. The campaign featured engaging video content that highlighted the inspiration and meaning behind the design, building anticipation and emotional connection with fans. This was complemented by a unique “Behind the Threads” graphic that broke down key elements of the jersey, such as the celebration of America’s 250th birthday, giving fans an inside look at the details and symbolism. Together, the content created a deeper appreciation for the jersey while driving strong engagement and excitement leading into the event. The jersey auction netted $24,600 with proceeds benefitting Folds of Honor, and the jersey sold nearly 200 units in the team store.
For a fourth straight season, the Swamp Rabbits are a finalist for Ticket Department of the Year (Growth). The sales team achieved growth in FSE (Full Season Equivalents) for a fourth consecutive campaign, growing over 40% year-over-year. Additionally, the team set multiple franchise and Greenville hockey records in attendance, most notably 10,852 students, teachers, and fans for our annual “School Day Game” on November 12th, average attendance of 5,115 fans, highest since the 2001-02 season of the Greenville Grrrowl, and a total attendance of 184,055.
The Swamp Rabbits saw an average attendance of 7,200 for specialty games, eight lower bowl sellouts, and over 400 more fans on average compared to the 2024-25 ECHL Season.
Group Sales continues to shine for the Swamp Rabbits, marking a third straight season as a finalist for Group Department of the Year (Growth) and a first-time finalist for Group Department of the Year (Aggregate). The team nearly eclipsed 41,000 total group tickets over the course of the 2025-26 ECHL Season, the tip of the spear in a campaign that saw 69% growth year-over-year.
Swamp Rabbits Senior Manager of Groups Hunter Roush has been a driving force behind this year’s team sales success, consistently showing up with a strong work ethic and a genuine approach to building relationships. His impact was clear, contributing over 20% of total premium sales and 14% of all group sales, while playing a major role in the organization’s overall growth. Year-over-year, Roush nearly quadrupled his Season Ticket sales revenue and increased his group sales by almost 50%, showcasing an innate versatility by delivering across both premium and group sales. A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Roush joined the Swamp Rabbits in 2024 following stops with the Lafayette Aviators baseball team and Indy Eleven soccer team. He graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Purdue University Fort Wayne.
About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits …
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team have 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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