Second-year defenseman led Swamp Rabbits blue-liners with 27 points last season
By: Mark Binettti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, announced today that Joe Leahy, last season’s leading-scoring defenseman, has re-signed with the Swamp Rabbits for the 2024-25 ECHL Season.
Leahy is the seventh defenseman announced to the roster, joining Jacob Modry, Max Coyle, Bobby Russell, Joshua Karlsson, Miles Gendron, and Jake Flynn on the blue line. He is the nineteenth player overall announced to the team for this upcoming season.
Leahy returns to the Swamp Rabbits for his second full season with the team. The 6’4”, 195-pound defenseman led all Swamp Rabbits blue-liners with 27 points (9g-18ast) and +18 rating in 69 games, and appeared once in the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs.
“My wife and I love Greenville. We had such a great time last year, so between the city, the relationships we’ve built, and some unfinished business from last year, it’s a no brainer to come back to this team,” Leahy said of his return to the Upstate. “I felt I worked well with our coaching staff, especially Coach Mountain, who ran the defense last season. Our staff and our leadership made it easy to succeed because of how we prepared we were and how bought in we were in working hard and sticking to the gameplan. We have so much familiarity coming back, especially on defense and goaltending, so knowing the systems and the players involved, we can set the standard starting in day one of camp. I’m excited to see how Coach Mountain takes the reins this season and puts his stamp on our team. I expect us to go out and earn it again this season with a deep playoff run and a Kelly Cup Championship in mind. It’s going to be a great season!”
“Getting Joe back is huge for us on both sides of the puck. He was rock solid for us defensively and logged a ton of minutes both five-on-five and shorthanded,” Kyle Mountain, Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations said of Leahy’s return to Greenville. “Joe became a very reliable asset for us over the course of the year, putting a lot of time into developing his offense and that reflected in his production. Beyond that, he plays tough minutes and solidified himself as a key fixture on our blue line. Joe will be relied on heavily defensively, and I still believe he can continue to grow offensively and develop that part of his game even more than he already has. Most importantly, I believe Joe has the ability to step up as a leader within this group. The way he plays the game and approaches his day-to-day has earned the respect of his teammates. He is a great example of how we want our players to conduct themselves and work.”
Hailing from Waterloo, Ontario, Leahy, 27, has played the entirety of his young professional career in Greenville, amassing nine goals, 22 assists, and 31 points in 79 games. He made his professional debut with the Swamp Rabbits at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, recording four assists in 10 games and adding his first professional goal in six games during the 2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Prior to playing professionally, Leahy played four seasons of NCAA college hockey, split evenly with the University of Vermont and Cornell University. He earned 25 points in 92 games between both institutions, and helped Cornell to the 2020 ECAC Regular Season Championship. Before pursuing collegiate hockey, Leahy skated two seasons in the BCHL with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and Penticton Vees, winning the 2017 BCHL Championship with the latter.
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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