Swamp Rabbits trade with Ontario on the final day of the season

April 14, 2024 – ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits press release

GREENVILLE, SC – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, announced a flurry of Swamp Rabbit relocation transactions ahead of their “Fan Appreciation Night” presented by Fluor to conclude the 2023-24 ECHL regular season:

Defenseman Tyler Inamoto was reassigned to the Swamp Rabbits from the Ontario Reign

Colton Young has been released from his AHL PTO with the Ontario Reign and is returning to the Swamp Rabbits

Forward Ryan Francis has been recalled from the Ontario Reign of the AHL

Goaltender Ryan Bednard has been recalled from the Ontario Reign of the AHL

Inamoto returns to the Swamp Rabbits and will see action for the first time since November 22nd at Upstate. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound blue-liner played in six AHL games, all for the Ontario Reign, and recorded two assists. Before being recalled, the second-year pro was off to a good start with the Swamp Rabbits, scoring two goals and assists in nine games. A native of Barrington, Illinois, Inamoto has appeared in 60 career contests: 15 in the AHL with the Reign, where he had three assists, and 45 with the Swamp Rabbits, where he scored five goals and 17 points. Before turning pro, he ran five NCAA seasons with the University of Wisconsin, won the 2021 Big Ten Regular Season Championship and won a gold medal with Team USA at the U-18 World Junior Championship in 2017. He was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the 2017 NHL Draft (5th round/#133).

Young returns to the Swamp Rabbits and is on the roster for the first time since January 21st. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound forward signed a PTO with the Ontario Reign and appeared in 19 contests, scoring two goals with two helpers in the last three months. He left the Swamp Rabbits as the leading rookie scorer with 16 points (6g-10ast) in 38 games. A native of Calgary, Alberta, Young turned pro with the Swamp Rabbits last season after recording 82 points in 134 games and the 2023 ECAC Championship during his NCAA career at Colgate University.

Francis returns to the Reign after playing six more games with the Swamp Rabbits, picking up one point in his stint at Upstate that began March 30. In total, Francis has 31 games, 9 goals and 21 points to his credit with Greenville. He returns to the Inland Empire for his fourth appearance and previously had a goal and an assist in 18 games this season.

Bednard travels to the Reign in his first appearance of the 2023-24 season. The 6'5″, 210 pound goaltender has a record of 20-12-0-0 with one shutout, a GAA of 2.91 and a SV% of .911. Bednard's lone clean sheet came with 7 shutouts for the Swamp Rabbits Bednard has a career record of 61-39-7-3 with 7 shutouts in 112 games with the Swamp Rabbits.

The Swamp Rabbits weekend continues with a home series against the Savannah Ghost Pirates beginning tomorrow, April 13th. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST at Enmarket Arena. Both Savannah and Greenville return to Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Sunday, April 14th to drop a puck at 3:05 p.m. and participate in the “Fan Appreciation Night” presented by Fluor, which will feature the special warm-up jerseys of the Teams that will be worn this season will be presented.

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