Bison Sign Defenseman Ivan Chukarov
Published on February 12, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Bloomington Bison News Release
Bloomington, Ill. - Bloomington Bison Head Coach and VP of Hockey Operations, Phillip Barski announced today that the team has signed defenseman Ivan Chukarov to a standard player contract.
Chukarov, 30, began the season with the EIHL's Coventry Blaze and notched nine points (2g-7a) in 23 games played.
The 6-foot-2, 203-pound blueliner was selected with the 182nd overall pick in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.
Prior to his stint with Coventry, the Des Plaines, Illinois native spent parts of six seasons in the ECHL with Jacksonville, Adirondack and Worcester and amassed 93 points (18g-75a) in 286 career games with a +20 rating. Additionally, Chukarov has appeared in one American Hockey League game with the Utica Comets.
He played four seasons at UMass, totaling 128 NCAA Division-I games played, and spent his Junior career with the NAHL's Minnesota Wilderness, with whom he won a Robertson Cup Championship and recorded 55 points (16g-39a) in 99 games with a plus 39 rating.
The Bison are back on home ice for Country Night, presented by Texas Roadhouse, when Brushville will perform a free post-game concert for all ticketed fans and the first 2,000 in the building will receive a free cowboy hat!
Single-game tickets are available for ALL Bloomington Bison home games starting as low as $20! Visit ticketmaster.com or call 309-965-HERD to purchase tickets today.
ECHL Stories from February 12, 2026
- Mattias Sholl: Remembering Jack Bowkus on "Stick It to Cancer Night" - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Bison Sign Defenseman Ivan Chukarov - Bloomington Bison
- Tampa Bay Lightning Reassign Milo Roelens to the Syracuse Crunch, Crunch Recall Spencer Kersten - Orlando Solar Bears
- ECHL Transactions - February 12 - ECHL
- Logan Nijhoff Heads to Europe - Trois-Rivieres Lions
- John Fusco Follows Family's Olympic Path to Pro Hockey - South Carolina Stingrays
- Gladiators Defeat Swamp Rabbits 3-2 to Win 4th Straight Game - Atlanta Gladiators
- Blades Power Play Leads Way to 4-2 Win over Mariners - Florida Everblades
- Fuel Fall 2-1 to Wheeling on Wednesday Night - Indy Fuel
- K-Wings Dominate in Heartland, Notch 7 in Emphatic Win - Kalamazoo Wings
- Iowa Starts Homestand with Defeat vs. Wings - Iowa Heartlanders
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
