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ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Preview: Swamp Rabbits Clash with Solar Bears in Season Opener

October 17, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release


THE STORY COMING IN

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, open the 2015-16 regular season tonight against the Orlando Solar Bears at the Amway Center. It's the second consecutive year the two teams have met in the season opener following Orlando's 5-2 win in the first game of the 2014-15 campaign.

Greenville built momentum during the preseason with a pair of exhibition wins against division rivals South Carolina and Atlanta, recording five goals in each of those games. The squad looks to rebound after missing the playoffs in 2014-15 by two points, despite earning more wins than seven playoff teams.

A NEW ERA

On August 26, 2015, Greenville unveiled its new Swamp Rabbits identity during a public press conference at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, replacing the Road Warriors brand that existed for the previous five seasons. The change was designed to better embody the unique qualities of Greenville and to more closely associate the team with the community. The "Swamp Rabbit" moniker is derived from the nickname area residents gave to the old Northern railroad that was built and operated in Greenville in the late 1800's. The rebrand also came on the heels of the team's five-year lease extension with the Bon Secours Wellness Arena and the announcement of new head coach Brian Gratz.

THE MATCHUP

Tonight's contest marks the first of nine meetings (five in Greenville and four in Orlando) between the Swamp Rabbits and Solar Bears this season, and the first since March 26, 2015, when Greenville earned a 3-2 win at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The Swamp Rabbits went 5-3-2 against the Solar Bears last season (2-2-2 on the road) and are 12-11-3 all-time against Orlando.

VIEW FROM ORLANDO

The Solar Bears compiled a record of 37-25-10 last season and snuck into the 2015 Kelly Cup playoffs by two points over Greenville, but the club was eliminated in the first round by Florida. This year, Orlando returns just eight players from its 2014-15 squad including forward Johnny McInnis, who tallied 47 points last season with Florida and Orlando - good for third-best on the Solar Bears roster. Orlando is under the direction of first-year coach Anthony Noreen, whose 2015 season-opening roster consists of 11 players on an AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies.

ROSTER NOTES

The Swamp Rabbits season-opening roster includes nine returnees from last season and 11 players who have previously worn a Greenville jersey. It features four players on a New York Rangers contract (forwards Michael St. Croix, Josh Nicholls, Michael Kantor and defenseman Troy Donnay), two on an AHL Hartford contract (forward Jack Combs and defenseman Kodie Curran) and two on an AHL Syracuse deal (defenseman Charlie Dodero and goaltender Allen York). The roster also consists of seven rookies, four veterans, 395 games of AHL experience and 11 games of NHL experience. Donnay is the youngest player at 21-years-old.

AT THE HELM

Brian Gratz was named Greenville's second head coach in team history on July 7, 2015, after serving as the club's assistant last season. The 34-year-old was part of nine coaching changes in the ECHL this past offseason, which also includes Solar Bears' bench boss Anthony Noreen. In addition, Gratz and Noreen are two of seven coaches entering their first season at the helm of an ECHL club, although Gratz boasts more than seven years of head coaching experience in professional hockey overall. He is 149-120-23 as a head coach all-time, most recently with Bloomington (Southern Professional Hockey League).

LEADERSHIP GROUP

Forward Bretton Cameron was named Greenville's captain for the second straight season this past Wednesday, while forwards Nikita Kashirsky and Jack Combs were selected as the alternates. Cameron, Kashirsky and Combs make up three of the four veterans on the Swamp Rabbits' roster and boast 1,022 games of professional experience. Cameron was named the third captain in franchise history on October 15, 2014.  

QUICK HITS

Greenville is on a four-game win streak, dating back to April 3 of last season... Just two of the Swamp Rabbits first seven games will take place on the road... Greenville's captain Bretton Cameron is four games from his 300th pro appearance... Jack Combs is on a nine-game point streak (7g, 7a), dating back to March 11, and is three assists from his 200th pro helper... Greenville is 2-3-0 in season openers dating back to the 2010-11 season.

AFFILIATE REPORT

New York Rangers (3-2-0): Next vs. New Jersey - Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET

Hartford Wolf Pack (1-1-0): Next vs. Utica - Tonight, 7:00 p.m. ET

Get Social: Follow the Swamp Rabbits all season long and get behind-the-scenes coverage like never before on the team's official Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Swamp Rabbits open the home portion of the 2015-16 season next Friday, October 23 with a 7:00 p.m. puck drop against the South Carolina Stingrays. Opening Night tickets start at just $10 when purchased prior to game day and the first 2,000 fans at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena will receive a free car magnet. The $10 ticket special will not be available at the box office on October 23. To purchase this ticket special or for more information visit SwampRabbits.com. Ticket plans for the inaugural season of the Swamp Rabbits' era are also available and start as low as $81! Call an Account Executive today at 864-674-PUCK to secure your seats!

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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.

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