Widmar Heads Back to Roanoke for 2025-26 Season
Published on October 6, 2025 under SPHL (SPHL)
Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs News Release
ROANOKE, VA - The Rail Yard Dawgs announced on Monday that forward Joe Widmar has signed a contract for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Widmar is entering his ninth professional season overall and is in his second year in the Star City. The six-foot-one center was outstanding for Roanoke before a late-season injury kept him out of the 2025 President's Cup Playoffs, recording eight goals, 20 assists, 16 penalty minutes, and a plus-four rating in 23 games for the Dawgs during the 2024-25 season. Widmar has extensive experience across several pro leagues, appearing for 10 ECHL teams, a French team, a Polish team, and four teams in the SPHL (Roanoke, Peoria, Quad City, and Pensacola). The Northbrook, Illinois native has 79 points in 183 career ECHL games, while dominating the SPHL with 170 points (47 goals, 123 assists) and a plus-42 rating in 153 career regular season appearances during his stints in this league. In his 49 combined appearances for Pensacola and Peoria during the 2023-24 season, Widmar managed to record 16 goals and 39 assists for a whopping 55 points. The right-shot centerman initially turned pro with Peoria before the 2017-18 campaign following his sophomore season at UMass (NCAA-DI), after Widmar totaled four goals and eight assists throughout his 57 career collegiate games.
Training camp is set to start October 7 at Berglund Center. The Rail Yard Dawgs open the 2025-2026 season at home on Friday, October 17 against the Huntsville Havoc. Opening Night is sponsored by Haley Toyota with 94.9 Star Country FM. Season ticket packages and group tickets are on sale by contacting the Rail Yard Dawgs' front office. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.
SPHL Stories from October 6, 2025
- Thunderbolts Re-Sign Forward Isaac Chapman - Evansville Thunderbolts
- Quad City Storm Training Camp Schedule Set - Quad City Storm
- WVLZ Named New Flagship Station of the Ice Bears - Knoxville Ice Bears
- Widmar Heads Back to Roanoke for 2025-26 Season - Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs
- Thunderbolts Sign Goaltender Kristian Stead - Evansville Thunderbolts
- Ice Flyers Announce Official 2025 Training Camp Roster - Pensacola Ice Flyers
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