Swamp Rabbits Acquire Will Merchant and Phil Lane

Greenville, SC – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits announced today that the organization has obtained the signing rights to forwards Will Merchant and Phil Lane for offseason negotiations. In addition, the rights to forward Spencer Dorowicz have been sent to the Cincinnati Cyclones to finalize the trade that brought Shane Walsh to Greenville on Jan. 11.

Merchant, 24, comes to Greenville from the Idaho Steelheads to complete the trade involving Jack Nevins on Mar. 7. The 6-foot-1 forward from Eagan, Minnesota has notched 94 points (38G, 56A) in 139 games over the last two seasons. He attended the University of Maine for four years before turning pro and turned in a break-out senior season. Merchant led the team with 13 goals and added nine helpers to rank second on his alma-mater in point production.

Lane, 26, becomes the final piece of a trade with the Atlanta Gladiators involving Branden Troock, who was moved down I-85 on Mar. 5. The forward led Atlanta this year with 57 points (32G, 25A) in 62 games. The sixth-year skater also earned four points (2G, 2A) in 10 AHL games with Milwaukee, Binghamton, and Cleveland. The Rochester, New York native has earned 125 points in 316 career games professionally but has recorded nearly a point per game in the ECHL.

Dorowicz, 24, played just eight games with the Swamp Rabbits after signing in the pro ranks on Mar. 21. The centerman recorded his first and only goal in his pro debut, helping the club to a victory over the Jacksonville Icemen. The 5-foot-11 skater played four seasons at Robert Morris University before turning pro, logging 145 games and tallying 59 points (23G, 36A). Walsh played 33 games with Greenville, collecting 22 points (7G, 15A) after leaving Cincinnati. The West Roxbury, Massachusetts native has played 115 games and earned 67 points (26G, 41A) in two pro seasons.

The offseason moves will begin later this month in the ECHL. Season ending rosters are due to the ECHL office on Friday. The first day to sign players for the upcoming season is set for this Saturday, Jun. 16 and Qualifying Offers will be issued on Jun. 30. Stay up to date on all the Swamp Rabbits offseason player moves at SwampRabbits.com or on our social media channels.

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