JOSHUA KARLSSON RETURNS, ARVID CADEROTH ACQUIRED IN TRADE

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, announced today that rookie defenseman Joshua Karlsson has returned to the Swamp Rabbits for the 2024-25 ECHL Season. Additionally, the Swamp Rabbits have acquired rookie forward Arvid Caderoth and future considerations from the Fort Wayne Komets in exchange for forward Brannon McManus.

Karlsson is the second defenseman announced to the Swamp Rabbits roster, joining Max Coyle, who was announced last Thursday. Caderoth joins Austin Saint, Colton Young, and Ben Poisson on the forward lines.

Karlsson joined the Swamp Rabbits last season via a trade with the Kansas City Mavericks for future considerations. Standing at a towering 6’9” and weighing 225 pounds, the blue-liner played one game with the Swamp Rabbits on February 25^th against Rapid City before returning home to Sweden, with his rights suspended for retention. Before coming to the Upstate, Karlsson played 14 games with the Mavericks, scoring in his ECHL debut on January 19^th against Utah. He also racked up 7 assists in 20 SPHL games with the Knoxville Ice Bears and began the year in his native Sweden with Lindlövens IF in HockeyEttan, earning another four helpers in 10 games.

“Joshua showed us a lot during his brief time here last season. Most importantly, he’s bought into his development and is willing to put the time and effort into improving. This, among many reasons, is why we feel he has a chance to continue to develop and work his way into the lineup,” Kyle Mountain, Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations explained. “Josh is very long and moves well for a player his size so he will take up a lot of space defensively. He uses his size and reach well and will surely be difficult to play against at the net front. He has great foundations as a player and there's a very high ceiling on his potential, so the opportunity to work with him from the start of camp is exciting. He has a great attitude and work ethic, which makes the focus with him this season reinforcing those qualities and providing guidance on how to improve his game.”

“I’m super excited to come back to Greenville. I know what I’m coming into: the city, the fans, and the organization, which made for a great scenario to come back for this season,” Karlsson said of his return to the Swamp Rabbits. “Last season was a great experience, my first year in North America. I had to the pleasure to meet great people, saw many places, and learned so much about myself as a player. This offseason, I did a lot of off-ice work, with my goal being to be prepared to win. I know it will be a challenge, but that is my expectation, in addition to enjoying the ride and playing some great hockey along the way.”

Hailing from Örebro, Sweden, Karlsson, 23, preceded his time in North America playing in all three levels of professional hockey in Sweden. He totaled 29 points in 116 games across the Swedish Hockey League, HockeyAllsvenskan, and HockeyEttan since he was 19 years old.

Caderoth joins the Swamp Rabbits following his professional debut at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. The 6’5”, 220-pound forward played in four games with an even rating for the Fort Wayne Komets, making his professional debut on April 7^th in a 4-2 win at Kalamazoo. Before lacing up in Indiana, Caderoth completed his senior year with Michigan Tech in the NCAA, earning seven goals and 13 points in 35 games. He captained the Huskies to their first conference tournament championship in six years and led them to their third consecutive NCAA Tournament.

“Arvid will bring a lot of size and stability down the middle for us. When discussing Arvid and possibly bringing him into the fold, the word ‘reliable’ was used consistently: he values the defensive side of the puck, and adds a lot of  value on the penalty kill as well. He has a ton of potential as a player and should step in and make an immediate impact for us,” Mountain continued on Caderoth’s acquisition. “While at Michigan Tech, Arvid was consistently matching against opponent's top lines, so he is used to playing a shutdown type role. Size like his down the middle is extremely valuable. Arvid will help us defend low in our end, and offensively will be a tough matchup out of the corners and at the net front. He thinks the game so well positionally, which will only translate into a really well-rounded game for our lineup.”

“I’ve heard so many great things about this organization, the fans, and the city, so I cannot wait to put on a Swamp Rabbits sweater,” Caderoth explained of joining Greenville. “In my limited time in Fort Wayne, I learned how different the pro game is from college. I learned to play more physical and structured, which will make it easier for my transition to Greenville. As a player, I am a big two-way center that focuses on the defensive side of the puck. I take pride in what I do in the faceoff circle do whatever it takes to help the team win. I expect to develop, learn, and compete hard as we pursue a Kelly Cup this season.”

From Göteborg, Sweden, Caderoth, 24, earned 56 points (15g-41ast) in 140 games over four seasons with Michigan Tech, serving as captain in his junior and senior seasons. In addition to winning the 2024 CCHA Conference Tournament Championship, he was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team in 2021. Prior to playing in college, Caderoth played 33 games over two seasons with Hanhals IF in HockeyEttan, and spent the vast majority of his junior hockey in his native Sweden with Frölunda HC in the J20 SuperElit and J18 levels. With Frölunda HC, he won back-to-back J18 Bronze Medals in 2017 and 2018.

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About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits …
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team have been providing family friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly the Greenville Road Warriors, the Swamp Rabbits are the highest-level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina. The Swamp Rabbits are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's LA Kings and the AHL's Ontario Reign. Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League.