LUKE RICHARDSON RE-SIGNS WITH SWAMP RABBITS

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, announced today that second-year goaltender Luke Richardson has re-signed with the Swamp Rabbits for the 2024-25 ECHL Season.

Richardson is the first goaltender announced this offseason, and joins ten prior teammates announced this offseason: defensemen Max Coyle, Joshua Karlsson, Jacob Modry, Logan Britt, and Bobby Russell, and forwards Austin Saint, Ben Freeman, Ben Poisson, Arvid Caderoth, and Colton Young, the latter of which signed an AHL deal with the Ontario Reign last week.

Richardson recently completed his first full season as a professional in the 2023-24 campaign. The 6’3”, 180-pound net-minder posted a 7-1-1 record in 12 regular season games, with a shutout, a 2.19 GAA, and a 0.931 SV%. His shutout, the first of his professional career on January 27^th at Florida, helped the Swamp Rabbits become the fastest team to 30 wins in a regular season in franchise history, achieving the mark in just 42 regular season games. Richardson closed out the campaign backstopping the final game of the regular season, a 5-1 win against Savannah on April 14^th, which helped the Swamp Rabbits claim the 2024 South Division Championship. Additionally, he played in two Kelly Cup playoff games, winning both to go along with a 2.38 GAA and 0.936 SV%.

“Greenville is a great city. The guys we’ve had on the team the last two seasons I’ve been here are some of the best I’ve played with as people. We’ve built a culture of excitement coming to the rink every day to work, and with Coach Mountain coming back as Head Coach, it makes for a great situation to return to,” Richardson said of coming back to Greenville. “You want to be in net playing every game, but I learned last season to worry about what I could do to better the team and not worry about things out of my control. I expect us to contend hard in defending our South Division title and take that next step in making a deep playoff run. With the group we have coming back, I have no doubt that we can accomplish that and then some. My goal is to play more and continue to bring positivity to the rink and position and be a leader for this team as we pursue a Kelly Cup Championship.”

“Luke is a very important piece to this team. He has proven himself on the ice each opportunity that he gets, and off the ice he is an outstanding teammate who leads by example daily,” Kyle Mountain, Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations said of re-signing Richardson. “To me, Luke's preparation is his most important characteristic, both allowing him to step in whenever needed while also setting a great example for our group day in and day out. Preparation breeds confidence and Luke is a prime example of that with his outstanding practice habits. I've also always been extremely impressed by Luke's mental toughness and approach in general. He's been given some tall tasks, and his ability to step in and not only play great but instill confidence in the rest of the group is special. Luke is a key piece to our team, and I’m excited to have him back for another year.” 

Hailing from Barrie, Ontario, Richardson, 25, broke into the professional ranks at the end of the 2022-23 season, first in three games with the AHL’s Belleville Senators, going 0-1-1 with a 3.99 GAA and 0.873 SV%. He was then picked up by the Swamp Rabbits and won both games he started, earning his first professional win on April 8, 2023, against Orlando. With the Swamp Rabbits, Richardson has a near-perfect 9-1-1 record in 14 regular season games, sporting an all-time 2.07 GAA and 0.935 SV% with a shutout, and an additional 2-2 record in four Kelly Cup Playoff games. 

Prior to turning professional, Richardson played four seasons of Canadian college hockey with Queens University in USports, posting a lifetime record of 33-26-1 in 62 games with six shutouts, a 2.26 GAA and 0.917 SV%. As a junior with the Gaels, Richardson compiled a blistering 10-1-0 record in 11 games with three shutouts, a 1.34 GAA, and USports leading 0.944 SV%, claiming 2022 OUA East Goaltender of the Year, OUA East First All-Star Team, and USports All-Canadian Second Team honors. Richardson was also selected to the OUA East All-Rookie Team in 2020 and preceded his collegiate career with four seasons in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers, going 62-40-6 in 112 games.

###

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.