O’HARA AND MODRY SIGN ON FOR ANOTHER SEASON IN GREENVILLE

(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and AHL’s Ontario Reign, announced today via Swamp Rabbit Moving Transactions that rookie forward Ryan O’Hara and third-year defenseman Jacob Modry have both re-signed with the Swamp Rabbits for the 2025-26 ECHL Season.

O’Hara and Modry now make it 10 players, eight returning, announced for the upcoming campaign, joining Dustin Geregach, Tristan De Jong, Ryan O’Reilly, Liam Finlay, Austin Saint, Brent Pedersen, Ben Poisson, and Jordan Power.

O’Hara comes back to the Swamp Rabbits after first turning professional with the team towards the end of last season. The 5’10”, 190-pound forward made his professional debut on March 21^st at South Carolina and followed with his first career goal in a road win at Atlanta on March 29^th. He finished the season with his goal and a pair of assists in ten games, the helpers coming on both goals in a monumental 2-1 upset of the Stingrays at home to end their 17-game win streak.

“The city was amazing. Between the fans, a great group of guys, an awesome place to live, and a great organization, this is a place that you want to win in,” O’Hara said of returning for his first professional season. “The ten games I played were all about learning and meshing with the professional game. I had heard nothing but great things from former players and guys on the team I knew previously. It was an environment that allows you to focus on hockey and winning games. Coach Costello seems like he’s serious about winning and developing talent, which excites me a ton as we near training camp and plays into what we’re trying to build here. This year is all about winning. We need to go into every game with confidence to develop and win, and it all starts in training camp in October.”

“Ryan is a talented young player with a bright future in hockey. It’s great to have him back in the fold,” Chad Costello, Swamp Rabbits Head Coach/GM said of O’Hara’s re-signing. “He’s coming off a good start to his pro career and a great college career, earning a captaincy at Bowling Green State. Ryan is a forward that can be used in every situation because he can skate and is fearless in competing with the ability to outwork anyone. It will be really fun to coach him, and for our fans, he’ll be really fun to watch this season.”

From Oakville, Ontario, O’Hara, 24, joined the Swamp Rabbits after the conclusion of his final NCAA season with Bowling Green State University, where he captained the Falcons and met or surpassed career-highs with 11 goals, 22 assists, and 33 points in 36 games. In total, he earned 36 goals, 53 assists, and 89 points in his 131 games with BGSU. Before going to the NCAA, he played one USHL season with the Waterloo Black Hawks (52gp, 16g-15ast-31pts), and parts of three seasons in the OJHL, primarily spent with his hometown Oakville Blades. With the Blades, O’Hara finished just shy of a career point-per-game average (104gp, 101pts), and captured the 2019 OJHL Championship and Dudley Hewitt Cup.

Modry returns to the Swamp Rabbits for his third professional season. The 6’6”, 216-pound blue-liner earned three points, his first as a Swamp Rabbit, by virtue of a goal and pair of assists. His first point came via assist in a shutout win of Jacksonville on December 19^th, and his first goal bookended his point total on March 8^th at Orlando. At the conclusion of the season, Modry was nominated as a finalist for ECHL Community Player of the Year for his commitment to the Upstate community through appearances and charitable initiatives.

“There are many reasons to return to this great organization, but the main reason is unfinished business. We won the division in 2024 and fell short last season, so there’s lots of unfinished business for myself and this team,” Modry explained of the decision to come back for year three. “I learned a ton about myself last season, but the biggest thing is bringing consistency, not just on the ice with my play, but bringing energy and passion every day that I wear this sweater. I want to continue getting better every single day. I can see a winning team in Greenville this season. Our culture is only getting stronger. Coach Costello isn’t just an ECHL legend as a player, but he’s also an accomplished and well respected coach. I personally have a fire to add to that culture both on and off the ice this season that he’s building. As a team, we need to bring a consistent ‘A’ game every night and give the fans the very best version of ourselves. Greenville is my home, and I’m excited to run it back as a Swamp Rabbit.” 

“Jacob’s commitment to this organization is remarkable. Year three can be a great one for him based on all the work he’s done for our team and community,” Costello added of Modry’s return. “Jacob is a defender that every team needs: he brings a ton of size and toughness and is hard to play against. When you talk to Modes, you can tell he’s from a hockey family. Everything is team-first with him, which is a key attribute our organization and team stand for.”

From El Segundo, California, Modry, 26, was acquired by the Swamp Rabbits in December of 2024 in a trade, and since then has played 54 games representing Greenville. Prior to his arrival in the Upstate, he played with the Newfoundland Growlers and Savannah Ghost Pirates, making his pro debut with the latter in 2022, bringing 77 games and eight points (3g-5ast) back for his third campaign. Before turning professional, Modry played four years of collegiate hockey: his first two with the NCAA’s Merrimack College, and his final two with SUNY-Plattsburgh in NCAA-III. With Plattsburgh, he was a two-time All-Conference Team selection (2022 Third Team, 2023 First Team) and earned AHCA Third-Team All-American honors and the SUNYAC Championship in 2023. Prior to college, Modry played three seasons with the BCHL’s Wenatchee Wild, winning the 2018 BCHL Championship. He is the son of Jaroslav Modry, current Assistant Coach with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, who won the 1995 Calder Cup Championship and played 725 NHL games over 13 seasons, the vast majority of which came with the Los Angeles Kings.

###

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.