(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 a Swamp Rabbit Moving Transaction that the team has acquired the rights to forward Colton Young from the Kalamazoo Wings for future considerations. Following his acquisition, he signed to play for the Swamp Rabbits for the 2026-27 ECHL Season.

Young returns to the Swamp Rabbits for his second stint, joining newcomers Cade McNelly, Blake Bennett, Trevor Janicke, Peter Tischke, and Mike O’Leary. He also teams up with returners Jake Murray, Jack Brackett, Josh Zary, Neil Shea, Ryan O’Reilly, Jake Percival, Connor Milburn, and Hudson Schandor.

Young comes back to the Swamp Rabbits following a brief stint with the Kalamazoo Wings last year. The 6’0”, 185-pound forward laced up twice for the K-Wings before an injury sidelined him for the season. 

Young last played for the Swamp Rabbits in the 2024-25 campaign while on contract with the Ontario Reign and earned 25 points (12g-13ast) in 40 games. He was then reassigned to the Norfolk Admirals for the remainder of the campaign, earning six more points in 11 contests and an additional five points in 11 Kelly Cup Playoff games, falling the 2025 North Division Finals to the eventual Kelly Cup Champion Trois-Rivieres Lions.

“When I reflect, Greenville is such an important place in my career and life. It’s great city, and playing for the Swamp Rabbits has been such a great experience. When the opportunity presented itself to come back, I had to jump on it. I’m so excited to be a Swamp Rabbit again,” Young said of his return to Greenville. “My conversations with Coach Costello have been great, and that’s one of the many reasons I’m excited to come here. Everyone I’ve spoken to that’s played with him or for him speaks so highly of his IQ and character. To have the opportunity to learn from and be guided by one of the most prolific scorers in our league’s history only adds to my eagerness to return.

“Since I was last in Greenville, there was much learning to be done. I really had the opportunity to grow up through professional hockey, between playing in a deep playoff run and battling back from the injury I sustained last season. The biggest takeaway I’ve had, through the ups and downs, is to continue to love to play hockey,” Young concluded. “For me personally, I want to get back to playing like me, especially after a long time out. I need to take things one game at a time and I know success will come. We have a great team coming in, so the other, and most obvious expectation, is to win and go on a long playoff run. I can’t wait to come back and get started.”

“Colton is a great addition to our forward group, and when the opportunity came to acquire him, we took it knowing the caliber of player we were getting,” Chad Costello, Swamp Rabbits Head Coach/GM said of getting Young. “Colton has a great offensive side to his game, and his skating is powerful. What’s most important about getting Colton, however, is how much he’s learned over the last two seasons. He played in a competitive playoff run, had success with an advanced contract, and faced adversity with his injury. If he applies the best of what he’s learned from the highs and lows, he will be even more effective than we believe he can be. We’re excited to welcome him back home this October.”

From Calgary, AB, Young, 27, enters his fourth professional season, with the majority of his experience coming in the ECHL ranks. He previously played for the Swamp Rabbits from 2023-2025, making his professional debut with a pair of assists on April 7, 2023, against Orlando, a 7-3 win that clinched a playoff spot for the team. Since then, Young factored in 83 games as a Swamp Rabbit (19g-26ast-45pts), and coupled with his other ECHL stints and 19 AHL games with Ontario, holds 115 professional games to his credit. Prior to turning professional, he skated four seasons in NCAA college hockey with Colgate University, earning 34 goals, 48 assists, and 82 points in 134 contests. In his senior season, he helped lead the Raiders to the 2023 ECAC Championship. His brother, Alex, recently earned an AHL contract with the Calgary Wranglers following a career year with the Atlanta Gladiatiors last season. 

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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.