Greenville, S.C. — The Greenville Swamp Rabbits continued building their 2024-25 roster today, making a significant signing in bringing back Miles Gendron.
About Gendron
Gendron, 28 years old, played for the Swamp Rabbits during the 2022-23 season after finishing a short 19-game season in Norway (three goals, five assists). He will be entering his sixth season in the ECHL as a left-handed defenseman. The 6-foot-2, 187-pound defenseman from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, recently played a season in the EIHL for the Belfast Giants, where he played in 19 games and recorded only an assist. During that season for Belfast, Gendron managed to participate in the EIHL Cup, where he played in only six games, notching four assists.
His ECHL Campaign
The 28-year-old is somewhat of a veteran defenseman. During the 2022-23 season, when he played for Greenville, Gendron participated in 19 regular season games, with some games being played with an alternate captain’s crest. He accumulated two goals and one assist. For the 2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs, which consisted of only a single round against the Jacksonville Icemen, Gendron appeared in four games and accumulated two assists, with no penalty minutes committed.
Prior to re-joining the Swamp Rabbits, Gendron accumulated five seasons of experience in the ECHL. His inaugural season was during the 2018–19 season with the Brampton Beast, where he made only four appearances and recorded an assist. His initial appearance in professional hockey came after he had completed four seasons at the University of Connecticut (NCAA).
After his first four games for the Beast, he re-signed with the team. During the 2019-20 season for the Beast, Gendron appeared in only 21 games, posting two goals and six assists before getting traded to the Reading Royals. It is worth mentioning that on Oct. 27, 2019, Gendron appeared in his first American Hockey League (AHL) game for the Belleville Senators; he only played one game during that season. After he was traded to Reading, his campaign with the Royals was short, as he only played in four games before getting traded to another team, the Newfoundland Growlers.
During his tenure with the Growlers, Gendron played seven games, his final game being on Mar. 10 against his former team, the Beast. Due to COVID-19 ravaging North America, the ECHL terminated the remainder of the 2020 regular season and 2020 Kelly Cup Playoffs, which is why he did not finish the regular season.
“I loved my time in Greenville. The facilities are great, the fans are top notch, and my wife and I love the city. The familiarity of the team and strong culture make me feel at home here at this stage of my career, so I’m excited to come back and continue to build with the Swamp Rabbits,” Gendron stated of his return to the Upstate. “Belfast is a storied program, winning 10 of the last 12 trophies heading into last year, so I was able to learn a lot about the game and what I can bring to a team as a leader and player. I’ve had great conversations with the coaching staff and my current teammates I’m returning to regarding the culture of our organization, so that’s exciting to look forward to. I expect more of the same from the last time I played here: four straight playoff appearances don’t happen by accident, so I expect us to continue striving for excellence and put ourselves in situations to win this season.”
-Gendron on re-joining the Swamp Rabbits (Via Greenville Swamp Rabbits Press Release)
In his third season in the ECHL, Gendron played for the Utah Grizzlies during the 2020–21 season. During that season, he participated in 46 games for the Grizzlies, where he recorded his best season in the ECHL with 15 points from seven goals and eight assists. Gendron also had the opportunity to play in 15 games for the Colorado Eagles due to a call-up, starting on Feb. 13 against the San Diego Gulls. He accumulated two goals and one assist for the Eagles.
Continuing the season in the 2021 Kelly Cup playoffs, Gendron appeared in only three games for the Grizzlies, contributing no points. In the 2021-22 season, he extended his campaign with Utah, where he appeared in 34 regular season games. Gendron contributed five goals and seven assists for 12 points. He was also an alternate captain for his team. In the 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs, the defenseman had his highest participation in playoff games in the ECHL, playing in ten games and recording five assists.
After accumulating five seasons of experience in the ECHL, Gendron has appeared in 135 games, with a record of 46 points from 18 goals and 28 assists. He brings value as an experienced defenseman who has leadership capabilities on and off the ice. Gendron will make his sixth-season appearance in the ECHL and second season for the Swamp Rabbits.
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits will commence the 2024-25 regular season at home ice on Oct. 18 against the Orlando Solar Bears and will host a single preseason game on Oct. 9 against the South Carolina Stingrays.
