GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Greenville Swamp Rabbits announced that they have traded a forward for a defender in a one-on-one transaction with the Idaho Steelheads. On January 2nd, the club announced that they have traded Patrick Moynihan for Chandler Romeo.
Romeo recently completed a ten-game stint with the Idaho Steelheads, where he recorded no points but accumulated ten penalty minutes and a minus-2 rating. Earlier in the season, he played five games for the Bloomington Bison, where he notched his first career point in the ECHL with an assist.
The 21-year-old is fresh out of Canada’s elite junior league, the OHL, and this is his inaugural campaign in the ECHL and professional hockey. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 207 pounds, the Cambridge, Ontario native appeared in 189 games over four seasons in the OHL, with his most recent season being 2023-24 with the Guelph Storm.
During his 68-game tenure with the Storm, Romeo scored one goal and seven assists, with 65 penalty minutes and a plus-12 rating. Over four OHL seasons, he totaled 12 goals and 31 assists, with a minus-6 rating. He also appeared in seven OHL Cup games one season, earning four points (one goal, three assists).
Meanwhile, Moynihan is in his first season in the ECHL but his second in professional hockey. This season with the Swamp Rabbits, the 23-year-old right-winger played in 27 games, collecting one goal and 14 assists.
Standing at 5-foot-11 and 183 pounds, Moynihan was a robust forechecking forward for the Swamp Rabbits, but he did not fit in well enough to avoid a trade. He first experienced professional hockey in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Chicago Wolves, playing one game last season after completing his fifth season in the NCAA for Providence College.
This trade aims to gain a big-bodied defender and address the defensive-core concerns the Rabbits have faced in recent weeks. However, a main concern is the depth and IQ of the core players. Turnovers and poor defensive zone control have plagued them against high-performing teams, and the team currently sits low in the standings.
Other Transactions
With Moynihan out and Romeo in, a forward spot opened up when Derek Osik was called up by the Swamp Rabbits from the Knoxville Ice Bears of the SPHL. Recently, the team called up two more forwards from the SPHL, Mitch Atkins and Mason Emoff.
However, Atkins was sent back down to the SPHL just a day after his Swamp Rabbits debut, with Emoff remaining on the roster for now. Osik was performing very well in the SPHL for the Ice Bears, with a plus-4 rating before the call-up, posting seven goals and 16 assists in just 24 contests. The 26-year-old center will be making his second season appearance in the ECHL. He stands at 6-foot and 176 pounds, and shoots right.
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