The Idaho Steelheads have announced that they have signed 5’5″ forward Danny Dzhaniyev for the 2025-26 season. He is currently the shortest player in the ECHL under contract for the 2025-26 season.
Junior and Collegiate Career
Danny Dzhaniyev spent his junior career playing in the USHL with the USNTDP team. He also spent part of his time playing for the US National U17 and U18 teams. With the USNTDP team, Dzhaniyev played in 49 games, where he had six goals and five assists for 11 points. With the U17 and U18 teams, Dzhaniyev played in 98 games, where he had 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points. He then spent his final year of juniors playing with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL. Dzhaniyev registered 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points in 49 games with the Fighting Saints.
The Brooklyn, New York native then started his collegiate career playing Division I hockey at Penn State. In his four seasons with the Nittany Lions, Dzhaniyev played in 146 games, where he had 34 goals and 59 assists for 93 points. In the 2024-25 season, Dzhaniyev played in 40 games, where he had 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points. Dzhaniyev also served as an alternate captain in the 2024-25 season.
Danny Dzhaniyev is a smaller forward, but that does not make him any less of a threat on the ice. Dzhaniyev is able to get to the front of the net, picking up rebounds. He is also able to read the ice extremely well and find ways to get open, so his teammates are able to set him up to score, or he is able to set up his teammates to score. With the 2025-26 season being Dzhaniyev’s first professional season, it may take him some time to settle in and figure out the ECHL style of play, but once he has adjusted, he should be a pretty good forward for the Steelheads.
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