ECHL: Jacksonville and Indy Make Turkey Day Swap

While most folks were gathered with loved ones, enjoying a holiday feast and watching Dolly Parton rock out an NFL halftime show, the Jacksonville Icemen and Indy Fuel were attending to business. The teams announced a two-for-two style trade yesterday afternoon, with Jacksonville sending forward Anthony Petruzzelli and skater Victor Hadfield to the Indy Fuel. Jacksonville received forward Luc Brown and defenseman Kirill Chayka in return. 

The transaction can be considered a bombshell trade of sorts, with the news coming early in the afternoon catching most Icemen fans fighting off turkey naps. Petruzzelli, a recent addition to the Icemen line-up before the start of the season, immediately found a groove in Jacksonville. Through the first 13 games of the season with the Icemen, Petruzzelli registered six points, including four goals and a pair of assists. His four goals landed him amongst the Icemen’s top goal scorers, and his six points were tied for third place amongst Icemen players. A previous Kelly Cup champion with the Fort Wayne Komets, Petruzzelli’s scoring touch was welcome scoring depth on the Jacksonville roster.

Dual position player Victor Hadfield departs from the Icemen after beginning his second full season with the team this year. Hadfield joined the roster during the 2021-22 season, picking up six points in his first 16 games with the team. Last season, Hadfield saw additional playing time deployed as a forward rather than a defenseman, and posted a career-high in points with seven goals and seven assists in 44 games. Through eight games with the team this year, Hadfield has only one assist. His ability to play any side of the puck should be a welcome addition to the Fuel’s roster, as the depth the Icemen have on both the offensive and defensive side of the puck made ice time hard to come by for the multi-purpose skater.

New Team, Who Dis?

Forward Luc Brown is the first of two players the Icemen received from the Fuel in the 2-for-2 deal. Brown, a 6’0”, 190-pound right-shot winger, joins the team in the midst of his fourth season in the ECHL. He spent last season with the Fuel, posting 33 (12g, 22a) points in 46 games, and previously saw playing time with Cincinnati, Idaho, Orlando, and Greenville. Through his first 11 games this season with the Fuel, Brown has collected three goals and two assists for five points. Brown possesses a sharp shooting ability and can outwork opponents in front of the net to put rebound chances away. A former winner of the OJHL’s Most Valuable Player award, Brown will look to flourish and reach new levels in his game with the change of scenery.

Defenseman Kirill Chayka is the second new face to join the team. Standing 6’5” and weighing in at 238 pounds, Chayka adds additional size to the Icemen defense group. Now in his third season in the ECHL, Chayka spent the last couple of years in Indy. The towering blueliner registered new career highs in the league last season, scoring a pair of goals and adding 12 assists through 60 games. In his first 12 games this season, Chayka has posted a single goal. His size and strength add some brute force to the Icemen’s blueline, though he excels with his physical shutdown play along the boards.

The moves come amongst a flurry of roster changes that have occurred this week. Earlier in the week the team moved forward Nick Isaacson to the Cincinnati Cyclones in exchange for future considerations. Craig Martin also returned to the active roster after beginning the year on injured reserve and forwards Riley Fiddler-Schultz and Christopher Brown recently returned to the team after call-ups to the Rochester Americans of the AHL.