Defenseman Jacob Panetta is heading overseas to Denmark after spending the last three seasons in the ECHL, all coming with the Jacksonville Icemen. During his three years with the Icemen, he put up 18 goals and 52 assists for 70 points in 169 regular season games and added one goal and three assists for four points in 18 Kelly Cup Playoff Games. The 28-year-old defenseman had run into some issues during the 2021-22 season with the league after making a monkey gesture towards Jordan Subban, who at the time played for the South Carolina Stingrays; Panetta would be suspended for the rest of the season by the ECHL and released by the Icemen shortly after the incident. The league would reinstate Panetta in March following the successful completion of a learning experience conducted in conjunction with the National Hockey League’s Player Inclusion Committee, which would make him eligible for the 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs, where he would put up two assists in eight games.
Prior to joining the Icemen, the Ontario native spent four years at Colgate University, where he put up nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 136 games. The move to Denmark will provide Panetta with a fresh start overseas and a chance to leave his past behind him as he continues his playing career. Panetta is the first player from the Icemen to take the overseas route this Summer. Former NHLer Andrew Shaw, who played in 544 games with the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks, is one of Panetta’s cousins.
