Sam Jardine, defenseman, has announced that he will be heading overseas and has signed with Hydro Fehérvár AV19 in Hungary for the 2024-25 season. Throughout his career, Jardine has demonstrated his talents in various leagues, beginning with his collegiate years at Ohio State in the NCAA and later playing professionally for multiple teams in the ECHL and AHL.
During his most recent season, Jardine split his time between the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in the ECHL and the Calgary Wranglers in the AHL. After beginning the season with the Wranglers, he returned to the Swamp Rabbits in late March. Standing at 6’2”, 210 pounds, the defenseman played 14 games for his hometown AHL team, contributing three assists during his time there. Throughout his career in the AHL, he has competed for several other teams in addition to the Wranglers, including the Toronto Marlies, San Antonio Rampage, and the Rockford Ice Hogs. Over the course of 85 games, he has accumulated a total of four goals, 12 assists, and 16 points.
Jardine previously played for the Swamp Rabbits in the 2020-21season and was a key piece in the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals, rattling off 44 points (3g-41ast) in 67 regular season games and adding another goal in six Kelly Cup Playoff contests. For his efforts that season, he was named an ECHL First Team All-Star. In addition to his two stints with the Swamp Rabbits, Jardine played with several other ECHL teams, including the Indy Fuel (2015-16), Colorado Eagles (2016-17), Orlando Solar Bears (2017-18), and the Newfoundland Growlers (2018-19). Throughout his career, Jardine achieved numerous accolades, including winning two ECHL Kelly Cup Championships. He clinched his first title with the Colorado Eagles in 2017 and secured his most recent championship during the inaugural season of the Newfoundland Growlers in 2019.
Jardine has a varied background in European hockey, as he has competed in multiple leagues, including the ICEHL, Liiga, and the EIHL. In the 2022-23 season, he was a part of the Cardiff Devils (EIHL) team, where he would amass 12 points by scoring four goals and assisting eight others over 33 games. In total, he has played 134 games abroad, scoring 14 goals and providing 29 assists for a combined total of 43 points.
The first match for Hydro Fehérvár of the 2024-25 season will take place on September 12, 2024, at the Alba Arena.
