ECHL: Swamp Rabbits Forward to Play Overseas Next Season

Photo Credit: Jake Farmer/InsideTheRink

Greenville, S.C. — Now that the offseason is underway with the 2024-25 season coming up, the ECHL is seeing an influx of players going overseas for next season. Today, June 20, it was reported that Swamp Rabbits’ star forward Brett Kemp will be heading overseas to play in the ICEHL. Kemp, 24, has had a remarkable career in hockey as a left-wing forward. At just 6’0, the forward has made an impact in the ECHL — the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. First turning pro during the 2021-22 season, the Yorkton, Saskatchewan native would play two games for the Ontario Reign before getting sent down to the ECHL to play 30 games for the Swamp Rabbits. This was before Ontario was officially affiliated with the Rabbits, but stars like Jacob Ingham, Kemp, and Nikita Pavlychev, among others, would get the calls from the Reign. In his first season with the Rabbits, the 30 games played would draw him a record of 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points; for a rookie in his first season, that record isn’t bad. For the following season, Kemp would have yet another good one for Greenville – playing 46 games, tallying up 24 goals and 21 assists while getting a call-up to Ontario midseason to play four games. For last season, he would get two call-ups from two different AHL teams, the first being the San Jose Barracuda.

Before getting that call-up to California again, Kemp would play ten games and shine bright as a power forward for the Rabbits — tallying up four goals and ten assists. During his call-up, Kemp would end up playing on the second and even first line for the Barracuda and record a goal and four assists for 14 games. And then his time in California would once again end as he would get sent down to Greenville. The send-down wouldn’t affect Kemp at first, as his first game back would give him an assist. Before March 6, he would record four goals and seven assists for fourteen games. After that day, Kemp would get his last AHL call-up of the season to the Manitoba Moose, where he would play just ten games and record only a pair of assists. Unfortunately for him, he would get dumped back to Greenville to finish out the season. That final PTO conclusion would slowly weigh on him, as approaching the playoffs, we would see a downward slope of performance. And that consequently resulted in a poor playoff performance, as he played just a single game during the Orlando-Greenville round one series. The send-downs definitely got the best of Kemp. Despite his play style and impressive record, he just couldn’t make the cut for a full-time spot in the American League, and that ultimately made him go to Europe next season to play for the Vienna Capitals. In his three pro seasons, he played 112 for Greenville (112 points for 51 goals and 61 assists), six for Ontario (one assist), and 30 in total in the AHL (8 points).

The Capitals play in Vienna, Austria, at Erste Bank Arena with a seating capacity of up to 7K, and have been part of the ICEHL since 2001.

ITR 45: Everything Is Happening Inside The Rink

Join Chris and Conrad as they get you up-to-date on all the latest signings and trades heading into Free Agent Frenzy!
  1. ITR 45: Everything Is Happening
  2. ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again
  3. ITR 43: It's Winning Time
  4. ITR 42: Ripe For Repeat?
  5. ITR 41: Stanley Cup Final – The Rematch

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Jake Farmer

I'm a photographer and writer covering the ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits based in Greenville, South Carolina, and writer of Tampa Bay Lightning content. Twitter and Instagram: JakeCF.Hockey

Leave a Reply

ECHL: Cedric Desruisseaux Returns To Trois-Rivières

The Trois-Rivières Lions have signed forward Cedric Desruisseaux for the 2025-26 season. Desruisseaux, 25, has spent the 2024-25 season playing in Romania and France. In 25 games with CSM Corna Brasov, he had 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points in 25 games. He would add two goals and six assists for eight points […]

Read More

ECHL: Zach Vinnell Joins Gladiators as Assistant Coach

The Atlanta Gladiators have added a fresh voice to the coaching staff, announcing that Zach Vinnell will serve as an Assistant Coach for the 2025–26 season. The 27-year-old Cochrane, Alberta native brings a well-rounded understanding of the game, shaped by recent experience in high-intensity settings. His addition reinforces the organization’s commitment to building a competitive […]

Read More
Brandon Hawkins skating for the Toledo Walleye

ECHL: Brandon Hawkins Re-Signs with Toledo Walleye

The Toledo Walleye have faced significant roster changes this offseason, with several key players moving on. However, one cornerstone remains firmly in place — two-time consecutive ECHL MVP Brandon Hawkins. The star forward is returning for his fifth season with the Walleye, bringing his elite talent and leadership back to the pond. A Look Back […]

Read More