Swamp Rabbits ink returning defenseman Chad Duchesne

Greenville, S.C. –The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, ECHL affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, announced that defenseman Chad Duchesne will be returning for the 2017-18 season.

Duchesne, 22, recorded three points (1g-2a) in 38 games played in his rookie campaign and suited up in one game during the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The blue liner scored his first professional goal on Dec. 2, 2016, during the seventh annual Teddy Bear Toss game. The rookie celebrated as the crowd threw over 2,800 stuffed animals onto the ice to benefit the Toys for Tots program. Duchesne’s goal propelled the team to a 5-4 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays and capped a five-game win streak.

Prior to his time with the Swamp Rabbits, Duchesne started his Ontario Hockey League career with the Kingston Frontenacs in 2014. During his time in the OHL, the Inverary, Ontario native scored 44 points (8g-36a). His 32 points (7g-25a) in 2015-16 ranked third among Kingston defensemen. Before entering the OHL, he was the top-scoring defenseman for the Sioux Falls Stampede and ranked in the top-15 among all USHL defensemen in the 2013-14 season.