Greenville, S.C. – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits announced that forward Austen Brassard has signed with the team for the 2018-19 season.
The veteran brings nearly 300 games of professional experience to Greenville and played all of the 2017-18 campaign with the Toledo Walleye.
Brassard, 25, was one of the Walleye’s top contributors last season, earning 34 points (10g-24a) in 61 games. He also ranked third on the roster with 75 penalty minutes during the regular season. He was a key piece of Toledo’s postseason run, netting a team leading eight points (3g-5a) in 10 Kelly Cup Playoff contests. In the last two seasons, Brassard has played 100 ECHL contests and posted 63 points (19g-44a) in stints with Toledo and the Utah Grizzlies.
The Windsor, Ontario native enters his sixth year of professional hockey and has logged 199 games in the American Hockey League. Brassard turned pro in 2013 after being drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in 2011 and laced up with the St. John’s IceCaps. Over the next three seasons with the Jets’ AHL affiliates, St. John’s and Manitoba, Brassard totaled 59 points (24g-35a). In the 2016-17 season, he played an additional 20 games for the San Diego Gulls and tallied four points (2g-2a).
Before turning pro, Brassard played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, suiting up with the Windsor Spitfires and Belleville Bulls. In 256 games, he collected 147 points (70g-77a). The winger also represented Canada at the 2011 IIHF U18 World Championship and won gold at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.