Makara, Arvanitis join Mariners

PORTLAND, Maine – The Maine Mariners continued building their 2023-24 preseason roster, adding forward Branden Makara and goaltender Brad Arvanitis for the 2023-24 season. 

Makara is a 26-year-old forward from Ottawa, Ontario who split time between the Orlando Solar Bears and Southern Professional Hockey League’s Pensacola Ice Flyers in 2022-23. In 16 games for Orlando, he had three points (2g-1a) while he added nine points (7g-2a) in 25 games with Pensacola.

Makara played collegiately for Colorado College from 2016-18 and the University of Ottawa from 2020-22. He spent his junior hockey career in the Central Canadian Hockey League, playing for the Gloucester Rangers and Cumberland Grads. In his final season of 2015-16, he posted 64 points (25g-39a) in 60 games.

Arvanitis turned pro in the spring of 2022, when he joined the Rapid City Rush. His career got off to a strong start, as he posted a 3-1-1 record with a 2.80 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. In 2022-23, he appeared for three ECHL teams: Rapid City, Tulsa and Wichita while spending most of the season in the SPHL, also with Pensacola. There, he went 9-6-2, with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.

Prior to turning pro, Arvanitis collected multiple awards during his career at Babson College, including NCAA DIII (ACHA) Third Team All-American and NEHC Second Team All-Conference in 2019-20. He was also named to the NEHC All-Tournament team in 2021-22, as Babson won the conference championship.