Goalie Luke Richardson will suit up once again for Greenville this coming season.
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits have their first goaltender this offseason after announcing the signing of Luke Richardson for the 2024-25 season.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound native of Barrie, Ontario completed his first pro season in 2023-24. In 12 regular-season games with the Swamp Rabbits, he posted a 7-1-1 record with a 2.19 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and one shutout.
That shutout was a big one, coming January 27 at Florida against the Everblades, making Greenville the fastest team to 30 victories in a regular season in franchise history.
Richardson finished the regular season with a 5-1 win over the Savannah Ghost Pirates April 14, clinching the 2024 South Division title for the Swamp Rabbits. He won both his Kelly Cup Playoff appearances with a 2.38 GAA and .936 SV%.
"Greenville is a great city," Richardson said following the club's announcement of his signing. "The guys we've had on the team the last two seasons I've been here are some of the best I've played with as people. We've built a culture of excitement coming to the rink every day to work, and with coach (Kyle) Mountain coming back as head coach, it makes for a great situation to return to. You want to be in net playing every game, but I learned last season to worry about what I could do to better the team and not worry about things out of my control."
The 25-year-old Richardson began his professional career at the end of the 2022-23 season, first in three games with the Belleville Senators of the AHL, where he went 0-1-1 with a 3.99 GAA and .873 SV%. The Swamp Rabbits then picked him up, and Richardson won both games he started, earning his first pro win against the Orlando Solar Bears on April 8, 2023.
All told, Richardson is 9-1-1 as a Swamp Rabbit in 14 regular-season contests with a 2.07 GAA and .935 SV% plus a shutout. In four career Kelly Cup Playoff appearances, he sports a 2-2 record.
Richardson also played four seasons of Canadian college hockey at Queens University in USports, posting a career mark of 33-26-1 in 62 games to go with six shutouts, a 2.26 GAA and .917 SV%.
In his junior season with the Gaels, Richardson captured the 2022 OUA East Goaltender of the Year Award, posting a 10-1-0 record, 1.34 GAA and USports-leading .944 SV% and three shutouts. He was also named to the OUA East First All-Star Team and USports All-Canadian Second Team that year.
Prior to college, Richardson played four seasons of junior hockey with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, where he went 62-40-6 in 112 games.
Richardson wants to continue bringing positivity to the rink every day and hopes to see more game action next season. His best quality, according to Mountain, is preparation.
"It allows) him to step in whenever needed while also setting a great example for our group day in and day out," Mountain said. "Preparation breeds confidence, and Luke is a prime example of that with his outstanding practice habits."
Richardson joins 10 other Greenville teammates who have signed this offseason, including defensemen Max Coyle, Joshua Karlsson, Jacob Modry, Logan Britt and Bobby Russell. At forward, the Swamp Rabbits have signed Austin Saint, Been Freeman, Ben Poisson, Arvid Caderoth and Colton Young, the latter of which signed a deal with the AHL's Ontario Reign last week.