(Photo Courtesy of the Worcester Railers)
The Worcester Railers and Head Coach & General Manager Nick Tuzzolino announced that the club has re-signed forward Cole Donhauser to an ECHL contract for the 2025-26 season.
The 25-year-old Donhauser comes to Worcester following his rookie season with the Railers in the 2024-25 campaign.
In his first full professional season, the Buffalo, N.Y. native played in 71 games for Worcester, which was tied for third-most on the team. He had 29 points (10-19-29) in the 2024-25 season along with a -6 rating and 92 penalty minutes.
Donhauser led all rookies in the ECHL in shorthanded points with five (2-3-5). His three assists were first among rookies as well.
"Cole was probably our unsung hero last year," Tuzzolino said in a news release. "He was a guy that we could rely on every single night and get top effort with some really good results. I expect him to take huge strides this year both on the ice and in the locker room with our leadership. He is the definition of what the Worcester Railers are all about."
Donhauser started the 2023-24 season in the Elite Ice Hockey League with the Coventry Blaze, playing in seven games and notching two assists. He joined the Idaho Steelheads midway through the season for two games before being traded to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
With Greenville, he scored seven points (2-5-7) in 12 games.
Prior to professional hockey, the 6-foot, 190-pound forward spent four years playing NCAA hockey with the Yale University Bulldogs.
In 80 games with Yale, Donhauser scored 30 points (12-18-30) to go with 85 penalty minutes. He played with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League during the 2018-19 season, where he scored 42 points (17-25-42) in 56 games.
“For me last year, the second half I had felt like I really started to find my game," Donhauser stated. "I'm really hoping to keep that going into this year and have a better start to the season both as a team and individually."
The Railers have announced four players officially signed for the 2025-26 season, as Donhauser joins Tyson Gilmour, Lincoln Hatten, and Anthony Repaci as the fourth signee of the season. More announcements are expected over the coming weeks.