The Utah Grizzlies are proud to announce that forward Dylan Fitze is returning for the 2025-26 season. The 32-year-old right-shot right winger has appeared in 192 regular-season games with Utah, scoring 51 goals and 53 assists for 104 points. He has been clutch in big games for the Grizzlies, scoring 12 points (9-3-12) in 24 playoff games. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound Fitze brings a great deal of experience to the club as he has played in 323 professional games, scoring 80 goals and 75 assists. “I’m super excited to be returning to Utah for another season,” Fitze stated. “This is a special place for me and there’s nothing I want more than to bring a championship to our fans that are so deserving.” Fitze, a Peterborough, Ont. native, ranks 7th in the Grizzlies ECHL [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/]era in games played (192), 7th with 51 goals and 9th with 104 points. When he hits the ice for the first time in the 2025-26 season, he will become the fourth player in team history to appear in games in five different seasons. “Dylan brings a veteran presence and leadership to the Grizzlies,” Erik Hudson, President of Hockey Operations for the Grizzlies, said in a news release. “He and I have had some great conversations since the signing period opened and it made complete sense to have Dylan be a large part of this organization for the 2025-2026 season. We both share the same goals, which is to win the Kelly Cup and to honor the Grizzlies’ faithful, including the late Kevin Bruder, with a wonderful hockey season.” Earlier this week, the club parted ways [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/utah-grizzlies-announce-departure-of-head-coach-ryan-kinasewich]with head coach Ryan Kinasewich, and also announced [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/grizzlies-exploring-potential-sale-and-relocation]they are pursuing a potential sale and relocation at some point in the future. The re-signing of Fitze is great news in an otherwise tumultuous week for the club. The Grizzlies will announce the coaching staff for the 2025-26 season later this week. (Photo Courtesy of the Utah Grizzlies)
