Former Minnesota Duluth standout Ryan Fanti joins the organization on a one-year deal, providing veteran stability for the IronHawks while bolstering the Islanders’ goaltending hierarchy for 2026.
Per Tony Androckitis over at Inside AHL Hockey, the Hamilton Hammers have come to terms with unrestricted free agent netminder Ryan Fanti on a one-year deal.
The Hockey News can confirm that report, per league sources.
Given the New York Islanders' signing of Vitek Vanecek as their insurance policy for Semyon Varlamov, their addition of Joshua Kotai at the end of the 2025-26 season, and the pending return of pending restricted free agent Henrik Tikannen, the belief is that Fanti will begin the season in the ECHL with the Trenton IronHawks.
Fanti, who serves as the organization's Parker Gahagen replacement, played his college hockey at Minnesota Duluth from 2020 to 2022 before turning pro.
He spent two seasons with the Bakersfield Condors, the Edmonton Oilers' AHL affiliate, but spent more time in the ECHL with the Fort Wayne Komets.
Fanti then joined Mathieu Darche's former organization, the Tampa Bay Lightning, playing the last two seasons there. He split time between the ECHL's Orlando Thunderbirds and Syracuse Crunch, the AHL affilaite, in 2024-25 before spending the entire 2025-26 season in Syracuse.
He went 13-12-1 this past season, with a 2.41 GAA and a .905 SV% with two shutouts.
