ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs announced on Thursday that Roanoke forward Austen Swankler has been called up to the ECHL’s Iowa Heartlanders.
Swankler is in his first professional season, beginning this year in the ECHL. The 23-year-old started the year with the Fort Wayne Komets, and was traded to the Worcester Railers on November 10 before the Railers then moved him to the Cincinnati Cyclones on November 11. Swankler recorded three goals, one assist, 12 penalty minutes, and a plus-three rating in nine combined games with the Komets and Cyclones. Swankler signed with Roanoke back on December 11, but was placed on team suspension on December 13 due to personal reasons before he could make his debut for the Dawgs. Swankler would make his debut for the Dawgs on January 31 on Pensacola, and tallied two goals, four assists, six penalty minutes, and a plus-two rating for Roanoke in six games before earning his call-up today to Iowa. Swankler will join fellow Roanoke rookie Timmy Kent, who was called up to Iowa on December 20 and has since notched two goals and three assists in 14 games for the Heartlanders. Before turning pro, Swankler played three seasons of college hockey (NCAA-DI) with Bowling Green State University and Michigan Tech. The left-shot forward recorded 27 goals, 46 assists, 67 penalty minutes, and a plus-one rating in 81 career college games, with his best season coming in 2022-2023 for Bowling Green as he racked up 19 goals and 25 assists in just 35 games played. The North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania native played high-level junior hockey, suiting up in a full season in both the OHL (Erie) and USHL (Waterloo and Sioux) prior to sitting out the 2020-2021 COVID-impacted season.
The Rail Yard Dawgs are back on the road on Saturday, February 15 against the Knoxville Ice Bears at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Puck drop is slated for 7:05 P.M. EST in Tennessee. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.
Photo Credit: Michele Hancock
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