ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs announced on Friday that defenseman Johnny Macdonald and forward Andrew Harley have both been activated from the injured reserve. Additionally, the Dawgs have placed forward Brenden Stanko on the 14-day IR (retroactive to March 24), and have placed rookie forward Ryan Reifler on team suspension as he plans to return to Elmira College (NCAA-DIII) to complete the remainder of his academic year. By placing him on team suspension, Roanoke can maintain Reifler’s SPHL rights for the remainder of this season, and he would be available to be placed on the protected list for the 2025-2026 campaign after this current season concludes.
MacDonald began his fourth professional season in Reading’s (ECHL) training camp this fall but returned to Roanoke after the Royals waived him on October 13. The 24-year-old played in six games for Reading between two stints in October and November after being called up to the ECHL on October 28, returning to the Dawgs for good on November 25. The Canonsburg, Pennsylvania native has had a strong season for Roanoke, tallying three goals, nine assists, 32 penalty minutes, and a plus-10 rating in 32 games played for Roanoke. After appearing in three games for Roanoke in the 2022-2023 season, the six-foot-two blue-liner broke out last season with six goals, 16 assists, a plus-11 rating, and 61 penalty minutes in 36 regular season games for the Dawgs after signing with Roanoke on December 13, 2023. The remainder of Macdonald’s pro experience to date came with the FPHL’s Danbury Hat Tricks, where the left-shot defenseman had 15 goals, 59 assists, and 96 penalty minutes in 98 regular season games while adding eight assists in 14 career playoff games for the Hat Tricks. Macdonald was a strong contributor in Danbury’s FPHL’s Commissioner’s Cup title run in the 2022-2023 season.
Harley joined the Dawgs back in December of this season from Oswego State (NCAA-DIII), where the 25-year-old forward had transferred to after four successful years at SUNY-Brockport (NCAA-DIII). During his first pro season, Harley has bagged eight goals, five assists, 19 penalty minutes, and a plus-eight rating in 27 games played for Roanoke. In 80 career collegiate games, the five-foot-nine forward recorded 33 goals, 42 assists, 27 penalty minutes, and a plus-13 rating. Harley’s best season came in 2021-2022 in his first collegiate action, as he tallied 15 goals, 18 assists, and a plus-12 rating in just 27 games for Brockport alongside of former Dawgs defenseman Casey Winn. Before his college career, the Rochester, New York native played two years of junior hockey in the EHL with the East Coast Wizards, and also starred at Brockport High in USHS play. Harley is the 11th player from SUNY-Oswego and the third player from SUNY-Brockport to make his way to Roanoke.
Stanko is in his second full year of pro hockey after initially signing with the Dawgs back on November 28, 2023. This season, Stanko has six goals, nine assists, four penalty minutes, and a plus-seven rating in 30 games played for the Dawgs. In 34 games for Roanoke last season, Stanko has recorded 11 goals, 19 assists, and a plus-seven rating. He added one goal and one assist in two playoff games before suffering an injury in Game Two of the first round against Quad City. Playing under former Dawg and current Binghamton Black Bears head coach Brant Sherwood, the six-foot-one forward won the FPHL’s Rookie of the Month award to start last season by putting up 12 goals, 15 assists, and a plus-19 plus/minus rating in just 14 games before heading to Roanoke. Before joining the Black Bears, the Howell, Michigan native played five seasons at Adrian College (ACHA), helping the Bulldogs win the 2020-21 ACHA Division One National Championship. In 142 college games, Stanko notched 81 goals and 114 assists.
Reifler joined the Dawgs out of Elmira back on March 11, recording one assist over his six games played for Roanoke. The six-foot-three forward had a dominant career at Elmira over his five seasons there, notching 48 goals, 58 assists, 61 penalty minutes, and a plus-22 rating in 120 career collegiate games, earning a second-team All-UCHC selection this season after tallying 14 goals and 14 assists in 25 games. Reifler was also named to the 2020-21 UCHC All-Rookie Team. Prior to his college days, the Binghamton, New York native played four years of junior hockey in the CCHL, NA3HL, and CCHL2, recording 246 points in 120 NA3HL games and a plus/minus rating of plus-184.
The Rail Yard Dawgs are at home for a three-game homestand starting tonight against the Macon Mayhem on Friday, March 28 at Berglund Center. Puck drop is slated for 7:05 P.M. EST in Virginia. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office, and playoff packages for the 2025 President’s Cup Playoffs are on sale now through the Rail Yard Dawgs’ front office.
Photo Credit: David Ingraham (Harley) and Michele Hancock (Macdonald)
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