WIDMAR RETURNS, MARTIN PLACED ON 14-DAY IR

ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs announced on Sunday that forward Joe Widmar has returned from his stint in the ECHL. Additionally, Bryce Martin has been placed on the 14-day injured reserve list.

Widmar is in his eighth professional season overall and joined Roanoke back in November, dominating with three goals (two on the power play) and six assists during a two-game sweep of Quad City en route to winning co-SPHL Player of the Week with linemate Nick Ford before getting the call from Bloomington. The six-foot-one center started this season in Rapid City, playing in seven games for the Rush before he was placed on waivers, then suited up for the Bloomington Bison and Fort Wayne Komets since leaving Roanoke back on November 20. Widmar has extensive experience across several pro leagues, appearing for 10 ECHL teams, a French team, a Polish team, and four teams in the SPHL (Roanoke, Peoria, Quad City, and Pensacola). The Northbrook, Illinois native has 79 points in 183 career ECHL games, while dominating the SPHL with 152 points (42 goals, 110 assists) and a plus-38 rating in 132 career regular season appearances during his stints in this league. In his 49 combined appearances for Pensacola and Peoria last season, Widmar managed to record 16 goals and 39 assists for a whopping 55 points. The right-shot centerman initially turned pro with Peoria before the 2017-18 campaign following his sophomore season at UMass (NCAA-DI), after Widmar totaled four goals and eight assists throughout his 57 career collegiate games. 

Martin has been excellent in his return to Roanoke this season, registering three goals, 16 assists, a plus-six rating, and 61 penalty minutes in 30 games since he was signed back in late October. The five-foot-nine defenseman previously played in 53 regular season games for the Rail Yard Dawgs between 2019-2023, tallying 13 assists and 80 penalty minutes while adding three assists, 10 penalty minutes, and a plus-three rating in nine games during the 2022 President’s Cup Playoffs. Martin had not appeared for Roanoke since he was called up to the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder on February 23, 2023 prior to returning this year. Martin has played in 49 ECHL games since 2021, recording three goals, one assist, and 47 minutes during stints with Adirondack, the South Carolina Stingrays, and the Savannah Ghost Pirates. The Fort Erie, Ontario native finished last season in Finland (Mestis) with FPS, notching one goal, eight assists, and 40 penalty minutes in 11 total games. Martin also put up seven goals, 11 assists, and 67 penalty minutes during the course of two seasons in the FPHL from 2019-2021.

The Rail Yard Dawgs are on the road today, February 2 against the Macon Mayhem at the Macon Coliseum. Puck drop is slated for 3:00 P.M. EST in Georgia. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.

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