On Tuesday September 15th, the Jacksonville Icemen announced the re-signing of First Nations forward Wacey Rabbit. The two sides agreed to terms on a standard player contract for the upcoming season. This will be his fourth with the Icemen and his 15th of professional hockey. During the 2019-20 season, Rabbit recorded eight goals along with 15 assists for 23 points.
Rabbit, 33-years-old, has spent parts of his career skating in Austria, Croatia, Norway, Japan, Italy, Romania and the Czech Republic. With 714 games played between nine leagues, the 5’10, 180-pound center scored 174 goals and 288 assists for 462 points and 690 penalty minutes. He also added a +63 rating.
Prior to his stint in Jacksonville, the Alberta native played stateside for one season with the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL. He also spent five seasons in the AHL with Providence, Milwaukee and San Antonio.
Upon signing his contract on Tuesday, Rabbit said of his return to the Icemen, “We’re turning into a family and I think that’s important for a franchise to go in that direction and that’s how you end up winning championships. And that’s why I re-signed is to win a championship in Jacksonville.”
Previously announced signings include Abbott Girduckis, Adam Dauda, Brendan Warren, Ian McKinnon and Jarod Hilderman. This also includes Kevin McKernan, Jacob Cederholm and Nathan Perkovich. As per a league announcement, the 2020-21 season is tentatively set for the fourth of December.