Fri 16 Jun 2023 - 5:00PM
PANTHERS SIGN DEFENCEMAN NEILL FROM DEL
The Nottingham Panthers have signed offensive defenceman Carl Neill from German DEL side Schwenninger Wild Wings.
The 26-year-old joins the Panthers following a season split between the top league in Germany and with Slovenian side HK Olimpija Ljubljana, where he scored 24 points (6+18) in the ICEHL.
At the start of his career, Neill was drafted in the fifth round of the NHL Draft by Vancouver Canucks in 2015 before going on to produce at a point per game for Concordia University in the highly-rated Canadian Usports college league from 2017 to 2020.
His first year as a professional saw him move to the top flight in Denmark and he returned 23 points (3+20) for Aalborg Pirates and in 2020-21, Neill iced for Trois-Rivières Lions (ECHL), Laval Rocket (AHL) and Kölner Haie (DEL).
"I am really happy to have signed for Nottingham and I want to come here and win," said Neill.
"Nottingham has a history of winning and there's a really great set-up there. I hope I can come in and contribute to a great season with a lot of success.
"I know Mathieu Gagnon who played in Nottingham last season and he had great things to say about the city."
Neill is an offensive defenceman but says he's keen to contribute at both ends of the ice.
"In Ljubljana I played the offensive side of my game, while in Germany I was more of a defensive guy," continued Neill.
"I can play on both sides of the puck and consider myself a two-way defenceman. I like to contribute offensively and there's hopefully more of that to come in the future for sure."
Panthers Head Coach, Jonathan Paredes, said: "Carl moves very well for his size and can bring a lot of offence from the back.
"He is a very smart defenceman and he is a player that we feel is just entering his prime.
"Carl brings a lot of leadership skills on and off the ice which is important for a very new group. He's a great addition to this club."
Player sponsorship packages are available for the 2023-24 season. Please contact sarah@panthers.co.uk for further information.
Signing news brought to you in association with 2fawcett Recruitment.
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