Trio of Pioneers Pen ECHL Deals
3/31/2026 11:28:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Adamson, Joughin and Pabich all started their professional careers this past week
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Over the past week, the Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team has seen a flurry of players signing professional contracts in the ECHL. Mikey Adamson has signed with the South Carolina Stingrays, Marcus Joughin with the Indy Fuel and Reid Pabich with the Fort Wayne Komets.
All three Pioneers played a critical part in the winningest stretch of Sacred Heart men's ice hockey history. SHU is coming off one of its best seasons ever, as the team won a program-record 23 games and made its third appearance in the Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) Championship game.
Adamson is heading to the Stingrays, an affiliate of the Washington Capitals, after an outstanding senior campaign. The senior captain was both an AHA Defenseman of the Year Finalist and a First Team All-AHA member. He led all Division I blueliners with a career-best 30 assists, the third most in single-season program history, and was tied for second on the Pioneers with a career-high 34 points. The Quincy, Mass., native tallied nine multi-point games and had a point in three of SHU's six postseason contests.
Joughin heads to the Chicago Blackhawks affiliate, the Fuel, after capping a stellar four-year career with the Pioneers. The 2025-26 alternate captain tallied his 100th career point in SHU's final home game of the season, a 5-0 win over Robert Morris in the AHA Semifinals. Joughin finished tied with Adamson with 34 points this season on eight goals and 26 assists, all either tying or setting new career highs. The Windsor, Ontario, native ends his collegiate career tied for fifth in games played (148) and ninth in career assists (73) in Sacred Heart history.
Pabich, who also donned the "C" with Adamson, penned a deal with the Edmonton Oilers affiliate, the Komets. The Verona, Wis., native had a very successful two-year run with the Pioneers, culminating in a career senior campaign. Pabich set new career highs with 15 goals, 18 assists and 33 points, ranking second on the team in goals and third in points. He also scored all seven of his career power play goals this season, forming one of the best extra-man duos in the country with Felix Trudeau. Trudeau led the country with 12 PP goals, while Pabich was tied for 12th.
Trudeau was the first Pios to ink a deal this offseason, as he signed a two-year contract with the St. Louis Blues on March 23. The Terrebonne, Quebec, native will play out the rest of the season with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL, where he scored his first professional goal on March 29.
Both Joughin and Pabich have also made their professional debuts, with the former scoring his first pro goal on March 27. The duo has already played each other twice, with the Komets coming out on top in both games on March 28 & 29.
RELATED STORIES
Defenseman Mikey Adamson Inks Deal with Stingrays
ECHL: Indy Fuel Sign Marcus Joughin
All three Pioneers played a critical part in the winningest stretch of Sacred Heart men's ice hockey history. SHU is coming off one of its best seasons ever, as the team won a program-record 23 games and made its third appearance in the Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) Championship game.
Adamson is heading to the Stingrays, an affiliate of the Washington Capitals, after an outstanding senior campaign. The senior captain was both an AHA Defenseman of the Year Finalist and a First Team All-AHA member. He led all Division I blueliners with a career-best 30 assists, the third most in single-season program history, and was tied for second on the Pioneers with a career-high 34 points. The Quincy, Mass., native tallied nine multi-point games and had a point in three of SHU's six postseason contests.
Joughin heads to the Chicago Blackhawks affiliate, the Fuel, after capping a stellar four-year career with the Pioneers. The 2025-26 alternate captain tallied his 100th career point in SHU's final home game of the season, a 5-0 win over Robert Morris in the AHA Semifinals. Joughin finished tied with Adamson with 34 points this season on eight goals and 26 assists, all either tying or setting new career highs. The Windsor, Ontario, native ends his collegiate career tied for fifth in games played (148) and ninth in career assists (73) in Sacred Heart history.
Pabich, who also donned the "C" with Adamson, penned a deal with the Edmonton Oilers affiliate, the Komets. The Verona, Wis., native had a very successful two-year run with the Pioneers, culminating in a career senior campaign. Pabich set new career highs with 15 goals, 18 assists and 33 points, ranking second on the team in goals and third in points. He also scored all seven of his career power play goals this season, forming one of the best extra-man duos in the country with Felix Trudeau. Trudeau led the country with 12 PP goals, while Pabich was tied for 12th.
Trudeau was the first Pios to ink a deal this offseason, as he signed a two-year contract with the St. Louis Blues on March 23. The Terrebonne, Quebec, native will play out the rest of the season with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL, where he scored his first professional goal on March 29.
Both Joughin and Pabich have also made their professional debuts, with the former scoring his first pro goal on March 27. The duo has already played each other twice, with the Komets coming out on top in both games on March 28 & 29.
RELATED STORIES
Defenseman Mikey Adamson Inks Deal with Stingrays
ECHL: Indy Fuel Sign Marcus Joughin
Players Mentioned
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