For immediate release

For more information, contact: Joel Silverberg, Director of Broadcasting (865) 525-7825, joel@knoxvilleicebears.com.

The Knoxville Ice Bears have signed returning winger Ryan Kuzmich for the 2026-27 season. The Norton, Mass. native enters his second full pro season after a strong rookie campaign in Knoxville after leading the Ice Bears in goals last year.

“I’m super excited to be back,” said Kuzmich. “I love the fans and the atmosphere of being in Knoxville. I’m ready to go win the championship.”

Kuzmich joined the Ice Bears towards the end of the 2024-25 season after wrapping up a successful collegiate career at the University of New England. He appeared in five regular season games, scoring a goal and adding an assist, but he shined in the postseason. He totaled six points in eight games, scoring in back-to-back games in the President’s Cup semifinals against Birmingham to help the Ice Bears rally to complete the reverse sweep and advance to their first President’s Cup Finals appearance in a decade.

Last year as a rookie, Kuzmich led Knoxville with 20 goals, placing him third among rookies across the league. He added 12 assists to finish fifth among SPHL rookies with 32 points. He scored his first career hat trick with a natural hatty on Dec. 26 against Roanoke, scoring three consecutive goals in less than an 11-minute span during the second period of Knoxville’s 6-2 win. He was named the SPHL Player of the Week for Feb. 9-15 after scoring four goals and putting up six points in a three-game weekend. He notched another natural hat trick on Mar. 22 in Fayetteville with the first three goals of the game and later added an assist in his first career four-point game. He once again came up big in the postseason, scoring the game-winning goal to break a tie against Huntsville in game two of the President’s Cup first round series against Huntsville to help the Ice Bears to a sweep of the Havoc.

Prior to the SPHL, Kuzmich spent four years at the University of New England where he was a three-time All-Conference selection and won a conference title with the Nor’Easters in 2022. He put up a career-best 37 points as a sophomore in 2022-23 and ended his career with a 21-goal campaign in 2024-25. He appeared in five ECHL games last season in stints with Rapid City and Maine.

The Ice Bears open their 25th anniversary season Friday, October 16 at home against Evansville at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.

ABOUT The Knoxville Ice Bears: The Knoxville Ice Bears organization began in 2002 and was an inaugural charter member of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) in 2004. As four-time SPHL Champions and five-time regular season champions, the Ice Bears are an experienced and established organization, offering the city and its visitors a balanced product of highlight-reel hockey, unique and exciting intermission activity and endless fan interaction, presenting the most affordable, family-friendly way to enjoy sports and entertainment. Season, Partial Season and Flex Tickets are now on sale. For more information, visit www.knoxvilleicebears.com or call (865) 525-7825.

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