GREENSBORO, NC – The Greensboro Gargoyles, proud ECHL affiliate of the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes and the AHL's Chicago Wolves, announced today that the team has signed three forwards to ECHL contracts for the 2026-27 season, adding Ryan Hughes, Chase Lefebvre, and Markus Oden.

Hughes, 27, will enter his first professional season in North America after playing the last three seasons overseas. Most recently, he represented as the Assistant Captain of the Rødovre Mighty Bulls in Denmark’s Metal Ligaen, the top tier of Danish professional hockey. Hughes appeared in 47 games, registering 31 points (9G, 22A). The 5-8, 161 pound forward from Edmonton, AB native previously spent two seasons in the EIHL playing for the Guilford Flames in 2023-24 and the Manchester Storm in 2024-25, where he set a career high 46 points (15G, 31A) in 54 games. Hughes spent six seasons in the WHL, primarily with the Portland Winterhawks, where he was an Assistant Captain during his fourth season, before joining the Saskatoon Blades and Kamloops Blazers. Before turning professional, Hughes also spent three years at the University of Alberta in USports, capped off in his final season with 29 points (9G, 20A) in 28 games during 2022-23.

Lefebvre, 22, will be a first-season professional, joining the Gargoyles from Toronto Metro University in USports where he played the 2025-26 season. The 6-3, 198 pound forward from Kapuskasking, ON, developed in the OHL, playing three seasons. Lefebvre recorded 55 points (21G, 34G) in 129 games for the Peterborough Petes between the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons. He split the 2024-25 season adding 17 games with the Brampton Steelheads and 11 games with the Haliburton County Huskies in the OJHL. Last season, he finished 28 games with 20 points (7G, 13A) for Toronto Metro.

Oden, 25, will enter his first season playing in North America. The 5-10, 176 pound forward from Pierce, WA also played last season in Denmark’s Metal Ligaen with the Odense Bulldogs. He developed in the Finish Junior leagues, playing five seasons in KooKoo, before joining Jukurit for the 2020-21 season where he received his first Liiga call-up. Oden represented Jukurit for 99 Liiga games across four seasons, recording 38 points (21G, 17A). He played four more games for TPS during the 2024-25 season before joining Odense in Denmark. With Odense, Oden totaled 31 points (20G, 11A) in 51 appearances.

The following players are signed to ECHL contracts for the 2026-27 season.

Forwards: Demetrios Koumontzis, Shane Ott, Thomas Freel, Tyler Cristall, Eric Martin, Ryan Hughes, Chase Lefebvre, Markus Oden
Defensemen: Artyom Borshyov, Braden Doyle, Austen May, Cullen Ferguson, Oskars Briedis, Tristan De Jong

Season tickets for the 2026-27 season are on sale now. Opening Weekend is set for Friday and Saturday, October 16-17, when the Gargoyles host the Reading Royals. For more information about season tickets or group outings, call (336) 365-0295 or email info@gargoyleshockey.com.