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Tuesday, September 8th

Trenton Ironhawks Sign Veteran Forward Mitch Heard

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Trenton Ironhawks Sign Veteran Forward Mitch Heard

TRENTON, N.J. – The Trenton Ironhawks, proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, announced that the club has signed center Mitchell Heard to a standard player contract for the 2026-27 season.

Heard, 34, joins the Ironhawks after a strong 2025-26 campaign in the Elite Ice Hockey League. He recorded 42 points (14 goals, 28 assists) and 130 penalty minutes in 52 games with the Sheffield Steelers, adding two assists in four playoff games.

The 6-foot-1, 201-pound Bowmanville, Ontario native has built a lengthy professional career since being selected in the second round (41st overall) by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2012 NHL Draft. Known as an agitator, energy forward and playmaker, Heard has skated in more than 700 pro games across the AHL, ECHL, DEL, Slovak Extraliga and EIHL.

He enjoyed productive seasons in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye, posting 49 points (23 goals, 26 assists) in 2021-22 and 43 points (16 goals, 27 assists) the following year while racking up significant penalty minutes. Heard also logged AHL time with the Lake Erie Monsters, Stockton Heat, Charlotte Checkers and Belleville Senators, and spent multiple seasons overseas with the Straubing Tigers and Bietigheim Steelers in Germany’s DEL as well as HK Dukla Michalovce in Slovakia.

With a combination of size, toughness, experience and scoring ability, Heard adds a reliable veteran presence to the Ironhawks’ inaugural forward group.

The Ironhawks will take the ice for their home debut at the CURE Insurance Arena on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 6p.m. when they host the New Jersey Devils’ affiliate, the Adirondack Thunder. Season ticket are available now, while single-game ticket information is expected to be announced soon.

Player transactions are proudly presented by the New York Lottery – Anything Can Happen In Jersey.

Stay connected all season long by following @trentonironhawks on Facebook, Instagram, X, and online at trentonironhawks.com.

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The Trenton Ironhawks are proud members of the ECHL and are preparing for their inaugural season, beginning this October. The Ironhawks serve as the ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Hamilton Hammers of the American Hockey League (AHL). The ECHL has helped develop hundreds of players, coaches, and officials who have advanced to the NHL. All Ironhawks games can be streamed on FloHockey. For more information, visit trentonironhawks.com.

Princeton Brian, Spine & Orthopedics