NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The South Carolina Stingrays, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Washington Capitals and AHL’s Hershey Bears, have announced that goaltender Mitch Gibson has been returned on loan by Hershey to South Carolina. In addition, the Stingrays have acquired defenseman Billy Roche from the Greensboro Gargoyles.
Gibson, 26, was recalled by the Bears on December 6, 2025 after starting the season with South Carolina. The Phoenixville, Pennsylvania native posted a 4-1-3 record with a 2.25 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage with Hershey.
The 6-foot-1, 187 pound backstop was loaned to South Carolina on October 8, 2025 and made 11 starts for the Stingrays prior to being recalled. Gibson went 7-4-0 with a 2.20 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage for South Carolina and was named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week for the week of Nov. 3-9. In his ECHL career, Gibson is 41-19-3 with a 2.34 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
Roche, 28, comes to South Carolina after appearing in six games with Greensboro this season. He was signed by the Gargoyles on December 29, 2025 from the Knoxville Ice Bears of the SPHL. The Braintree, Massachusetts native skated in 14 games with Knoxville this season, logging six points (2g, 4a).
Prior to joining the Ice Bears, the 6-foot-2, 209 pound blue liner broke into professional hockey at the end of the 2022-23 season, playing in three games with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the SPHL. He spent the next two seasons with Roanoke, skating in 110 games, tallying 33 points (16g, 17a).
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