Fri 6 Nov 2026 - 5:00PM
LOWDOWN: THE RETURN OF BRENDAN HARRIS
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By Jono Bullard
A familiar face is back at the Motorpoint Arena with 30-year-old American forward Brendan Harris returning to the club after starting the 2026/27 season in the ECHL with Orlando Solar Bears.
Harris was part of Panthers' successful double trophy-winning side last season which lifted the Continental Cup and the Challenge Cup. He played 59 games, scoring 15 goals and 31 assists in all competitions for a total of 46 points.
Born in Port Jefferson, New York, he moved with his family to Henderson, Nevada and started his junior career in AAA with Las Vegas Storm of the North American Prop Hockey League (NAPHL) in the 2011/12 season. He stayed in the league for the following campaign as he moved to California Titans.
Harris started the 2013/14 season in North Dakota with Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), but after 26 games he moved to Washington State and Wenatchee Wild, also of the NAHL.
He spent four seasons in Wenatchee, where he still holds franchise records for games played (191), career assists (157), single-season assists (75), career points (215), single-season points (98), and career shorthanded goals (7).
The Wild moved to the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) for the 2015/16 season, becoming the league’s first American-based team.
In his final season with the club in 2016/17, Harris produced his best year, leading the team in assists and points, being voted to the BCHL First All-Star team, winning the BCHL Bob Fenton Trophy for most sportsmanlike player and also winning the Vern Dye Trophy as league MVP.
Harris moved on to college and the NCAA, playing the next four seasons at Bemidji State University in Minnesota, where he majored in Political Science along with continuing his hockey career. Team-mates during his time at Bemidji included former Panthers forwards Ross Armour and Adam Brady.
He played 104 games for Bemidji, scoring 17 goals and 39 assists for 56 points in total. During his senior year in 2020/21, he made ESPN Sportcenter’s Top 10 Plays of the Night from Bemidji’s game against Lake Superior on 2nd March 2021. His shorthanded goal made number five on that night’s list.
After completing his collegiate career, Harris joined Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL for the remainder of the 2020/21 season. He extended his contract with Wheeling for the 2021/22 season but was traded to fellow ECHL side Jacksonville Icemen on 21st January 2022 in exchange for future considerations.
He spent four seasons with the Icemen, setting a franchise record for points in a single season with 66 in 66 games during the 2023/24 campaign. This earned him a place at the 2024 ECHL All-Star game in Savannah which also included former Panthers Ryan Bednard, Mitch Fossier and Peyton Jones.
In March 2024, Harris went on loan to AHL side Cleveland Monsters as part of a Professional Try-Out contract. He played three games for the Monsters before returning to Jacksonville.
In the summer of 2024, Harris signed a one-year, two-way contract with Rochester Americans of the AHL but played the season in Jacksonville, scoring 43 points in 44 games before his move to Nottingham in August 2025.