Sat 1 Aug 2026 - 1:39PM
PANTHERS SIGN 6'4 FORWARD MAX GRONDIN
Nottingham Panthers have signed 6'4 Canadian forward Max Grondin as the 26-year-old - who already has experience in both the AHL and ECHL - pens his first professional contract.
Grondin spent four seasons in the OHL - the major junior league in Ontario - which included two years with Peterborough Petes, playing alongside Great Britain forward Liam Kirk.
He moved to the highly-rated USports league, icing for the University of Ottawa, where he scored 41 goals and 36 assists for 77 points in 102 matches, as well as racking up 239 penalty minutes over five seasons.
Grondin led the team in goals (15 in 28 matches) in 2023/24, and the following season he helped Ottawa become University Cup Champions by beating Concordia in the Gold Medal Game.
Last season, he was Ottawa's joint-leading goalscorer with 12 goals in 28 matches and led the team in points (30), as well as being named on the All-Star team.
In March, he played for ECHL side Atlanta Gladiators and scored three points (1+2) in three matches, scoring his first professional goal in a 4-3 victory over South Carolina Stingrays.
His performances attracted the attention of the Tampa Bay Lightning organisation and he signed a Professional Tryout Contract with their AHL affiliate, Syracuse Crunch.
Panthers Head Coach, Danny Stewart, said: "Max is a bull up the middle. He has great size and speed - and is coming off his best season productively. He’s the type of player we’ve tried to get for a couple of seasons now and ticks a lot of boxes for us.
"He brings a huge amount of grit, toughness and the ability to score on top. He will bring a new energy to our group and we are excited to have him."
Grondin said: "I had a lot of offers but I have decided to come to Nottingham. I had some good talks with Omar (Pacha) and Danny (Stewart) - and I'm excited to get going. It's so important to have a good connection and a good feeling.
"Panthers have done a good job with making me feel comfortable with the decision. I am feeling good about this. I work hard, I play a hard game but I also like to score and make plays."
Grondin's eight games in the AHL last season with Syracuse saw him score a goal and an assist, as well as picking up 28 PIMS, which included fights with Kaleb Lawrence and Vsevolod Komarov. His goal came in a 4-0 victory for Syracuse at home against Belleville Senators
"I got to play with a lot of guys who have played in the NHL and it was great for my development, said Grondin.
"You learn so much, how details matter and how people behave in the room and outside the arena. I was so fortunate to go to that organisation."
Player Sponsorship Packages
For platinum, gold and silver enquiries please email sarah@panthers.co.uk with the name of the player you wish to sponsor in the title, while diamond enquiries can be sent to alistair@panthers.co.uk. Emails will only be accepted once the official announcement has been made on our website and social media channels.