Wed 24 Dec 2025 - 09:00AM
PANTHERS SIGN FORWARD JOHNNY CURRAN
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Nottingham Panthers have signed Great Britain international and experienced Elite League forward Johnny Curran on an initial five-week contract.
The 30-year-old has played over 200 regular-season EIHL games in his career so far with Coventry Blaze, Belfast Giants and Fife Flyers.
Curran has won 15 caps for GB and was part of the roster that won the gold medal and promotion in the World Championship at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham in May 2023.
After spending three years with Niagara University in the highly-rated NCAA, Curran signed his first professional contract with the Blaze ahead of the 2019-20 season which was cut short by the pandemic.
He scored at just under a point-per-game for Coventry across three-and-a-half years and also had a half-season stint in Northern Ireland with Belfast.
Curran joined Fife ahead of the 2024-25 campaign but a major injury ended his season after just three matches, before he took up the role of Interim Head Coach following the departure of Tom Coolen last December.
The forward has split this season between Norfolk Admirals and Rapid City Rush of the ECHL in North America.
Head Coach, Danny Stewart, said: "Johnny knows the league really well and will come in and give us immediate help. He skates very well, has the ability to score goals and distribute at the same time.
"We needed some offensive punch added to the roster with Fossier and Harris out of the line-up and with a couple of other guys uncertain, this gives us a boost during a very busy part of our schedule. The club has shown a great deal of commitment again when the market is very difficult."
Curran said: "It's an honour to be joining the Panthers and especially exciting at such a crucial point in the season. It was a no-brainer for me to come back to the UK and I'm looking forward to working with Stewy again.
"I have always loved playing in the Motorpoint Arena and can't wait to call it my home. I have great memories from GB's World Championship success in 2023 and am keen to build some more with the Panthers this season."
Curran, who will wear the number 48 jersey, will fly into the UK in time for Christmas and be available for selection for the Boxing Day game on the road at Sheffield Steelers.
With the Panthers currently operating at the maximum number of active non-homegrown players permitted under EIHL roster regulations (18), Mitch Fossier has been placed on injury reserve, allowing the Panthers to sign Curran.
As per league rules, any player placed on Injury Reserve is unavailable for selection for a minimum of 42 days (six weeks), backdated to the date the injury was sustained.
Signing news in association with GVL Recovery.
Player sponsorship packages are available for the 2025-26 season. Please contact sarah@panthers.co.uk for further information.