The Cincinnati Cyclones announced Tuesday that 26-year-old defenseman John Spetz has agreed to a new contract for the 2026-27 ECHL season, bringing him back into the lineup after a injury-shortened previous campaign.
Spetz was acquired in a trade on February 2, 2026, and after missing the tail end of the last season, he is set to make his debut with the team, marking his professional debut after a stint with the Jacksonville Icemen.
A fresh chapter in Cincinnati
The Cyclones hope Spetz’s blend of size, skating and offensive instincts will translate into immediate impact, especially as the team looks to bolster its defensive core for the upcoming season.
During his rookie year with Jacksonville, he posted seven points — one goal and six assists — across 33 games, and he broke into the scoresheet with his first pro goal on November 13, 2025 against the Orlando Solar Bears.
Spetz’s collegiate career at the University of Connecticut spanned five seasons, where he amassed 60 points — 12 goals and 48 assists — in 164 games, establishing himself as the program’s all-time leader among Hockey East defensemen in every offensive category.
Before college, he served as an alternate captain for the Chicago Steel of the USHL, guiding the club to a first-place finish in the Eastern Conference and a 2020 Anderson Cup championship, the league’s regular-season crown.
That experience also left him as the Steel’s all-time points leader among defensemen at the time of his graduation, a testament to his offensive contributions from the blue line.