FALCONS ACQUIRE HIGH-SCORING FORWARD JOE MACK IN TRADE WITH STOCKTON

FRESNO, Calif. — The Fresno Falcons have acquired forward Joe Mack from the Stockton Thunder in exchange for forward Nick McHugh, adding another proven offensive weapon to Fresno’s forward group ahead of the 2026-27 season.

The move brings Fresno a 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-shot forward coming off an impressive first season of professional hockey in which Mack established himself as one of the Federal Prospects Hockey League’s more productive young players.

Mack, 26, spent the 2025-26 season primarily with the Athens Rock Lobsters, finishing the FPHL campaign with 23 goals and 33 assists for 56 points in 50 games. His 1.12 points-per-game pace placed him among the league’s leading scorers while helping him quickly establish himself as an impact player at the professional level.

For Fresno, the acquisition adds another forward capable of producing offense while bringing size and strength to the lineup.

At 6-foot-3, Mack has the frame to protect pucks, work through traffic and compete in difficult areas of the offensive zone, but his production in Athens showed that his game extends well beyond his size. Mack demonstrated an ability to both finish scoring chances and create opportunities for teammates, recording more than a point per game during his rookie professional season.

His performance also earned him an opportunity at the next level.

After recording 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points through his first 42 games with Athens, Mack signed a Standard Player Contract with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL in March. He went on to appear in four ECHL games before returning to complete his FPHL season with Athens.

That opportunity was another indication of the impression Mack made during his first year in professional hockey.

His late-season production also earned recognition from the league, as Mack was named the FPHL Rookie of the Month for March/April.

Over the 15-game stretch considered for the award, Mack produced six goals and nine assists for 15 points. He recorded five multi-point games during that span, including a two-goal performance against the Pee Dee IceCats and a five-assist weekend against the Twin City Thunderbirds.

Mack’s combination of size, offensive production and experience gives Fresno another versatile option as competition continues to build throughout the Falcons’ forward group.

A Strong Hockey Background

Mack’s production in Athens followed an extensive career at the junior and collegiate levels.

Before turning professional, the New Hudson, Michigan native played four seasons at Lakehead University in USports, recording 22 goals and 34 assists for 56 points across 89 games.

He made an immediate impact during his freshman season, producing 19 points in just 16 games and earning spots on both the OUA Far West First All-Star Team and the USports All-Rookie Team.

Prior to Lakehead, Mack spent three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, skating for the Erie Otters and Sarnia Sting.

He appeared in 167 OHL regular-season games from 2017 through 2020, gaining experience in one of North America’s premier major-junior leagues before continuing his development with the Shreveport Mudbugs of the North American Hockey League.

His season in Shreveport became another important chapter in his career.

Mack recorded 21 goals and 16 assists for 37 points in 45 regular-season games during the 2020-21 campaign and helped the Mudbugs capture the Robertson Cup, giving the newest Falcon championship experience before he transitioned to the collegiate game.

That combination of OHL experience, a Robertson Cup championship, four years of USports hockey, immediate FPHL production and an ECHL opportunity gives Mack a well-rounded résumé despite entering only his second full season as a professional.

From Dispersal Pick to Fresno

Following the 2025-26 season, Mack was selected by Stockton with the sixth overall pick in the 2026 FPHL Dispersal Draft, making him one of the first players selected as the Thunder constructed their inaugural roster.

He will now make the move south to Fresno as the Falcons continue shaping their roster ahead of training camp.

The trade sends Nick McHugh to Stockton after Fresno previously acquired the veteran forward from the Blue Ridge Bobcats as part of a multi-player offseason transaction.

The latest move gives Fresno an opportunity to add a younger forward coming off a breakout professional season and further strengthens an increasingly competitive group of forwards heading into camp.

For Mack, the move provides another opportunity to build upon a rookie campaign that already included a point-per-game FPHL season, league recognition and an ECHL contract.

For Fresno, it adds another player capable of contributing immediately.

With size, a right-handed shot, proven scoring production and experience in winning environments, Joe Mack becomes the latest addition to a Falcons roster continuing to take shape ahead of the return of professional hockey to Selland Arena.