FALCONS SIGN VETERAN FORWARD DALTON ANDERSON

FRESNO, Calif. — The Fresno Falcons have added another experienced piece to their inaugural roster, signing veteran forward Dalton Anderson for the 2026-27 Federal Prospects Hockey League season.

Anderson, a 30-year-old native of Havelock, Ontario, brings more than 250 games of FPHL experience to the Central Valley. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound left-shot forward was originally selected by Fresno with the 39th overall pick in the eighth round of the 2026 FPHL Expansion Draft after spending part of the 2025-26 season with the Indiana Sentinels.

The signing officially brings another of Fresno’s expansion draft selections into the fold and adds a proven professional veteran to a Falcons roster built with a mixture of high-end scoring talent, experience, physicality and depth.

A Veteran of the FPHL

Anderson has been a consistent presence in the FPHL since beginning his professional career with the Columbus River Dragons during the 2021-22 season.

He immediately established himself as a productive professional forward, recording 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 48 games during his rookie campaign with Columbus.

Anderson returned the following season before moving from Columbus to the Elmira Mammoth. He found another level offensively in Elmira, scoring 16 goals and adding eight assists for 24 points in 49 games with the Mammoth during the 2022-23 campaign. He finished third on Elmira in goals that season.

His ability to find the back of the net was on display throughout the season, including a two-goal performance against the Motor City Rockers in which Anderson opened the scoring less than a minute into the game before scoring again late in regulation to force overtime.

The following year saw Anderson begin the 2023-24 season with the Port Huron Prowlers before ultimately landing with the Mississippi Sea Wolves. He appeared in 49 games for Mississippi and finished the season with 12 goals, nine assists and 21 points.

Anderson then produced one of the strongest offensive seasons of his professional career in 2024-25.

Returning to Mississippi, he played all 56 games, scoring a career-high 18 goals while adding nine assists for 27 points. His 18 goals led the Sea Wolves for much of the campaign and matched his career-high of 27 points from his rookie season.

Through the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Anderson had already accumulated 208 FPHL games, 60 goals and 40 assists, giving him exactly 100 professional points through his first five seasons in the league.

Experience in Every Situation

While Anderson has shown an ability to contribute offensively, his value extends beyond the scoresheet.

Throughout his time in the FPHL, Anderson has developed a reputation as a dependable two-way forward capable of being used throughout the lineup. During his previous stint in Mississippi, the Sea Wolves utilized Anderson in key defensive situations and on the penalty kill while also giving him opportunities on the power play.

That versatility gives Fresno another experienced option who can be relied upon in several different roles over the course of a long professional season.

Anderson has also shown an ability to score from difficult areas of the ice. Whether finding space around the crease, finishing opportunities from the slot or capitalizing on special teams, his offensive production has come from a willingness to get into scoring areas and take advantage when opportunities develop.

During the 2024-25 season, Anderson produced several important special-teams goals for Mississippi, including a two-goal performance against Monroe in which both of his goals came on the power play. Later that month, he contributed a goal and an assist in a comeback victory, scoring the eventual game-winner on a deflection.

Closing in on a Decade of High-Level Hockey

Before turning professional, Anderson spent four seasons playing collegiate club hockey at Adrian College.

Across his Adrian career from 2017 through 2021, Anderson appeared in 59 games and recorded 30 goals and 18 assists for 48 points. He played at both the ACHA Division II and Division III levels during his time with the Bulldogs.

Anderson's path to Adrian also included time with the New Tecumseth Civics of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League before making the transition to college hockey.

That experience laid the groundwork for a professional career that has now taken Anderson through Columbus, Elmira, Port Huron, Mississippi/Biloxi and Indiana before bringing him west to Fresno.

250 Games and Counting

Anderson reached a major career milestone late in the 2025-26 season.

On April 11, 2026, while playing for the Indiana Sentinels, Anderson suited up for his 250th career FPHL game, further establishing himself among the league's experienced active veterans.

Even late in the season, Anderson continued making an offensive impact. Just days before reaching the milestone, he opened the scoring for Indiana against Topeka by batting a puck out of midair and into the net in a 3-1 Sentinels victory.

That experience will now make its way to Selland Arena.

For an expansion franchise preparing for the demands of its first professional season, players who understand the travel, physicality and nightly competitiveness of the FPHL can be invaluable. Anderson has experienced virtually every situation the league can provide and gives Fresno another player who knows what it takes to navigate an entire professional season.

Another Expansion Draft Pick Heads to Fresno

Fresno originally acquired Anderson during the FPHL Expansion Draft on June 9, selecting the veteran forward from Indiana with the fourth pick of the eighth round and 39th selection overall.

His signing now turns that draft selection into another established piece of the Falcons' inaugural roster.

With Anderson joining a Fresno forward group already featuring significant professional experience and offensive firepower, the Falcons continue to assemble a roster designed to combine skill with the veteran presence needed to compete immediately.

For Anderson, the 2026-27 season will provide a new challenge: bringing more than 250 games of FPHL experience west and helping establish professional hockey's newest chapter in the Central Valley.

And for the Falcons, the addition is another step toward constructing a roster ready for opening night at Selland Arena.

Welcome to Fresno, Dalton.

Talons Up.