Fresno Falcons Sign Defenseman Carson Vance

Veteran blue liner joins Fresno following a career-best 35-point season with the Knoxville Ice Bears

FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Falcons have signed veteran defenseman Carson Vance for the 2026-27 season, adding an accomplished puck-moving presence with experience across the ECHL, SPHL, FPHL and NCAA levels.

Vance arrives in Fresno following the most productive season of his professional career. The 5-foot-11, left-shot defenseman appeared in 57 games for the Knoxville Ice Bears during the 2025-26 campaign, recording five goals and 30 assists for 35 points.

His 30 assists led all SPHL defensemen, while his 167 shots on goal were also the most among the league’s blue liners. Vance ranked second among SPHL defensemen in points, power-play assists and power-play points, earning a spot on the 2025-26 All-SPHL Second Team.

The season continued an impressive two-year run in Knoxville. Vance established then-career highs during the 2024-25 season with seven goals, 21 assists and 28 points in 55 games. He also contributed three assists in six postseason appearances as the Ice Bears advanced to the President’s Cup Final.

Across those two seasons, Vance accumulated 12 goals, 51 assists and 63 points in 112 regular-season games, demonstrating his ability to consistently generate offense and move the puck from the back end.

Before joining Knoxville, Vance spent the 2023-24 season with the Birmingham Bulls, producing five goals and 16 assists for 21 points over 48 games. His SPHL experience also includes time with the Fayetteville Marksmen and Huntsville Havoc. He has now appeared in more than 200 regular-season games in the league.

Vance also brings significant experience from the ECHL. He has appeared in 51 career ECHL games, skating for the Wichita Thunder, Fort Wayne Komets, South Carolina Stingrays and Orlando Solar Bears. His most extensive ECHL opportunity came with Wichita during the 2021-22 season, when he dressed in 36 games for the Thunder.

The signing also marks a return to the FPHL for Vance. He played five games with the Elmira Enforcers during the 2020-21 season, registering one goal and one assist before continuing his professional career in the SPHL and ECHL. A native of Tempe, Arizona, Vance developed through two of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States. He played 108 games in the North American Hockey League with the Kenai River Brown Bears and Janesville Jets before appearing in 168 USHL games with Youngstown, Chicago, Muskegon, Dubuque, Tri-City and Sioux City.

Vance concluded his junior career with an impressive 2016-17 season for the Sioux City Musketeers, posting two goals and 23 assists for 25 points with a plus-23 rating in 49 regular-season games. He added four points in 13 playoff contests during Sioux City’s run to the Clark Cup Final.

He began his collegiate career at NCAA Division I Western Michigan University, appearing in 33 games across two seasons. Vance later transferred to SUNY Oswego, where he recorded four goals and 12 assists for 16 points in 27 games during the 2019-20 season.

Vance finished second among Oswego defensemen in scoring, ranked seventh overall on the team and earned a place on the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team.

Vance gives Fresno an experienced and productive addition to its defensive group. His ability to facilitate offense, contribute on special teams and provide a veteran presence on the blue line will make him an important part of the Falcons’ roster as the organization prepares for the 2026-27 season.