The Cyclones announced earlier today that the team has signed defenseman Billy Constantinou to a contract for the 2023-24 season.
Constantinou, 22, joins a defense core consisting of Jalen Smereck, Matt Cairns, Steven MacLean, and Nick Favaro, who have all signed to put on a Cyclones jersey come October.
"It's really exciting to be signing with a team that has so many good players and an expectation to win a lot of games," said Constantinou. "I'm an offensive defenseman and definitely someone who wants to be on the ice late in a close game where I can help make a difference. I love playing on the power play too, but more than anything, I'm just trying to help a team win games. I want to focus on winning and helping the Cyclones do so."
The Scarborough, Ontario native has had a travel-filled first two years in professional hockey, having played for eight teams over the course of his journey. Constantinou's story includes stops in the AHL with Chicago in 2021-22 and San Jose last season, where he was with Cyclones blue liner Jalen Smereck as both defensemen were called-up to play for the Barracuda last November. In the ECHL, Constantinou skated in 47 games for Wichita, Norfolk, and Atlanta combined. He posted six goals and 22 assists.
"Billy can be a difference maker on the ice," said Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations, Jason Payne. "He uses his vision in the attacking zone to find his teammates and create chances. He's not afraid to shoot the puck. He adds another layer of depth to our team on the backend and it's exciting when you bring in someone that you're familiar with. I got the chance to last work with him when he was with Niagara in the OHL, so we're looking forward to connecting again with the Cyclones and continuing to further his development."
Constantinou played for Niagara, Kingston, and Soo in the OHL from 2017-20, piling up 22 goals as part of a 98-point tenure in major junior. He burst onto the pro scene with the Iowa Heartlanders in 2021-22, spending most of his season there before playing for Atlanta and Wichita later that season.
Last season, Constantinou briefly skated for Norfolk, which included an appearance in the 2023 ECHL All-Star Classic, where he scored a goal and an assist for the tournament winning-Destroyers at the Norfolk Scope.
