Cardiff Devils have announced that defenceman Gleason Fournier has signed a new one year contract to stay for the 2026/27 season.

The 34-year-old Canadian scored nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points last season. He was one of only four players in 2025-26 to play in all 68 competitive games for the Devils (54 League, 10 Challenge Cup, 4 Playoffs).

The season finished with another Playoff Championship for Fournier, his third as a Devil.

Fournier joined the Devils midway through the 2015-16 season, moving from the Alaska Aces of the ECHL in North America. Over the next four seasons as a Devil, he grew into one of the best defencemen in the history of the team.

In 2016-17 he scored 13 goals and 33 assists in 69 games, winning the league and the Challenge Cup along the way.

The following year, Fournier scored 16 goals and 42 assists in 68 games while the Devils repeated as league champions and added their first playoff title in 29 years.

His best season statistically as a Devil came in 2018-19 when he led all EIHL defencemen in goals, assists and points putting up 27 goals and 54 assists for 81 points in 72 games.

Fournier was voted onto the EIHL’s First All-Star Team and was picked as the EIHL Defenceman of the Year. The Devils also won their second straight Playoff Championship on the game winning goal he scored with an incredible end-to-end rush in the dying minutes of the game.

He finished his first stint with the Devils in 2019-20, the season cut short by Covid, playing in 59 games, scoring 15 goals and 41 assists for 56 points. He also was selected onto the EIHL’s First All-Star Team for the second season in a row.

Fournier left the Devils ahead of the 2020-21 season after finding out that the EIHL would not be playing due to the pandemic, joining HC Bolzano in the IceHL.

The following season, he moved to Fehervar AV19 in the same league where he spent the next 3 years before returning to Cardiff for the 2024-25 season.

“Coaching against Fourns for years was a pain,” head coach Paul Thompson said.

“But coaching him now and being on the same side is an absolute pleasure.

“I love his game and his attitude.  He is highly skilled in all areas of defence and a quiet leader who goes about his business always in a professional manner.

“He’s a huge part of our talented D core, and I’m looking forward to working with him again this season.”

Photo Credit – Cardiff Devils

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