The ECHL Off-Season officially kicked off on Sunday afternoon. Each team was required to submit their protected lists to the league by 3 PM. The Adirondack Thunder decided to protect 28 players. Along with those players, Shaw Boomhower has already announced his retirement.
Rules of the Protected List
ECHL teams are permitted to protect an unlimited number of players for the 2024–25 season, provided those players meet at least one of the eligibility criteria outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association.
A team may retain the rights to any player who signed a Standard Player Contract (SPC) for 2024–25 and has not been traded or released. This also includes players who signed an SPC and were recalled to the NHL, AHL, or an IIHF team; those who received a Qualifying Offer last summer but did not sign an SPC; and players who are currently suspended but remain under the team’s control. Additionally, players who signed an SPC during the season and later signed an NHL/AHL contract, as well as players who have submitted the ECHL Retirement Form, can also be protected—so long as none of these individuals have been traded or released. Protected lists may include more than 20 players.
Adirondack Thunder Full Protected List
Forwards – Caden Villegas, Greg Smith, Kishaun Gervais, Grant Loven, Kaleb Ergang, Dan Ebrahim, T.J. Friedmann, Shaw Boomhower, Sean Gulka, Gustav Muller, Ryan Smith, Brian Carrabes, Mac Welsher, Patrick Grasso, Jake Durflinger, Isaiah Fox.
Defensemen – Ryan Wheeler, Ian Pierce, Dennis Busby, Ryan Conroy, Brendan Less, Darian Skeoch, Ty Gibson, Kurt Gosselin, Taylor Ford, Pierson Brandon, Luke Reid, Connor Blake.
Goaltenders – Henry Welsch, David Fessenden
Players Protected Who Didn’t Play with the Adirondack Thunder During The 2024-25 Season
Patrick Grasso– The Former Adirondack Thunder captain spent the 2024-25 season in Austria and Sweden. Grasso began the season in Austria, playing in 45 games for HC Innsbruck, putting up 21 goals and 14 assists for 35 points. He would then head to Sweden to play 10 games for Vasteras IK in HockeyAllsvenskan. In 10 games with Vasteras, Grasso would put up four goals. Prior to going overseas, the 29-year-old forward spent three seasons with Adirondack, putting up 84 goals and 58 assists for 142 points in 171 games.
Jake Durflinger– Jake Dufllinger was acquired by the Thunder last December in a trade that sent Keanan Stewart to Iowa. The 27-year-old forward spent all of the 2024-25 season playing in the EIHL with the Manchester Storm. In 48 games with the Storm, Durflinger put up 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points. Durflinger last played in the ECHL during the 2023-24 season with the Iowa Heartlanders. He put up nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points in 54 games.
Pierson Brandon– Pierson Brandon would sign with the Adirondack Thunder on March 30th, but wouldn’t play in any games with Adirondack due to an injury. Brandon spent four years at Colgate before playing his final year of eligibility at U-Mass Lowell. In 159 NCAA games, the New York City native put up 19 goals and 35 assists for 54 points. Of the four players who didn’t play last season, Brandon is most likely to see time in Adirondack next season.
Connor Blake– The 26-year-old defenseman spent the 2024-25 season in France with Anglet of the Ligue Magnus league. In 35 games, he put up three goals and nine assists for 12 points. Blake has already signed a contract for next season in Germany with ECDC Memmingen of the Germany3 league. The Calgary, Alberta, native last played in the ECHL during the 2023-24 season. He had three goals and three assists in 15 games with the Adirondack Thunder and Idaho Steelheads. Blake would add three assists in 15 games during the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Mac Welsher– The 26-year-old center is the only player on the Thunder who didn’t play during the 2024-25 season. Welsher last played for the Thunder during the 2023-24 season, where he recorded three goals and three assists for six points in 13 games. He would add five assists in 15 games during the 2024-25 Kelly Cup Playoffs.
What’s Next
The next big dates of the ECHL will come on June 20th, 22nd, and 23rd. The 20th marks the future considerations trade deadline, the 22nd is the deadline for submitting season-ending rosters, and the 23rd is the first day teams can sign players.
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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