Adirondack Thunder Head Coach Pete MacArthur was asked about the status of forwards Yushiro Hirano and Erik Middendorf during Saturday’s post-game media availability. Hirano was a last-minute scratch for the Thunder on Saturday, and when he was announced as a scratch, there were a lot of questions regarding it, especially since he had taken a hit late from Jesse Lansdell early in the third period on Friday Night. Hirano did end up finishing the game. The Japanese forward has four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 14 games during the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
“It was a last-minute scratch for a little bit of an illness, it just happened he wasn’t feel and we had to make an emergency to get him out”
Head Coach Pete MacArthur on The Hirano Scrach
Erik Middendorf was injured during Game 4 of the North Division Finals vs Norfolk Admirals in the third period as Middendorf and Norfolk Admirals forward Gehritt Sargis made incidental contact with one another late in the third period, and Middendorf would be slow to get up and headed straight to the locker room. The Scottsdale native has missed the last four games for Adirondack. Head Coach Pete MacArthur mentioned that Middendorf will make the trip to Estero with the team and is expected to be an option for the rest of the series. Middendorf has a goal and four assists for five points in nine Kelly Cup Playoff games this year.
“Ya, there’s a chance, he’s feeling better, same with Yush, we’re actually being able to bring everybody with us, including the guys that are not on the playoff roster that are still here so it will be a good team trip. “They earned that and I don’t wanna say we owe that to them but it’s important, they were a huge part of our year and any success we had those guys had a lot to do with it, so the fact that Jeff Mead is bringing them down is a testament to what our family is here inside these walls, they’ve been doing a great job keep and just keeping the positive vibes and moral around the group even though they aren’t playing in the games
Head Coach Pete MacArthur on if Erik Middendorf and Yushiro Hirano would make the trip to Florida with the team, along with the rest of the team
During the Kelly Cup Playoffs, players like Patrick Grasso, Vinnie Purpura, Tyler Brennan, and Mike Gillespie have all been seen around the Cool Insuring Arena during home games and near the Thunder locker rooms post-game. This is an extremely classy move by Jeff Mead and the Adirondack Thunder organization.
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