ECHL: Adirondack Thunder Bring Back Vinnie Purpura and Ryan Orgel

The Adirondack Thunder announced on Tuesday that they are bringing back defencemen Ryan Orgel and goaltender Vinnie Purpura for the 2023-24 season. Purpura re-joins the Thunder after appearing in four games with the Thunder last season after he finished his season at Long Island University; with the Thunder, he made four appearances putting up a 2-0 record with a 3.46 GAA, .906 SV%. There’s a lot to like about the 24-year-old 6’6 “goofy” goalie heading into next season. Purpura joined Adirondack at a time when they had lost goaltenders to Utica and Jake Theut was a little banged up, but Purpura, in both of his decisions, made 35+ saves, but his season came to an abrupt end on March 31st when he collided with Worcester Railers forward Jacob Hayhurst and would not be able to finish the game. According to Head Coach Pete MacArthur, Purpura is expected to be the team’s ECHL goalie as they expect to get two goaltenders from Utica. MacArthur had this to say about Purpura via the team’s press release, “Vinnie Purpura is a southpaw, 6’6″ goaltender that showed a good amount of poise with us down the stretch,” added MacArthur. “His combination of size and athleticism are unique and give him great potential.”

Ryan Orgel returns to Adirondack after putting up a goal and 19 assists for 20 points in 45 games after getting the call-up from the SPHL Pensacola Ice Flyers. He had a two-goal performance in Game One of the Kelly Cup Playoffs vs Newfoundland Growlers. There’s no doubt that Orgel earned his spot on the Thunder for next year as he ended up finding himself in the top four on a regular basis with the Thunder, and according to head Coach Pete MacArthur, “Ryan Orgel used a call up as a stepping stone to becoming an everyday ECHL defenseman,” said Head Coach Pete MacArthur. “He should fit well in our top four and see minutes in all situations.” Adirondack needed to find some help on the blueline seeing that Jeff Taylor isn’t returning to the Thunder. Orgel won’t be a guy that’s going to put up a ton of goals, but he’s going to make the right plays at the right time and be a solid piece on the Thunder Blueline heading into next season.


Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Armand Klisivitch

Inside The Rink ECHL Manager | Senior Editor Credentialed Reporter for the Adirondack Thunder & Worcester Railers.

Leave a Reply

ECHL: Bloomington Bison Announce First Signing For the 2025-26 Season

The Bloomington Bison have announced their first signing of the 2025-26 season as they’ve added forward Mark Kaleinikovas to their roster. Kaleinikovas spent last season in Poland with JKH GHS Jastrzebie. He would put up 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 30 games. He also claimed a World Championship Gold Medal (D1B) […]

Read More

ECHL: Everblades Bring Back Isaac Nurse for Second Full Pro Year

The Florida Everblades have announced that forward Isaac Nurse has signed a standard player contract for the 2025–26 ECHL season. The 26-year-old returns to Estero after completing his first full year in the league, where he played a key depth role and made a strong impression during the team’s postseason run. Nurse appeared in 47 […]

Read More

ECHL: Jacob Paquette Re-Signs With Trois-Rivières Lions

The Trois-Rivières Lions have announced that they’ve re-signed defenseman Jacob Paquette for the 2025-26 season. In his first full season with the Lions, Paquette played in 69 games, putting up four goals and 17 assists for 21 points. He would add a goal and four assists in 21 games during the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Paquette […]

Read More