ECHL: Adirondack Thunder Sign Savva Smirnov

The Adirondack Thunder have announced that they’ve signed forward Savva Smirnov to an ECHL contract after he was called up from the Quad City Storm. Smirnov, 23, has five goals and eight assists in 17 games this season in the SPHL with the Storm and Roanoke Rail Yard Dogs. He also played in seven games at the FPHL level with the Blue Ridge Bobcats, where he had seven goals and six assists for 13 points in seven games. To make room on the roster for Smirnov, the team waived Sam Ruffin, who was part of the Zach Bannister trade.

Thunder Add Another Young Forward

There’s a lot to like about Smirnov. He adds another young body to the Thunder and turned heads in Quad City before signing with Adirondack. Smirnov has spent the last two years bouncing between the FPHL and SPHL, putting up 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points in 34 games at the FPHL level and eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 29 games at the SPHL level. I expect Smirnov to be a solid piece in the Thunder top-six moving forward.

Sam Ruffin Waived

Ruffin didn’t fit in with the Thunder, as he would play in eight games with the Thunder while putting up just one assist. He had two goals and eight assists for 10 points in 32 games last season with the Indy Fuel. Prior to going pro, he spent a year at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks where he put up eight assists in 29 games before heading to Adrian College. In four years with the Bulldogs, he put up 50 goals and 83 assists for 136 points in 103 games.