ECHL: Adirondack Thunder Sign Savva Smirnov

Photo: Quad City Storm

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

Adirondack Thunder/ECHL

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.


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: 2025 Kelly Cup Final Preview | Trois-Rivières Lions vs Toledo Walleye

Get ready for a series that will go down in the history books, as the Eastern Conference and Western Conference clash in a battle for the prestigious Kelly Cup. The Kelly Cup, the ultimate prize in the ECHL, is awarded to the playoff champion at the end of each season. The potential seven-game showdown kicks […]

Read More
Jared Nightingale

ECHL: Jared Nightingale Heads Back to AHL

The South Carolina Stingrays are once again on the hunt for a head coach. Announced May 30th, Jared Nightingale has accepted a position with the Rockford IceHogs as Head Coach. Jared Nightingale joined South Carolina in the postseason of the 2023-24 season. The team was recovering from a poor record, which saw them with a […]

Read More

ECHL: Jack Dugan Heads Overseas

Fort Wayne Komets captain Jack Dugan is heading overseas to Germany to join the Bietigheim Steelers of the DEL2. He spent his first five professional seasons in North America. In 70 games this season, Dugan had 23 goals and 53 assists for 76 points, while leading the Komets in all offensive categories. For the second […]

Read More