The Adirondack Thunder will be getting some help from the Utica Comets after their Game 1 loss to the Maine Mariners, as forwards Andre Ghantous and Timur Ibragimov were sent down to the Adirondack Thunder. The Comets were officially eliminated from the Calder Cup Playoffs after a 4-3 loss to the Syracuse Crunch on Friday Night as both players were named to the Thunder’s 24-man Kelly Cup Playoff roster.
Ghantous has played in 13 pro games between the ECHL and AHL, putting up four goals and 11 assists for 15 points; he was a huge addition to the Thunder lineup as he had three goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 10 games with the Thunder. Ibragimov has spent the majority of the year with the Comets, playing in 35 games while putting up six goals and seven games for 13 points; he spent 14 games with the Thunder, putting up four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 14 games, including a hat-trick vs Maine Mariners on January 6th in a 5-4 OT win, Ibragimov was placed on reserve as he’s still battling an injury, but according to Thunder Head Coach Pete MacArthur, his cleared to play date is in the middle of the Thunder’s first-round series vs Maine. These are both huge additions for the Thunder and I would expect Ghantous to be in the Thunder lineup for tomorrow’s game vs Maine.
Defenceman Matt Stief was also placed on reserve to make room on the active roster for Ghantous. Stief was a healthy scratch in Game 1. The Florida defenseman played in 70 of 72 games during the regular season, putting up four goals and 31 assists for 35 points. Stief is in his third season in the ECHL as he’s put up eight goals and 71 points for 79 points in 190 regular season games with the Idaho Steelheads and Adirondack Thunder; he had one assist in five games during last year’s Kelly Cup Playoffs with the Thunder.
