The Adirondack Thunder continue to shuffle things up with another handful of moves on Tuesday, including some help from the Utica Comets. Let’s take a look at everything that went down today in Adirondack.
Greg Smith Signs With Thunder
The Adirondack Thunder have announced that they’ve signed forward Greg Smith to an ECHL contract. Smith has one goal and nine assists for 10 points in 19 games this season with the Pensacola Ice Flyers of the SPHL. He currently leads the Ice Flyers in assists and is second on the team in points.
The 26-year-old forward played two years of junior hockey in the OHL with the Owen Sound Attack, where he put up one assist in 16 games. He would also spend four years in the OJHL, where he put up 31 goals and 61 assists for 92 points in 145 games with the Wellington Dukes, Aurora Tigers, and Whitby Fury. The Ajax, Ontario, native would spend his collegiate career at Lakehead University, where he put up 14 goals and 24 assists for 91 games over the course of three years.
Smith made the jump to the SPHL at the end of last season, playing in six games with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs. He should be a solid piece for MacArthur moving forward, as he can play either on the wing or down the middle. I would expect Smith to make his Thunder debut this weekend vs. Maine Mariners and be in the bottom six for the Thunder.
Help From Utica
The Adirondack Thunder got some much-needed help from the Utica Comets, with four players coming down for Friday’s game, if not longer. Josh Filom and Dylan Wendt return to Adirondack after being sent to Utica earlier this week, along with two familiar faces rejoining the Thunder.
Tag Bertuzzi– The 23-year-old forward was acquired by Adirondack from Reading this season joins the team for the first time since the end of October. Bertuzzi played in Adirondack for the first three games of the season, where he had a goal and an assist in three games. Since then, he’s played in six games with Utica but has yet to find the scoresheet. This is exactly the kind of boost the Thunder need right now offensively.
Jackson van de Leest– The 6’7 defenseman rejoins the Thunder after being sent back to Utica after the Thunder got back from their trip down South. In 10 games with Adirondack, he’s put up two assists, and his only two games with the Comets came back in April. He will be a welcome addition to the Thunder Blueline.
Heading To IR
The injuries continue to pile up for Adirondack as three more players have hit the IR for Adirondack.
Zach Bannister (3-Day IR)- Out of the three injuries it appears as if Bannister’s is the least severe as he was placed on the 3-Day IR and should be back no later than next weekend if not earlier. The 25-year-old was another player who added his first career goal last Wendsday as has a goal and an assist in 17 games this season with the Thunder.
James Marooney (14 Day IR)- It’s been a rough rookie year for Marooney who’s struggled with injuries early on and will now miss the next two weeks. The Chaska, Minnesota native has been a solid depth piece on the Thunder blueline as he has four assists in 13 games. With the 25-year-old defenseman out of the lineup expect Stephen Calisti to become a bigger part of the Thunder defensive core moving forward.
Chase Brand (14-Day IR)- After picking up his first pro goal last week vs Worcester, Brand will now miss the next two weeks with an undisclosed injury. This is another blow to the Thunder forward core who is already without T.J. Friedmann, Zach Bannister, and Shaw Boomhower.
Discover more from Inside The Rink
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
