Over the past two seasons, Pete MacArthur and Mike Bergin have always found the gems of the SPHL and have signed them to ECHL deals with the Adirondack Thunder. Last season, it was Travis Broughman who, after putting up eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 19 games with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dogs, would sign an ECHL deal with the Thunder, where he would finish the year with 12 goals and 21 assists for 33 points in 48 games as a member of the Thunder and this season already has 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points in 43 games. This season Mike Gillespie came up from the Birmingham Bulls after putting up just five points in two games and has four goals and nine assists for 13 points in 32 games with Adirondack. However, there is one name that has caught the eyes of Thunder fans over the last two weeks, and that is Dom Marcinkevics.
The Latvian forward was one of many SPHL guys who got the call-up when Adirondack needed bodies, but Marcinkevics has taken his opportunity and run with it since joining the team after putting up 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points in 31 games with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs, “He brings speed that pushes the other teams back and puts them on his heels and creates separation and gives us room to work. He’s pretty tenacious on the forecheck, and he finishes a lot of hits which for a guy like that, you need to have those kinds of details, I’m surprised that was his first goal, he’s had three of four Grade A chances every game he’s played, and I’m happy for him to score a big one for his first one” said Head Coach Pete MacArthur after Saturday’s game. In eight games with the Thunder, Marcinkevics has a goal and an assist, as his first career ECHL assist came on February 2nd in his first career ECHL game when he had the primary assist on Travis Broughman’s game-winning goal in OT.
With Adirondack getting bodies back from the IR and Utica, head coach Pete MacArthur mentioned that he wanted to see Marcinkevics in different roles, which is exactly what we’ve seen as he’s played anywhere from on the wing on the Thunder’s second line to being one of the two extra forwards that they end up dressing but he’s proven that no matter what role he’s been in he’s shown that he could be an essential part of the Thunder’s lineup so expect Marcinkevics to be around for a bit even though he didn’t expect to be here this long, “No, I was just lucky to get an opportunity, Pete was just looking for players so I just took the call-up and I’m still here” said Marcinkevics.
