The Adirondack Thunder announced on Thursday that they have signed forward Nick Rivera to a standard player contract for the upcoming season. “Excited to get this gentlemen on board, a really solid player, solid human being, so really excited about that,” head coach Alex Loh said of the newest addition.
“He’s very highly rated and we’re really excited to get him on board, so it’s certainly gonna be a player the Thunder fans love, very excited, he works hard, he’s very competitive, he fits the mold perfectly. I think he’s gonna fit in perfectly with our group, so we’re excited to get him.”
Thunder Add Another Rookie To The Roster
The 24-year old forward makes the jump to the ECHL after spending the last four years at Minnesota St. University (Mankato). This includes spending the last two years as captain of the Mavericks. During his collegiate career, Nick recorded 34 goals along with 26 assists for 60 points. He did so in 151 games.
The Mavericks also won the WCHA championship in 2019 and have been regular season champions for the past three seasons. “When I think of Nick Rivera as a person and a player, the word that comes to mind is selfless. He’s always been about the we game, not the me game. He doesn’t get a lot of accolades because of his numbers, but we’re not where we are today as a program without Nick Rivera being a big part of it, ” said head coach Mike Hastings.
During the 2020 offseason, we’ve seen the Thunder bring back several returning players and I expect to start seeing some new faces join them in next few weeks as they finalize their roster. The California native comes in listed at 5’10, 190lbs, however, he’s a got a rocket of a shot from the right side. He’s spent most of his career of the right side, but could also play down the middle which may be needed come puck drop in December.
That would be the case seeing as the Thunder have yet to fill the vacant centreman position as Casey Pierro-Zabotel has yet to be signed. If you’re looking for someone to compare Rivera to, Robbie Payne played a very similar style to what the rookie forward will bring to the Thunder this year.