On Thursday, September 17th, the Adirondack Thunder announced the addition of forward Ryan Smith for the upcoming season. Smith had previously signed with the Thunder before the team opted out of the 2020-21 season. The Roanoke, VA native is the ninth forward signed for 2021-22. “He’s gonna provide that role we need to flush out a team,” said Head Coach Alex Loh. “You can’t have an entire team of first liners, it just doesn’t work that way. You need guys who can perform in other aspects of the game.”
Ryan Smith Provides Size And Depth To Thunder
When Adirondack opted out of the 2020-21 season, Ryan Smith joined the Macon Mayhem in the Southern Professional Hockey League. Across 42 contests with the Mayhem, the 24-year-old amassed 26 goals, racking up nine goals, while adding 17 assists. Those numbers were good enough to earn him a call-up to the ECHL with the Tulsa Oilers. Ryan would only compete in three games with the Oilers while failing to register a point. Prior to making the jump pro, the right-handed shooter played collegiate hockey, spending four campaigns with the NCAA’s Maine Black Bears. An assistant captain in his Senior season, Smith, in 126 career contests, amassed 25 points on 18 goals and 17 assists. The expectation is that Smith will provide help on the power play and skate on the bottom-six, as Coach Loh mentioned during his Facebook Live.