The Adirondack Thunder enjoyed a great ECHL hockey season

GLENS FALLS — 2023-24 was a record-breaking season for the Adirondack Thunder and Kool Insured Arena.

The team's accomplishments are too numerous to mention: ECHL North Division champions, Eastern Conference regular season champions, Shane Harper's 800th career game, Patrick Grasso's new team scoring record, record standing-room only attendance, and more.

“We were six wins away from winning the championship,” Thunder head coach Pete MacArthur said. “We had some really good talent on and off this team, a tenacious team. We had a record-breaking goal scorer, a player who played in 800 career games, Ryan Smith, who was the playoff goal-scoring leader and the longest-running Thunder record in the history of this organization. I'm sure I'm leaving that out, but I can't leave it at the door without mentioning the sold-out fans. It was a really special year.”

“When you look back a few years from now and you see your division banner and your conference banner hanging on the beams in the ceiling, that's something no one can take away from you,” Thunder veteran forward Harper said. “That's what I was thinking towards the end of the regular season. It's going to be pretty cool to have those banners hanging in the ceiling.”

“It was fun playing here at home. The fans were awesome. When we score a goal and the place goes wild, you get goosebumps,” said rookie forward Tristan Ashbrook.

The Thunder averaged 4,329 fans per game and a total of more than 152,000 fans for the season, the highest attendance in the team's history.

Adirondack finished the regular season atop the North Division and Eastern Conference with 43 wins, 18 losses and 11 ties, then defeated Maine in a seven-game opening round series and Norfolk at home in Game 6. The Thunder lost to the two-time defending Kelly Cup champion Florida Everblades in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Thunder set a franchise record with 10 wins in the postseason.

During the regular season, the Thunder recorded a historic 17-game point winning streak from December through February, winning the most games in franchise history, breaking the previous record of 41 wins, and setting a new record for most points with 97 points.

Ashbrook led the team with 32 goals in 69 games, the most by a Thunder rookie since Michael Kirkpatrick had 29 in the 2015-16 season. Ryan Smith was Adirondack's Mr. Constant, appearing in 69 games and scoring a career-high 50 points. Smith also set records for most goals in a playoff series with six goals and most goals in a playoff series with 10. Veteran leadership from Harper, Grasso and Yujiro Hirano led the team.

“It's been a great year and there's a lot to be proud of on this team,” Ashbrook said. “It was good to find my groove mid-season and be able to contribute in a bigger way, but of course none of my personal accomplishments would have been possible without the help of this great team. I didn't start the year in Adirondack but I'm very grateful to have gotten here.”

Grasso currently leads the Adirondack Thunder team record with 84 goals. His season was cut short by a neck injury, but he will continue to hold a special place in the hearts of Thunder fans as team captain. Grasso has announced that he is leaving for HC Innsbruck in Austria after a three-year stint with Adirondack.

“Being named captain and trying to lead this special group this season was special for me. It's a great honor and a testament to the guys I've played with the last three years. This isn't so much about me, it's the guys I've played with,” Grasso said.

Harper has not yet officially announced his retirement but has said Game 6 against Florida will be his final game in a Thunder uniform. Harper retired last offseason but returned in November and was a one-point-per-game player this season with 56 points in 56 games. As team captain for the 2022-23 season, Harper's leadership and maturity have been huge for one of the ECHL's young teams.

“I knew I wanted to come back here eventually and play after my last year in Sweden,” said Harper, who lives in the Glen Falls area. “I just didn't know how long it would last. I was really happy to get my third year. It was almost a bonus year. I haven't made a statement yet, but I think I'll retire and move on to the next thing.”

This was Hirano's first season with Glen Falls. He played in 59 games, scoring 16 goals and recording 38 assists, and also played for Utica in the AHL this season. McArthur said earlier this season that although this was Hirano's first season with Glen Falls, he was well-respected in the locker room and was a positive voice for his younger teammates.

Adirondack's main strengths this season have been their outstanding goaltending in Tyler Brennan, Jeremy Brodeur, Vinny Purpura and Isaac Poulter. All four recorded shutouts this season and finished with save percentages above 89%. Brennan and Purpura each earned two points this season, tying them with Drew Fielding and Jake Theut for the most points by a goaltender.

Purpura set a team record with eight consecutive season wins and the longest consecutive points streak in a season with 13.

Poulter set records for most postseason games played, most wins and most shutouts in a season, and also set a Thunder team record for most saves in a playoff game with 54.

“What we've done as a group all year here is very special, both individually and as a team. It was exciting to get to play meaningful games close to June. As a group, everyone should be very proud of themselves,” Poulter said. “You always want to be the best you can be, so to see my name up there with some special names means a lot to me. At the end of the day, it's about impressing yourself and making sure everything you've done is working.”

MacArthur and the Thunder are already regrouping and retooling for next season, with a clear goal of reaching the finals next year.

“The No. 1 goal is to get as many guys back as we can and add pieces that can make us a finals contender,” McArthur said. “We're close. We just need to have a good summer, get key guys back and add pieces that can make us a finals contender.”

“I'm excited to see where he takes this team in the future,” Smith said. “He's doing really well, he's getting better every day. He's going to continue to be a great coach and I wish him continued success in his career.”