{"id":39113,"date":"2026-06-22T15:26:43","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T19:26:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/?p=39113"},"modified":"2026-06-22T15:26:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T19:26:43","slug":"adirondack-thunder-seek-momentum-with-coach-extensions-and-fan-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2026\/06\/adirondack-thunder-seek-momentum-with-coach-extensions-and-fan-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Adirondack Thunder Seek Momentum With Coach Extensions And Fan Support"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
An Adirondack Thunder player skates against an opponent at Harding Mazzotti Arena, where record attendance and strong local fan support helped fuel the team\u2019s return to the Kelly Cup playoffs.
Courtesy Adirondack Thunder<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Paul Post<\/p>\n

Strong corporate backing and fan support are more important than ever as the Adirondack Thunder deal with the rapidly rising cost of doing business.<\/p>\n

Under a new collective bargaining agreement reached after a brief midseason strike, the leaguewide salary cap has increased $3,000 per week.<\/p>\n

In December, the Thunder will make one of their longest road trips in franchise history when they play the ECHL\u2019s newest team, the New Mexico Goatheads, in suburban Albuquerque.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Thunder are no different than everyone else,\u201d team President Jeff Mead said. \u201cWe travel a lot and fuel, air fare and hotels have increased significantly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adirondack, playing in the league\u2019s smallest market, had a record 20 sellout crowds this season, and average attendance (4,539) was the highest ever. But six large-market teams, playing in much bigger arenas, averaged more than 7,000 fans per game, including league leader Jacksonville (9,198).<\/p>\n

The salary cap helps level the playing field when it comes to signing premier players. But some big-city teams with larger budgets may offer amenities the Thunder can\u2019t afford.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/b>The perennial powerhouse Florida Everblades, for example, charter a plane during playoffs, and players have their own apartments instead of doubling up. \u201cAnd if you live in Southern Florida where you don\u2019t pay a state tax, and it\u2019s 75 degrees in January and February, things like that we aren\u2019t able to compete with,\u201d Mead said.<\/p>\n

But Thunder players, to a man, adore Glens Falls\u2019 small-town atmosphere and friendly fans. Also, Adirondack is close to AHL cities such as Providence, Springfield, Syracuse and Rochester, giving players opportunities to move up the pro hockey ladder.<\/p>\n

In addition, the Thunder are affiliated with the NHL\u2019s New Jersey Devils and the AHL\u2019s Utica Comets. This past season, seven players in the Devils system appeared in more than 300 combined regular-season games with Utica and Adirondack.<\/p>\n

Last summer, Head Coach Sylvain Cloutier took over a team that had finished last in the North Division and led it to this year\u2019s Kelly Cup playoffs. He and Associate Coach Ben Holmstrom recently signed two-year extensions through the 2027-28 season.<\/p>\n

Cloutier, 52, began his pro career with the Adirondack Red Wings in 1993 and returned to Glens Falls in 2003 to play for the IceHawks\/Frostbite in the United Hockey League.<\/p>\n

\u201cGlens Falls has always felt like home to me, dating back to my playing days, and being behind the bench in front of these passionate fans is something special,\u201d Cloutier said. \u201cThe energy in Harding Mazzotti Arena this past season was incredible. The sell-out crowds gave our players a huge boost every night and showed why this is one of the best hockey communities anywhere in the ECHL.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took important steps forward, but we know there\u2019s more work to do,\u201d he said. \u201cOur goal is to keep building a hard-working, competitive group that can make a deeper playoff run and ultimately bring a Kelly Cup championship to Glens Falls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holmstrom, 39, began his professional career with the AHL\u2019s Adirondack Phantoms in the 2009-10 season and was team captain from 2011-14. In 256 regular-season games with the Phantoms, Holmstrom recorded 49 goals and 73 assists for 122 points.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis community has embraced us from day one, and it\u2019s become a special place for our family to call home,\u201d he said. \u201cCoaching in front of the fans at Harding Mazzotti Arena this past season was unbelievable. The sellout crowds, the energy and the passion every night created an atmosphere our players loved competing in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSylvain and Ben both have a tremendous history in this community and understand what hockey means to the fans in Adirondack,\u201d Mead said. \u201cIn their first season behind the bench, they established a strong culture, earned the respect of the locker room, and helped guide this team to the playoffs. We\u2019re confident in the direction they have this organization headed and look forward to building on that success over the next two years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we offer everything here to be able to compete for a Kelly Cup,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Thunder play in the eight-team North Division, which includes Maine, Trois-Rivieres, Reading, Worcester, Norfolk, Greensboro and a new entry, the Trenton Ironhawks, affiliated with the New York Islanders.<\/p>\n

The ECHL is expected to add another new franchise, the Augusta (Georgia) Lynx, when the 2027-28 campaign begins, giving it a full complement of 32 teams affiliated with every NHL and AHL club.<\/p>\n

The Thunder sold approximately 2,300 season tickets last year, and Mead said he hopes that number can be increased by another 100 for 2026-27.<\/p>\n

Last year, the Capital Region law firm Harding Mazzotti won naming rights to the arena under a five-year agreement, with an option for five more years. \u201cWe think it will be at least a 10-year deal,\u201d said Mead, who also manages the city-owned arena.<\/p>\n

The arena\u2019s fiscal year ends June 30, and Mead said the building and Thunder will both finish in the black.<\/p>\n

A new event, the Upstate Tattoo Festival, is scheduled for Friday to Sunday, June 19-21, and Mead said upcoming concert plans will be announced soon.<\/p>\n

On Aug. 22, a charity hockey game promoted by Thunder player Daniel Amesbury will be held to benefit The Last Save, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by mental health challenges, trauma and substance abuse.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of many events the Thunder are involved with to support charitable causes in the Glens Falls area. This past season alone, the Thunder helped donate a record $319,477 back into the community with events such as Stick It to Cancer, to benefit Glens Falls Hospital\u2019s Charles R. Wood Cancer Center.<\/p>\n

In September, a local committee will prepare its bid to bring the state high school boys basketball tournament back to Glens Falls. Binghamton won the current three-year contract. If Glens Falls is successful, the annual March tournament would be at Harding Mazzotti Arena from 2028 to 20230.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will certainly put together the most aggressive bid we\u2019ve ever had to bring it back to Glens Falls,\u201d Mead said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Paul Post Strong corporate backing and fan support are more important than ever as the Adirondack Thunder deal with the rapidly rising cost of doing business. Under a new collective bargaining agreement reached after a brief midseason strike, the leaguewide salary cap has increased $3,000 per week. In December, the Thunder will make one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":39114,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"\r\nAdirondack Thunder Seek Momentum With Coach Extensions And Fan Support - Glens Falls Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2026\/06\/adirondack-thunder-seek-momentum-with-coach-extensions-and-fan-support\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Adirondack Thunder Seek Momentum With Coach Extensions And Fan Support - Glens Falls Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Paul Post Strong corporate backing and fan support are more important than ever as the Adirondack Thunder deal with the rapidly rising cost of doing business. 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