Insana returns, Fury land NHL prospect
Published on October 19, 2006 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release
MUSKEGON, MI.--- The Muskegon Fury of the United Hockey League have announced on this date that the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League have assigned rugged, ruffian defenseman / right wing Adam Smyth to the Fury club for the 2006-07 season.
Under NHL contract with the Atlanta club, Smyth is expected to arrive to his new hockey playing address later today and participate in his first workout with his new team on Thursday morning at 10:00 am at the Fury home of Walker Arena, downtown Muskegon.
The strapping 6-1, 220lb swingman is expected to officially make his Fury debut this Friday night, October 20th when Muskegon embarks on its initial road excursion of the embryonic campaign, traveling to Bloomington to be hosted by the fledgling Prairie Thunder.
A native of Wiarton, Ontario, Smyth is commencing his third full season as a pro and his fourth year overall. He has played the last two seasons in the ECHL with the Gwinnett Gladiators. In each of those aforementioned seasons, he has also enjoyed brief stints in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves.
In the 2005-06 season, Smyth achieved his best season yet in the professional ranks as his Gwinnett team advanced all the way to the ECHL Kelly Cup Championship Finals series. In 64-games, he registered 20-points on 8-goals, 12-assists, 160-SOG, while amassing a team-high 286-PIM.
In his initial campaign with the Gladiators in 2004-05, the right-hand shooting forward / defenseman collected 16-points in 49-games, authoring 6-goals, 10-assists with 217-PIM. He added another 5-points in 8-playoff appearances on 3-goals, 2-assists.
Having coached Smyth when he first broke into the pro game in 2003-04 when he was the helm of the UHL Port Huron Beacons, Fury bench pacer Bruce Ramsay is sharply aware of Smyth's value to his hockey club. "Adam is exactly the kind of player that we have been looking for to complete our roster at this stage of the season. He is a big, strong, rugged presence who will inject that tough, physical presence in our lineup while at the same time making significant contributions to the success of our team in other important areas as well. We are looking forward to having him on board and in our lineup."
Following his four-year major junior 'A' career in the OHL with Ottawa and Owen Sound, the 23-year-old Smyth was selected by Ramsay as Port Huron's first round choice and fifth overall in the March 2004 UHL North American Amateur Draft. Smyth was immediately inserted in the Beacons' lineup, performing in the final four regular season games of that season followed by a seven games' experience in the Colonial Cup Playoffs.
In 122-pro career games, Smyth's numbers read: 122(14-22-36) with 518-PIM.
The Atlanta Thrashers assignment of Adam Smyth to Muskegon comes on the heels of their AHL affiliate's Chicago Wolves reassignment of defenseman Jon Insana to the Fury late Tuesday. Under contract to the Fury, Insana was an invitee to the Wolves training camp, earning a roster berth for the club on opening night.
Both Adam Smyth and Jon Insana are expected to be in the Muskegon lineup this weekend as the Fury face three games in three days with two of those outings scheduled as road warfare.
The Fury will be in Bloomington on Friday night before returning home for a special Saturday afternoon clash with the Chicago Wolves. The Fury's lone home game for this week will have a special starting time of 4:30 pm at Walker Arena. Sunday, the Fury will journey to Flint for a 4:00 pm matinee affair against the Generals.
International Hockey League 2 Stories from October 19, 2006
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- Mallards Sign Minor Pro Scoring Ace Don Parsons - Quad City Mallards
- Insana returns, Fury land NHL prospect - Muskegon Lumberjacks
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