For the Reporter
Left wing Roberts Lipsbergs has rejoined the Seattle Thunderbirds from the Stockton Thunder of the East Coast Hockey League, T-Birds general manager Russ Farwell announced today.
“With the developments with Justin (Hickman)’s shoulder and his need to have surgery we are lucky to be able to add Lipsbergs to our team at this time,” Farwell said. “He is a proven scorer and will provide the older experience our team needs as our young forwards continue to develop.”
In 69 games with the T-Birds last season, Lipsbergs had 33 goals and 19 assists for 52 points. In two seasons with the T-Birds, Lipsbergs has 110 points on 63 goals and 47 assists in 132 games.
Lipsbergs, from Riga, Latvia, was selected by the T-Birds in the first round, 60th overall, in the 2012 CHL Import Draft. He appeared in 15 games with the Thunder this season and had a goal and two assists.
Lipsbergs is one of the T-Birds’ three 20-year-old players and two import players.
Hickman, the team captain, will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery within the next week. Hickman had 28 points on nine goals and 19 assists with 40 penalty minutes this season. In five seasons with the T-Birds, Hickman played 285 games and had 55 goals and 77 assists for 132 points with 466 penalty minutes. Hickman finishes his T-Bird career in 11th place on the T-Birds all time games played list.
With the addition of Lipsbergs to the roster, the T-Bird have released center Florian Baltram to get down to the league-mandated two import players. This season Baltram appeared in 34 games and had one goal and four assists for five points. Baltram, from Vienna, Austria, was the T-Birds second round selection, 108th overall, in the 2014 CHL Import Draft.
The T-Birds have a home-and-home series with the Tri-City Americans this weekend. They travel to Kennewick for a 7:05 p.m. game Friday, then host the Americans at 5:05 p.m. Sunday at the ShoWare Center. The game, originally scheduled for Saturday, was moved to Sunday because of the Seattle Seahawks playoff game on Saturday.
Tickets are available online at the T-Birds website and at the ShoWare Center box office. The ShoWare Center Box Office is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday game days at 10 a.m. and Sunday game days at noon.
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