SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Springfield Thunderbirds are getting some reinforcements. Forward Justin Carbonneau and defenseman Adam Jiricek - two of the St. Louis Blues' top prospects - will join the team Wednesday after concluding their junior seasons.

The Thunderbirds are in the midst of an impressive Calder Cup Playoffs run. The team currently leads the top-seeded Providence Bruins 2-1 in the best-of-five division semifinals following a 3-2 overtime win on Tuesday in Game 3 at the MassMutual Center. Game 4 will take place Thursday in Springfield.

The prospects will be going right from one postseason run to another. Both Carbonneau's Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL) and Jiricek's Brantford Bulldogs (OHL) fell in seven games in their respective leagues' conference finals.

The 19-year-old Carbonneau was one of the top players in his junior league this season, and he didn't slow down in the playoffs. The forward had 20 points (9g, 11a) in 17 postseason contests, sharing fourth in the league in goals and fifth in points.

His impressive regular season saw him rack up 51 tallies, earning the Mario Lemieux Trophy as the QMJHL's top goal scorer. He totaled 80 points and a +31 rating in 60 games this season.

Carbonneau was selected by the Blues in the first round, 19th overall, of the 2025 NHL Draft.

The 19-year-old Jiricek was a driving force for Brantford, racking up 22 points (7g, 15a) in 15 playoff games. He led all defensemen in goals and ranked second among blueliners in points for the postseason.

It was a continuation of a breakout regular season for Jiricek that saw him record 59 points in 55 games with the Bulldogs. His 19 tallies set a franchise record for most goals in a season by a defenseman and he was named OHL Defenseman of the Month for both November 2025 and March 2026.

A native of Klatovy, he was a standout for Team Czechia at the World Junior Championship. He scored the most goals among all blueliners en route to a silver medal and was named the tournament's Best Defenseman.

Jiricek was selected by the Blues in the first round, 16th overall, of the 2024 NHL Draft.

The T-Birds have a chance to punch their ticket to the Atlantic Division Finals with a win in Game 4 on Thursday, May 7, with another scheduled 7:05 p.m. puck drop inside the Thunderdome.

Thunderbirds' Pay As We Play playoff plans are available now for no upfront cost and will still be in effect should the T-Birds advance to the next round. In addition, 2026-27 season tickets are available now - fans can order now by visiting www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com or by calling (413) 739-GOAL (4625).