STOCKTON THUNDER 2014-15 MEDIA GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS STAFF DIRECTORY FRONT OFFICE: Staff Directory………………………………………… 2 Owner: Brad Rowbotham President/Alt. Governor: Dave Piecuch Team History……………………………………….…… 4 Chief Financial Officer: Bill Davidson Front Office Biographies ……………………… 17 Director of Finance & Human Resources: Tess Jaurigue Executive Management …………..…...18 Front Office Staff…………………..…...20 Vice President, Ticket Sales & Service: Robert Norton Hockey Operations/Medical Staff…….. 21 Ticket Services Manager: Jessica Schaffer Broadcasting…………………………… 26 Account Executive & Retail Manager: Marcy Kardos Account Executive: Chris Avila Player Biographies……………………………….… 27 Account Executive: Rachel Saiger Roster………………………………………………..48 Account Executive: Jeff Zenor Outside Account Executive: Kirk Goodman 2013-14 Season In Review……………………..…. 49 Vice President, Corporate Sales & Service: Debra Bachle RECORDS ………………………………………………. 69 Director, Corporate Sales & Broadcasting: Chris Collins All-Time Club Records …………………………... 69 Director, Corporate Sales & Service: Ron Posey All-Time Thunder Records ……………………….. 79 All-Time Records During Signature Promotions…106 All-Time Thunder Playoff Scores/Records …….... 115 Broadcaster and Manager of Marketing, Media Relations and Digital Assets : Brandon Kisker 2014-15 Opponents…………………………………………. 147 Manager of Community Relations: Katie Billiet Scheduled Opponents…….……………………… 148 Game Operations Manager: Daniel Bell Non-scheduled Opponents/Alignment……………151 Stockton Arena Video Production Supervisor: Jay Lizotte Stockton Arena IT Manager: Matt Gilmore Affiliates………………………………………………… 152 Head Coach: Rich Kromm Media Information………………………………. 154 Head Athletic Trainer: Dennis “Moose” Brogna ECHL information……………... 155 Interim Trainer: J.T. Tienda ECHL Critical Dates ………...… 156 Equipment Manager: Corby Antropik Media Regulations…………….. 158 How to figure……………………159 Arena: Stockton Arena ECHL Style Guide…………….…160 NHL affiliate: New York Islanders Medical glossary…………..…… 166 AHL affiliate: Bridgeport Sound Tigers Did You Know?.........................169 Opened: 2005 Thunder Style Guide…………………………………… 170 Capacity: 9,737 Logo Usage…………….……..171 Ticket office: (209) 373-1700 Font Guide…………………….174 Photo Guide…………………..175 Stockton Thunder Professional Hockey 248 W. Fremont Street Season Schedule…………………………………………176 Stockton, CA. 95203 Tel: (209) 373-1500 Editor: Brandon Kisker & Dustin Cowell Fax: (209) 373-1525 Photographers: Asvitt Photography Website: www.stocktonthunder.com Special thanks: Facebook: www.facebook.com/StocktonThunder Joe Babik (ECHL) Twitter: www.twitter.com/StocktonThunder J.J. Hebert, Andy Devlin and Marc Ciampa (Edmonton Oilers) Video: www.YouTube.com/TheStocktonThunder Don Davis (Fresno Falcons) hephotoweb.com Mike Benton (Alaska Aces) Some statistical information courtesy of The Hockey Internet Database, www.hockeydb.com and Elite Prospects, www.eliteprospects.com. 2 3 IN THE BEGINNING setting a club record for most saves in one season (1,412), overcoming a On a cold, crisp day in January 2005, Dan Chapman walked into a near- recurring hip injury that nearly sidelined him for the season in February. empty office located on Main Street in downtown Stockton with just one desk and an office chair, and the Stockton Hockey Franchise Group officially set But by far the most exciting things in Stockton were happening in the stands. up shop. Each game, more and more fans were taking residence in ThunderLand. During the final home game of the season, the Thunder fans dethroned the What began with just a desk light now has turned into a spotlight large Florida Everblades, who had been the league attendance kings for the past enough to cover the Central Valley sports scene. five seasons. The Thunder drew 30,562 fans to Stockton Arena in the final four regular season games, averaging over 7,000 per game to knock off the February came and the team would begin selling season tickets for the first Everblades and capture the ECHL's attendance title with a total of 228,364 time. On February 5, 2005, over 600 season tickets were sold to fans that fans for all 36 home games during 2005-06. lined up early in the morning to be the first to purchase tickets for Stockton's new team. The Thunder season ended on a high note when the team won its final game of the season with a 4-2 victory over San Diego. Over 9,000 fans cheered Throughout the year, the Thunder front office was a whirlwind of activity as the team on that night. Most fans stayed well after the final buzzer sounded to new front office staff members were hired and the ground work was laid for see awards given to Joel Irwin (Leading Scorer), Dean Stork (Inaugural Team the team's inaugural season. Captain) and Jake Moreland (MVP). The ECHL's Stockton Hockey Franchise Group was born when owner Michael With the thrills of every Moreland save and strong finish, Cichocki set out to Reinsdorf purchased the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies, only two seasons take the Thunder to the next level during the offseason – the right to play after the team won the ECHL's Kelly Cup Championship. Reinsdorf relocated hockey in April and beyond. the team to Stockton where a brand-new, state-of-the-art arena was being built. All but four players who had 05-06 playing experience (Nathan Martz, Mike Lalonde, Steve Slonina and Jeff Lang) were ushered out or simply moved on. During the summer, while construction crews worked around the clock on the In place was new blood – fast, agile skaters who still maintained the playing arena and temperatures continuously reached over 100 degrees, the team style of Cichocki’s team – the forechecking aggressiveness of a pit-bull. continued to sell tickets at a fast pace to fans throughout the Central Valley. The Phoenix Coyotes pulled out of an affiliation relationship with the Thunder, leaving Cichocki to search for one team that would match his playing style On May 11, fans were introduced for the first time to Head Coach Chris and raise the bar on player development for the NHL. In late August of 2006, Cichocki at an afternoon press conference at Valley Brew Family Restaurant. the Edmonton Oilers came calling and signed a one-year pact with the Two weeks later, on May 23, the hockey team taking the Central Valley by Thunder, serving as a pipeline to rich talent that would carry the team to new storm had a name that fit - the Thunder. The name was submitted by 11-year heights. old Michelle Costa of Tracy. 2006-07 After two impressive seasons in Atlantic City, it was clear there was only one The Thunder got off to a roaring start in 2006-07, going unbeaten in 20 of man appropriate to announce as the Thunder's first player signing: its first 22 games (15-2-5 record). For their efforts, four Thunder players – goaltender Jake Moreland. Moreland's signing personified the first player on Martz, Beau Geisler, Troy Bodie and Devan Dubnyk were chosen to the the Thunder roster in the image of what Chris Cichocki's team was to be in National Conference All-Star team, including Martz and Geisler’s selection to 2005-06: unrelenting, aggressive, and capable of the highlight play or save. the starting lineup. In the middle of a swift turnaround of the team, Cichocki was honored with his third selection to the All-Star Game as a head coach, 2005-06 tying a league all-time high with Alaska’s Davis Payne and Gwinnett’s Jeff The 2005-06 season began with a wave of fan support, as a throng of Pyle. Thunder fans trekked south to Fresno's Save Mart Center on October 22, witnessing a Stockton comeback that fell painfully short in a 4-3 setback to The fans kept coming as well. Three sellouts and 10 games drew crowds of the Fresno Falcons, marking the Thunder's ECHL debut. 8,000 or more at Stockton Arena were fueled by the California fan’s unquenchable thirst for hockey and entertainment and the Thunder’s way of Two weeks later, Stockton got another landmark: its first win in team history. giving back to the community, starting with “Thunder Goes Pink” weekend in The Thunder silenced a boisterous crowd of 13,001 at San Diego's iPayOne November to celebrate breast cancer awareness. Center, knocking off the Gulls by a 4-3 overtime score, as Stephen Slonina repetitively jammed at a rebound located at the top of the crease and etched For the second straight year, “Teddy Bear Toss” night drew in a nearly- a date for the history books. packed house, as thousands of stuffed animals rained onto the ice following a Mike Lalonde shorthanded goal against Bakersfield in January and the Through all the buildup and hype that surrounded the much heralded animals were donated through the United Way of San Joaquin County opening of the new arena, the night of December 10, 2005 not only went afterwards. down as a historical night for Stockton hockey, but for the changing lifestyle of San Joaquin Valley residents. The new arena promised to be the start of What was also developing in the midst of the strong start was a springboard many new entertainment options for Stockton residents in the months to to higher levels for Thunder players. Tyler Spurgeon earned a promotion to come. the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Bryan Young, who appeared in 17 games with Stockton, shot all the way up to Edmonton within Fans came in droves for the red-letter game as the Thunder matched-up two months, becoming the first former Thunder player to earn a spot with an against the Phoenix RoadRunners. A sellout crowd of 10,117 witnessed a 4-0 NHL club. Thunder blanking over Phoenix, which included Moreland's shutout of 22 saves to post the first shutout in Thunder history. Mike Lalonde christened the As the Thunder closed on its first all-time Kelly Cup Playoff berth, the new arena by scoring the game's first goal on a first-period power play tally, assignment of goal-scorer extraordinaire Brock Radunske and trade deadline while Slonina shined with a two-goal game, including a third-period acquisitions of defenseman Brian Lee from Gwinnett and Colin Pepperall breakaway goal to put away Phoenix.