13th season gets underway Monday
October 8, 2004 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Wichita Thunder News Release
WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder will open training camp for their 13th CHL season on Monday morning at the Kansas Coliseum.
The Thunder will hold practice from 10:00 a.m. until noon and then from 3:00-4:30 p.m. on their first day, followed by evening practices Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. and a Friday skate from 7:00-9:00 a.m., all at the Coliseum. The Thunder will round out the first week next Saturday from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Ice Sports Wichita.
The Thunder increased their roster to 21 players today, adding former Thunder defenseman Len DeVuono, goaltender Brenden Cuthbert, forwards John Levesque, Tyler Leibel and Mark Allan. Wichita is also pleased to announce that Don Jackson, who served as assistant coach of the NHL's Ottawa Senators the past three seasons, will serve as special assistant during training camp.
DeVuono, a former Midwestern "Tough Man" Champion, resides in Wichita. He played for the Thunder during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons. DeVuono was added to the roster to replace forward Brad Lambert, who is unable to attend training camp due to Visa problems.
Cuthbert spent most of the last three seasons playing junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL), while Levesque is a graduate of American International University. Leibel, another speedy forward, comes to the Thunder from mighty Colorado College, where he notched 54 points in four seasons and played in three NCAA tournaments. Leibel recently attended training camp with the AHL's Portland Pirates. Allan, a 6-1, 215-pound winger, joins the Thunder following an impressive three-year junior career in which he compiled 79 goals and 152 points in just 106 games.
Jackson, who played one season with the Wichita Wind of the old CHL, served as Thunder head coach in 1995-96. Following a year with the IHL's Kansas City Blades he went on to serve as assistant coach for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. While in Pittsburgh, the Penguins went 115-85-40-6 and qualified for the NHL playoffs all three seasons.
Following a season with the Chicago Blackhawks, Jackson joined the Senators' staff in 2000, serving as special teams and defensive coach. During his time in Ottawa, the Senators went 134-71-27-14, including an NHL-best record of 52-21-8-1 in 2002-03. Jackson, who met his wife in Wichita while playing for the Wind, is currently living in Cheney, KS with his family during the NHL lockout. He is the proud owner of two Stanley Cup rings, won as a member of the 1984 and 1985 Edmonton Oilers.
The Thunder begin the regular season on Friday, October 22nd at the Topeka Tarantulas, before returning home on Saturday, October 23rd to host the New Mexico Scorpions. The Thunder will also host Topeka in an exhibition game at Ice Sports Wichita on Sunday, October 17th at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for that game are $15 each and are on sale now.
Tickets for all Thunder regular season games will go on sale Monday at 9:00 a.m. Thunder ticket prices, among the lowest in the CHL, range from just $11 to $16. Corporate packages and season tickets for the 2004-05 campaign are also still on sale. To order your tickets or for more information, call the Thunder office at 264-GOAL or visit our website at www.wichitathunder.com.
Central Hockey League Stories from October 8, 2004
- Rayz set to open camp - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Tarantulas set to begin inaugural season - Topeka Tarantulas
- Bucks Weekly Set To Return Monday - Laredo Bucks
- Bats Add Six For Camp - Austin Ice Bats
- Bucks Debut New Website - Laredo Bucks
- Another big gun signed by the Brahmas - Fort Worth Brahmas
- Bears Re-Assign Two Players to Eagles - Colorado Eagles
- 13th season gets underway Monday - Wichita Thunder
- CHL's Tulsa Oilers Name Down For Five Song 'Let's Go' Official Theme - Tulsa Oilers
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