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2007-08 Thunder Season Opening Roster Announced

October 17, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Thunder, the ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey Leaguefs Edmonton Oilers and American Hockey Leaguefs Springfield Falcons, announced the clubfs 2007-08 opening day roster has been set at 20 players, including two (2) goaltenders, seven (7) defenseman and (11) forwards.

GOALTENDERS

Continuing a trend of impact goaltenders to dot the roster, the Thunder returns goaltender Cam Ellsworth, who ranked 10th in the ECHL last year with a 2.62 goals-against-average and posted a .907 save percentage, one shutout and a 14-13-3 record in 32 games for 2006-07. Through two seasons, Ellsworth has a lifetime 36-23-5 record, 2.73 goals-against-average, five career shutouts and a .904 save percentage.

Rookie Glenn Fisher, a fifth round selection of the Oilers (148th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Oilers, spent time in 2007 NHL training camp with the Oilers and previously played all four years (2003-07) of his college hockey career at national-power University of Denver (NCAA), helping guide the Pioneers to two straight NCAA national championships in 2004 and 2005. Fisher tallied a 39-22-6 lifetime record, four shutouts, 2.71 goals-against-average and .900 save percentage.

FORWARDS

A revamped frontline is headlined by the addition of three players with ECHL All-Star Game experience, including right wings Jesse Bennefield, Luke Fulghum and center Brandon Schwartz. Bennefield scored 44 points (22g-22a) in 52 games with the Colonial Cup champion Rockford IceHogs of the United Hockey League last year, and previously was named to the National Conference roster as a rookie at the 2006 ECHL All-Star Game, tallying an assist. Bennefield spent his 2005-06 rookie campaign with the San Diego Gulls of the ECHL, leading the Gulls with 30 goals and ranking second on the team with 60 points (30g-30a) in 63 games.

Fulghum was selected to the American Conference squad at the 2006 ECHL All-Star Game as a rookie, tallying a hat trick with four points (3g-1a) in the contest, tying the second highest All-Star Game point total in league history. Fulghum, 26, has appeared in 109 career ECHL games while on an AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies, scoring 76 points (39g-37a) with 105 penalty minutes over two seasons (2005-07) with the ECHLfs Pensacola Ice Pilots and Columbia Inferno.

Schwartz was named to the National Conference team at the 2007 ECHL All-Star Game and scored 53 points (19g-34a) with 57 penalty minutes as a rookie last season with the Long Beach Ice Dogs, appearing in all 72 games while ranking second on the team in scoring, goals and assists.

Five forward prospects assigned from the Edmonton Oilers AHL affiliate in Springfield dot the Thunder roster, a majority with NHL training camp and preseason game experience: centers Jonas Almtorp and Geoff Paukovich, left wingers Jacob Micflikier and Adam Huxley and right wing David Rohlfs.

Left wing Andy Contois helped guide the Gwinnett Gladiators to a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs last season (41-24-7 record, 89 points) as rookie, scoring 40 points (19g-21a) in 71 games with 56 penalty minutes. Newcomer center Chris St. Jacques, previously under an NHL contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, twice broke the 90-point scoring mark in his junior career with the Western Hockey Leaguefs Medicine Hat Tigers.

Also new to the roster is rookie center Tyler Skworchinski, making his transition to the pro game after a four-year college hockey career (2003-07) at Michigan Tech University (NCAA), appearing in 113 career games while scoring 22 points (12g-10a) with 44 career penalty minutes.

DEFENSE

Four players return to the blueline from last yearfs playoff team, including Beau Geisler, named to the National Conferencefs starting lineup at the 2007 ECHL All-Star Game and led the leaguefs defensemen with 28 power-play assists. Ryan Geris appeared in all six Kelly Cup Playoff games with the Thunder last season, scoring three points (1g-2a) and netting a critical game-tying, third period goal in his professional playoff debut and the Thunderfs game one road victory against the Idaho Steelheads.

Assigned from the Springfield Falcons (AHL), Brad Farynuk helped guide the Dayton Bombers to a berth in the Kelly Cup Finals and the American Conferencefs North Division title (37-26-9 record, 83 points) last season, tying for the ECHL lead in scoring among defenseman for the Kelly Cup Playoffs with 16 points (4g-12a) in 22 games.

Brian Lee scored eight points (2g-6a) and was +8 in just 16 regular season games with the Thunder last year, following a trade from the Gwinnett Gladiators. Back for his second full season as a pro, Hollister, Calif. native Mark Adamek led the Thunder with a +4 rating in last yearfs Kelly Cup Playoffs and appeared in 63 regular season games in 2006-07.

New to the roster are rookie Brock Wilson and 6-foot-3, 240-pound Justin Sawyer. The son of former NHL veteran defenseman Rik Wilson, Brock previously spent two years of college hockey (2005-06) with Merrimack College (NCAA), appearing in 53 career games while scoring five points (2g-3a) with 88 penalty minutes. Sawyer was claimed off waivers from the Fresno Falcons on Monday and was previously was under an AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies, splitting 56 games as a rookie in 2006-07 with Toronto and the Columbia Inferno (ECHL), tallying seven assists while leading Columbia with 182 penalty minutes.

gI think our speed and skill have been upgraded from last yearfs team,h said Thunder head coach Chris Cichocki. gHaving big defensemen always helps you play teams tough in our own zone. The key for our defensemen will be to play tough, game-in and game-out and quickly move the puck to our skilled forwards.h

VETERAN COLE ACQUIRED FROM VICTORIA

The Thunder acquired veteran defenseman Phil Cole from the Victoria Salmon Kings in exchange for future considerations today. A fourth round selection of the New Jersey Devils (125th overall) in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Cole has appeared in 278 career games with Manitoba, Philadelphia and Albany of the AHL, along with Columbus, Cincinnati, Augusta and Victora of the ECHL, scoring 47 points (11g-36a) with 572 penalty minutes.

Cole, 25, helped guide Victoria to its first Kelly Cup Playoff berth in team history last year, tallying 16 points (3g-13a) and 111 penalty minutes in 53 ECHL with Victoria and Augusta. Cole previously played for Cichocki with Cincinnati in 2003-04.

Geisler was placed on the seven-day injured reserve list today. Additionally, the Thunder also announced the following players were released and deemed unrestricted free agents:

œ (D) Tim Branham

œ (RW) Tim Verbeek

œ (G) Bill Zaniboni

gFinalizing the roster is always a tough decision - as a head coach, you donft want to be faced with those decisions but you have to,h said Cichocki. gWe wish Tim well in his future.h

The Thunder opens the 2007-08 ECHL season this Friday, October 19 on the road against the Bakersfield Condors at 7:00 p.m. PT, and faces the Alaska Aces on Saturday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m. PT in the home opener at Stockton Arena. Both games can be heard live on the Thunderfs flagship radio station, 1420 KSTN and online at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B2 Networks. An online video feed is available at a $6 gpay-per-viewh charge.

Host of the 2008 ECHL All-Star Game and festivities on Jan. 22 and 23, the Thunder has led the ECHL in attendance for two consecutive seasons and drew 244,085 fans to Stockton Arena in 2006-07. Season tickets, mini plans, group and individual tickets for 2007-08 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit www.stocktonthunder.com.



ECHL Stories from October 17, 2007


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