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CHL Wichita Thunder

Duda, Esdale claim scoring titles

March 21, 2005 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Wichita Thunder News Release


THUNDER SPLIT FINAL WEEKEND- Trailing 2-1 in the second period, the Thunder exploded for four unanswered goals, en route to a 5-2 win at the Memphis RiverKings on Friday. Scott Allison led the Thunder with two goals, while Derek Parker, Chad Mazurak and Travis Clayton also scored. Rookie Jason Flick recorded his 19th victory, making his first start since March 5th. On Saturday, Chris Brassard and Scott Sheppard scored third period goals, giving the Mudbugs a 3-2 win in a fight-filled game at Bossier-Shreveport. Ryan Fairbarn scored his first professional goal and Mike Corneau also scored for Wichita, as the two teams racked up 180 penalty minutes. The loss was Wichita's first to the Mudbugs all season in five meetings.

DUDA WINS CHL SCORING TITLE- Left wing Jason Duda had just one assist in two games this weekend, but it was more than enough for him to claim the Joe Burton Trophy as the CHL Scoring Champion. A ninth-year Thunder veteran, Duda led the CHL with 66 assists and 96 points, both career-highs. It is the first time in his career that Duda, the 2005 Thunder Most Valuable Player and a finalist for the CHL MVP Award, has won the CHL scoring title. Paul Jackson is the only other Thunder player ever to lead the CHL in scoring, doing so in the 1993-94 season. Duda also finished fifth in the CHL in plus/minus with a rating of +37. Duda finished the season ranked among the top nine in CHL history for goals (247-8th), assists (379-8th), points (626-6th) and games played (515-9th).

ESDALE CLAIMS RECORDS, AWARDS, SCORING TITLE- It is safe to say that Paul Esdale had the best season of any defenseman in Thunder history. Esdale had a career-high four assists on Friday in Memphis, and despite being ejected from the game on Saturday, won the CHL Defenseman scoring title handily, with 69 points. Esdale, who was named the 2005 Most Outstanding Defenseman in the CHL, also led all defensemen in pro hockey (95 teams) with 22 goals, a new Thunder single-season record for a defenseman. Esdale also finished the season with a Thunder single-season defenseman record of 12 power play goals. On top of it all, Esdale led the entire CHL in plus/minus with a rating of +39, just +1 shy of Mark Karpen's single-season Thunder record. Esdale is the first Thunder defenseman ever to win the CHL's Most Outstanding Defenseman Award, and is the first Thunder player to lead CHL defensemen in scoring since Dave Doucette had 90 points back in the 1994-95 season.

CLAYTON ENJOYS RECORD SEASON- Much like his longtime friend and linemate Jason Duda, eighth-year Thunder veteran Travis Clayton also enjoyed a record-season. Clayton finished second in the CHL with a career-high 93 points, marking the first time in franchise history that two Thunder players finished 1-2 in the CHL scoring race. Clayton also finished second in the CHL for power play goals (14), third in the CHL in plus/minus (+38) and fourth in the CHL for goals (39), assists (54) and game-winning goals (14). Clayton finished the season ranked among the top 10 in CHL history for goals (253-7th), assists (380-7th), points (633-5th) and games played (512).

JOE HAS SMOKIN' GOOD SEASON- Much like his two linemates, Joe Blaznek also enjoyed a career-season. Blaznek, the 2005 Thunder Offensive Player of the Year, recorded career-highs with 35 assists and 71 points, good for 12th overall in the CHL. Blaznek also finished fourth in the CHL for game-winning goals (9), fifth in power play goals (12) and sixth in total goals (36). Blaznek also recorded three hat tricks this season, including a CHL season-high four-goal game. Only Memphis sniper Don Parsons (4) had more hat tricks on the year.

PARKER BREAKS CHL RECORDS, JOINS EXCLUSIVE CLUB- Rookie Derek Parker fought his way into the CHL record books this season. With 27 penalty minutes on Saturday, Parker finished the season with 47 major penalties and 503 penalty minutes, setting new Thunder and CHL single-season records. Kris Schultz held the Thunder record with 39 majors and Bryan Wells had the Thunder record with 407 penalty minutes. Meanwhile, Kevin Holliday had the CHL record with 45 majors, while Curtis Voth had the CHL record with 466 penalty minutes. Parker is the first player in CHL history to record 500 penalty minutes and one of just eight players in the history of the six active pro hockey leagues (NHL, AHL, CHL, ECHL, UHL and SPHL) to break the 500-minute mark. Parker's 47 major penalties are also the most in a single season for the six active leagues. Kevin Evans of the defunct IHL did record 648 penalty minutes and 58 major penalties for the Kalamazoo Wings back in the 1986-87 season.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK- The Thunder filled one of their two open amateur playoff roster spots, signing high-scoring forward Garret Larson. Larson joins the Thunder from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, where he was a teammate of former Thunder defenseman Les Hrapchak. Larson just completed his senior season at Sacred Heart, where he led the team with 23 assists and finished second with 11 goals and 34 points. He led the team in scoring in 2003-04 with 19 goals and 29 points and in the 2002-03 season he set a single-season school record with 27 assists. Larson finished his college career as Sacred Heart's all-time leader in penalty minutes. He also ranks third in school history with 55 goals and 125 points.

IRON MEN- Only Travis Clayton and rookie Nate Metcalf appeared in all 60 Thunder games this season. Clayton has appeared in all 124 Thunder games the last two seasons. 66 CHL players appeared in all 60 games this season.

DYNAMIC DUO- The goaltending tandem of Jason Flick and Jamie Vandespyker were easily the most potent 1-2 punch in Thunder history, combining for a franchise record goals against average of just 2.63. Vandespyker, a second-year pro, led the team with 21 wins, including victories in his last six starts, in which he allowed just 11 goals. Flick, the 2005 Thunder Rookie of the Year, recorded 19 wins and led the team with a .911 save percentage.

STRONG FINISH- The Thunder went 7-3-0 over their last 10 games, better than every CHL team except the Laredo Bucks, who finished the season going 12-0-1. Ironically, Laredo's only loss came to the Thunder on March 7th in overtime, 2-1.

HOME SWEET HOME- With wins in their final four home games, the Thunder finished the season going 21-6-3 at the Kansas Coliseum. Only the Colorado Eagles and Laredo Bucks, with 22 each, won more home games than the Thunder, who went 15-2-2 over their final 19 home games.

ROAD KIND TO THUNDER AS WELL- With a victory this past weekend in Memphis, the Thunder finished the season with 19 road victories, just one shy of the Thunder single-season record. The 1995 CHL Champion Thunder team holds the franchise-record, going 20-12-1 that season. The Thunder did set a new single-season franchise record, putting together a pair of seven-game road winning streaks.

THUNDER ENJOY FEWEST LOSS SEASON- With an overall record of 40-17-3, Wichita's winning percentage of .692 was the second best in franchise history. The 1995 CHL Champion Thunder team went 44-18-4 (.697), while the 1994 CHL Champion Thunder team went 40-18-6 (.672). The 2004-05 Thunder team did suffer the fewest regular season losses in franchise history (17) as well as the fewest total losses in team history (20).

EARLY AND OFTEN- The Thunder torched CHL opponents in the first period this season, scoring a CHL-most 73 first period goals. Wichita went 27-6-1 when scoring first and an impressive 22-3-1 when leading after the first period.

BIG THIRD PERIOD- The Thunder enjoyed tremendous success in the third period this season, going 27-1-1 when leading after two periods. The one regulation loss came in Bossier City on Saturday, in the meaningless regular season finale. The other loss came on January 7th in overtime to Tulsa.

POWER "FUL" PLAY- The Thunder scored three power play goals on Friday, finishing the season with a CHL-most 76 on a whopping 403 opportunities. Wichita's power play unit finished fifth in the CHL, at 18.9%.

SHORTHANDED SUCCESS- Wichita's penalty killing unit shined down the stretch, killing off 36 for 37 opportunities over the final six games. The Thunder penalty killing unit finished fourth in the CHL, at 85.7%.

GAME HIGHS- The Thunder set several single-game CHL highs this season. Joe Blaznek was one of four players to record a four-goal game, Jason Duda had the CHL's only six-assist game and Duda and Blaznek were two of only three CHL players to register a six-point game. For the season, Travis Clayton had a CHL-high 10-game goal scoring streak, as well as a CHL-high 20-game point streak and Derek Parker had a CHL-high 16-game penalty minute streak. Team wise, the Thunder were one of four teams to score nine goals in a game, were the only CHL team to have a nine major penalty game and had a single-game high 149 penalty minutes.

TOUGH THUNDER- The Thunder piled up the penalty minutes this season and led the CHL, averaging 29.73 penalty minutes per game, far more than the next closest CHL team (Laredo at 25.98). The Thunder also led the CHL in total penalty minutes (1784), minor penalties (502) and major penalties (96). It was the sixth time in their 13-year franchise history that the Thunder led the CHL in penalty minutes.

ROOM REMAINS ON THUNDER FAN BUS- For the second straight season the Thunder are headed to the CHL Playoffs. Wichita will open their best-of-seven first round series in Bossier-Shreveport on Thursday and Friday, March 24th and 25th. The Thunder will host games three thru five on Saturday, March 26th, Friday and Saturday, April 1st and 2nd. Games six and seven, if necessary, would take place in Bossier City on Monday and Thursday, April 4th and 7th. Individual tickets for games three and four are on sale now. The Thunder are also taking a fan bus to Bossier-City for games one and two. The cost is $120 plus hotel. Call the Thunder office to order your tickets or make reservations for the bus trip.

THUNDERBOLTS- Wichita was the only CHL team to finish the season with four players that scored 60 or more points...Mike Carter finished 18th among CHL rookies with 33 points...Nate Metcalf finished 14th among CHL rookies, with 35 points...The Thunder ranked second in the CHL, averaging 3.50 goals per game and allowing just 28.53 shots per game...Derek Laxdal was runner-up for the CHL Coach of the Year Award.

ON THE AIR- The Thunder are pleased to announce that all road playoff games will be broadcast live on AM 1070 "The Ranch" as well as online at www.broadcastmonsters.com. Rookie Defenseman Ryan Fairbarn will be the guest on the final Thunder TV Coach's Show, taped tonight, Monday at 5:00 PM at Heroes in Old Town. The show will air on Saturday at Noon on Cox Cable Channel 22, sponsored by Park City.

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