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Falcons Sign Thomas to New Five-year Deal

June 1, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Fresno Falcons News Release


FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno Falcons have signed head coach and general manager Matt Thomas to a new five-year deal, keeping him under contract with the club through the 2010-11 season.

Thomas just completed his first season at the helm of the Falcons and led the team to within one goal of advancing to the Kelly Cup Finals before losing in double overtime of Game Seven in the National Conference Finals to the Alaska Aces. Under his guidance, Fresno won the first regular season division title in team history by finishing atop the Pacific Division, achieved the club's first 100-point campaign with a record of 43-15-14, and finished with a winning percentage .694, the best in the Falcons' 11 years as a professional team. Fresno also became the first team in ECHL history to finish the regular season without a regulation loss inside their own division.

"Matt's on-ice accomplishments this past season speak for themselves, and our five-year commitment to him is a testament to his leadership skills and ability to develop and motivate a winning team," said Falcons owner Brian Glover. "Matt's strengths as a leader and passion for the Falcons go beyond just the hockey side of the organization, though, and the length of the contract is an example of our commitment to establishing continuity and consistency in leadership across the entire organization as we strive to make the Falcons an even more valuable mainstay in the Fresno community."

"Winning a championship is a tough thing to do and this new deal demonstrates a commitment from both ownership and myself that that's what we're trying to achieve year-in and year-out," said Thomas. "It allows us to keep laying the foundation we've already started and to continue to build toward that ultimate goal."

Still the youngest coach in the ECHL at 30 years old, Thomas was hired as the fifth head coach in team history on June 2, 2005, after leading the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies to within one point of a division crown during the 2004-05 campaign in his first year as a head coach. He was tabbed to coach the National Conference All-Stars during his rookie season and led Atlantic City into the playoffs where they lost to the eventual Kelly Cup Champion Trenton Titans. Thomas' previous experience also includes two seasons as an assistant coach with the Bullies, whom he helped lead to the 2003 Kelly Cup title, and a two-year stint as an assistant at the University of Maine, which reached the 2002 NCAA Championship game under his guidance. His coaching career began at his alma mater, the Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology, where he played collegiate hockey.

"This deal also validates the hard work and accomplishments of our entire hockey operations staff," added Thomas. "The level of success we achieved this past season was certainly a group effort, and my first order of business is to try to retain as much of the staff as I can."

Toward that end, Ryan Mougenel will return as the team's assistant coach and assistant general manager. Mougenel just completed his first season as a coach at the professional level following a six-year playing career that included a total of 115 games in the International and American Hockey Leagues and a stint with Team Canada during the 1999-00 season. Mougenel retired as a player after winning the Kelly Cup in 2003 with Atlantic City.

Season tickets are already on sale for the Falcons' 2006-07 ECHL season for as little as $324 with just a $100 deposit. Contact the Falcons at (559) 485-PUCK (7825) to reserve your seats today!



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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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