Game Preview: Stockton Thunder at Las Vegas Wranglers

Published on October 19, 2012 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


DATE: Friday, October 19, 2012

TIME: 7:05 p.m.

SITE: Orleans Arena

RADIO: 1280 AM KWSX/StocktonThunder.com (AmericaOne)

NHL AFFILIATES

Stockton Thunder: Edmonton Oilers

Las Vegas Wranglers: Independent

NEXT HOME GAME

Sunday, Oct. 28 vs. Bakersfield Condors, 4:00 p.m.

FAMILY DAY (presented by 99.3 KJOY and 97.7/98.3 KWIN)

2012-13 SCHEDULE POSTER GIVEAWAY (presented by Pepsi and Sutter Gould Medical Foundation)

TRICK OR TREAT WITH THE THUNDER

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The Stockton Thunder continues a four game road trip with back to back road games tonight and tomorrow against the Las Vegas Wranglers. The Thunder went 5-4-1 against Las Vegas last season, winning the last three meetings and carries a record of 13-14-2 in the head to head series dating back in the last five years. The last time both teams met was on Mar. 16 in a 3-1 Thunder victory at Stockton Arena. Las Vegas will play their home opener tonight as the defending Western Conference champion.

2012-2013 Schedule: (0-0-0)

Fri. Oct. 19 at Las Vegas 7:05 p.m.

Sat. Oct. 20 at Las Vegas 7:05 p.m.

Tue. Dec. 4 Las Vegas 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Dec. 5 Las Vegas 7:00 p.m.

Sat. Dec. 8 at Las Vegas 7:05 p.m.

Sat. Dec. 29 Las Vegas 7:30 p.m.

Fri. Mar. 8 Las Vegas 7:30 p.m.

Sat. Mar. 9 Las Vegas 7:30 p.m.

LAST WEEKEND:

STK 4 - ONT 0 (10/13/12): Tyler Bunz made 17 saves for his first professional win and shutout, and Matt Reber had two goals and an assist to lead the Stockton Thunder (1-1-0, 2 points) to a 4-0 victory over Ontario Reign before 9,616 fans at Citizens Business Bank Arena on Saturday. The Thunder, who turned the tables on Ontario one night after dropping the home opener at Stockton Arena, were helped out additionally with goals from Tony DeHart and Gabriel Levesque.

ONT 2 - STK 1 (10/12/12): J.F. Berube made 18 saves, enough for the Ontario Reign to send the Stockton Thunder (0-1-0, 0 points) to a 2-1 defeat before 5,635 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday. Philippe Cornet, one of four players assigned to the Thunder via the Edmonton Oilers farm system, chipped in with the only Thunder goal in the second period. Colton Yellow Horn registered the eventual game winner.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

- Ryan Constant is 18 games away from 300 in his ECHL career

- Ryan Constant is 12 assists away from 100 in his professional career

- Harrison Reed is 14 games away from 300 in his professional career

- Nathan Deck is 38 games away from 100 in his Thunder career

KNOWING HOW IT'S DONE

A total of nine players are on the Thunder roster that have playing experience in the NHL or American Hockey League: Cameron Brodie, Philippe Cornet, Ryan Constant, Tony DeHart, Garet Hunt, Eric Hunter, Yannick Riendeau, Justin Maylan and Harrison Reed.

COVERED WITH OIL

The Edmonton Oilers return as the NHL affiliate of the Thunder for the seventh straight season, helping advance eight players from the Thunder onto playing in the National Hockey League. The Thunder has also never missed the playoffs since first connecting with the Oilers in 2006-07. Edmonton has won five Stanley Cup championships and sent seven players onto induction in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Among the players assigned to Stockton, beginning this season, was LW Philippe Cornet, who made his NHL debut with Edmonton and led the AHL affiliate Oklahoma City Barons with 24 goals last season.

OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN

Garet Hunt was named the sixth captain in Thunder history on Oct. 12, taking the "C" for the first time in his career for full-time duty. Hunt served as an alternate captain for the Thunder last season and has helped guide the team to the playoffs for four straight seasons since his 2008-09 rookie campaign. Hunt is the Thunder all time leader with 246 games played.

BUNZ ON A ROLL

Tyler Bunz became the first goaltender in Thunder history since Glenn Fisher (2007-08) to record a shutout in his first win as a professional, accomplishing the feat on Oct. 13 at Ontario in a 4-0 win (17 saves). His feat was the 25th shutout in club history. Bunz was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the fifth round (121st overall) of the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

THUNDER CROWDS ROLL IN

The Thunder has drawn over 200,000 fans for seven straight seasons to Stockton Arena, totaling over 1.5 million through the turnstiles since opening in 2005-06. There have been 17 sellouts at Stockton Arena in Thunder history and last season, there were seven crowds of 7,000 or more at Thunder home games. The Thunder drew a club record 244,085 fans to Stockton Arena in 2006-07. Last season, the Thunder ranked third in ECHL attendance.

TOP FIVE THUNDER HOME CROWDS IN 2011-12

OPPONENT DATE ATTENDANCE

1. Alaska 3/3/12 9,398

2. Bakersfield 3/24/12 9,323

3. Utah 11/5/11 9,012

4. Alaska 1/28/12 7,613

5. Utah 3/17/12 7,537

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