Oilers, Thunder Renew Affiliation Partnership

Published on May 31, 2007 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Thunder of the ECHL and Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League have renewed a one-year affiliation agreement for the 2007-08 season effective immediately, Thunder president Dan Chapman announced today in conjunction with the Oilers.

"We're very pleased to be continuing our affiliation with the Oilers for the 2007-08 season," said Chapman. "It was a mutually beneficial arrangement last season and we look forward to working with their organization and players again this year."

"I'm excited to have the Oilers return as our NHL affiliate for 2007-08 and I'm looking forward to continuing our role as an active developer of future Oilers talent," said Thunder head coach Chris Cichocki. "They're a first-class organization that takes an active role at monitoring their prospects' progress throughout the season."

For the second consecutive season, Stockton will serve as the AA minor-league affiliate for Oilers prospects. Edmonton was affiliated with Stockton last season and promoted rookie defenseman Bryan Young to the NHL, who became the first player to earn a call-up to the NHL in Thunder history and carved his path from Stockton to Edmonton in the same season. After appearing in 17 games with Stockton, Young made his NHL debut at Anaheim on March 9 and played in 15 games with the Oilers in 2006-07.

In total, the Thunder was assigned eight Oilers prospects in 2006-07. Rookie goaltender Devan Dubnyk, a first-round selection of the Oilers (14th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, set Thunder single-season records for wins (24), minutes played (2,529), lowest goals-against-average (2.56) and save percentage (.921), made a game-high tying 17 saves in the second period of the 2007 Rbk Hockey ECHL All-Star Game for the National Conference and earned a mid-season call-up to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League.

Rookie right wing Troy Bodie, selected in the ninth round (278th overall) by the Oilers in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, ranked fifth on the Thunder with 38 points (21g-17a) last season and was second with 21 goals through just 46 games. The 22-year old tallied an assist for the National Conference at the All-Star Game and earned two AHL call-ups to the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2006-07.

Left wing Brock Radunske, selected by the Oilers in the third round (79th overall) in 2002, was assigned to the Thunder on March 3 and assumed a 29-point (13g-16a) scoring tear in 15 games during March, earning CCM Tacks ECHL Player of the Month honors. Radunske broke a Thunder single-game record with five points (2g-3a) on March 22 at Utah.

"We are pleased to extend our agreement for another year with Stockton," said Oilers assistant general manager Scott Howson. "The experience for our players from last season was positive and we look forward to developing more players in the upcoming season."

The Oilers, a member of the NHL's Western Conference and Northwest Division, have been a member of the National Hockey League since the 1979-80 season. A winner of five Stanley Cup Championships (1983-84, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88 and 1989-90), the Oilers became the NHL's first-ever eighth playoff seed in league history to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2005-06 as the league's Western Conference Champion, falling in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Finals.

Currently led by eighth-year General Manager Kevin Lowe, the Oilers have sent four players (five members in total) to the Hockey Hall of Fame, including center Wayne Gretzky, the National Hockey League's all-time leading scorer.

The Oilers recently announced a working affiliation agreement with the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League for the 2007-08 season.

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