Seven Thunder Players Tendered Qualifying Offers

Published on July 1, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Thunder, the ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers, has announced seven players from its 2007-08 roster have been issued qualifying offers.

Teams were not required to protect players who signed a Standard Players Contract prior to July 1. Players that were not signed by July 1 or extended a qualifying offer by July 1 become unrestricted free agents.

Players issued a qualifying offer by the Thunder are: goaltender Tim Boron, left wing Adam Huxley, defenseman Brian Lee, left wing Luke Lynes, right wing Ryan MacMurchy, right wing Lance Monych and center Brandon Schwartz.

Boron, 25, ranked tied for third in the ECHL and set a new Thunder record with three shutouts last season while posting a record of 10-16-3, a save percentage of .909 and a 3.16 goals-against-average. In two seasons with the ECHL's Thunder, Las Vegas Wranglers and Central Hockey League's Colorado Eagles, Boron has tallied a 25-21-3 record, a goals-against-average of 3.02 and a save percentage of .910 while helping Colorado capture the CHL's President's Cup championship in 2006-07.

Huxley, 24, registered 200 penalty minutes and a career-high 12 points (4g-8a) in 61 games for the Thunder last season and signed an AHL contract with the Springfield Falcons shortly before the 2007-08 season began. Huxley, whose ECHL rights were held by the Thunder, has registered 896 penalty minutes and 44 points (15g-29a) in 221 career ECHL games with Stockton, Victoria, Las Vegas and Alaska.

Lee, 23, achieved career-highs in points (34), goals (10) and assists (24) and appeared in all 72 games for the Thunder last season, leading the team's defensemen in scoring. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound defenseman was originally selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the third round (71st overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, has scored 58 points (15g-43a) and tallied 307 penalty minutes in 205 career games with the ECHL's Thunder, Gwinnett Gladiators, Greenville Grrrowl and AHL's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, Norfolk Admirals and Chicago Wolves.

Lynes, 20, was signed by the Thunder as a free agent on April 1 and appeared in two regular season games after spending his four-year junior career with the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League, scoring 215 points (100g-115a) in 269 career games, amassing 233 penalty minutes. A fourth round selection (122nd overall) of the Washington Capitals in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Lynes had a career-high 65 points (34g-31a) and career-high tying 34 goals in 68 games with Brampton in 2006-07, leading the team in scoring and goals.

MacMurchy, 25, earned his first appearance to the ECHL All-Star Game last season while leading the Thunder with 23 goals and scoring 45 points (23g-22a) in 45 games with 67 penalty minutes. A ninth round selection (284th overall) of the St. Louis Blues in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, MacMurchy was acquired by the Thunder on October 23, 2007 from the Elmira Jackals in exchange for future considerations (right wing Luke Fulghum).

Monych, 23, scored a career-high 32 goals and 52 points (32g-20a) in 69 games last season with the Thunder and Mississippi Sea Wolves and was acquired from Mississippi on February 20 in exchange for left wing Andy Contois. A fourth round selection (97th overall) of the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Monych has registered 106 points (63g-43a) with 218 penalty minutes 208 career games with Stockton, Mississippi and Phoenix of the ECHL, Norfolk and San Antonio of the AHL and the CHL's Laredo Bucks.

Schwartz, 26, was named the team's Most Valuable Player last season after leading the Thunder with 52 points (16g-36a) and tallying a career-high 36 assists in 72 games. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound forward participated in the 2007 ECHL All-Star Game for the National Conference and has scored 106 points (35g-71a) in 155 career games with the ECHL's Thunder, Long Beach Ice Dogs, South Carolina Stingrays and the AHL's Binghamton Senators.

Each team was entitled to reserve Rights to a maximum of eight (8) Qualified Players. Of these eight (8) Qualified Players, no more than four (4) of the Qualified Players shall be Veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2008-09 season). Players will have until August 1 to accept a qualifying offer. Players on open Qualifying Offers can not be traded.

Teams are not allowed to sign more than 24 players to contracts during the summer.

A Member extending a valid Qualifying Offer to a Veteran retains the Rights to that Veteran until August 1. After August 1, if the Veteran is not signed to a Standard Player Contract by the Member, the Veteran shall be deemed a Restricted Free Agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other Members. Restricted Free Agents may not be traded.

When a Restricted Free Agent receives an offer to sign a Standard Player Contract from an Offering Member other than the Member with Rights and the Restricted Free Agent desires to accept the Offer, the Restricted Free Agent and the Offering Member must, within 24 hours, deliver a completed Offer Sheet to the Member with Rights, the League Office and the PHPA. The Member with Rights shall then have seven (7) days after the date it receives the Offer Sheet to exercise its Right to Match. The Right to Match shall expire seven (7) days from the date the Offer Sheet was received but not counting the day of receipt.

If a Restricted Free Agent is not signed to either an Offer Sheet or a Standard Player Contract by a Member by August 31, he shall be deemed an Unrestricted Free Agent.

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