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Thunder, Edmonton Oilers Announce Affiliation Partnership

September 1, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Thunder of the ECHL and Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League have reached a one-year affiliation agreement for the 2006-07 season effective immediately, Thunder team president Dan Chapman announced today in conjunction with the Oilers.

"We're thrilled to be a part of the Edmonton Oilers family," said Chapman. "They have a rich and successful history in the NHL and we're looking forward to a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship."

"I can't think of a better fit for an NHL affiliate to our organization than the Edmonton Oilers, and we look forward to building a great relationship with them," said Thunder head coach Chris Cichocki. "They're a first-class organization on and off the ice, and I admire the style of play their team brings every game. The Oilers have a tenacious, hard-working team and that's the exact style of play I expect from my team each game."

Stockton will serve as the AA minor-league affiliate for Oilers prospects. Edmonton was affiliated with Greenville of the ECHL last season and promoted goaltender Mike Morrison directly to the NHL where he became the first of five goaltenders to play in both the ECHL and NHL in 2005-06. Morrison was 7-2-0 with a goals-against average of 2.19 and a save percentage of .922 with Greenville and 10-4-2 with a goals-against average of 2.83 and a save percentage of .884 in 20 games with Edmonton and 1-0-1 with a goals-against average of 3.47 and a save percentage of .875 in four games with the Ottawa Senators.

Selected in the seventh round (186th overall) by Edmonton in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Morrison made his NHL debut with the Oilers on Nov. 7, 2006 at Dallas and was named Defensive Player of the Week by the National Hockey League on Nov. 28.

"We are pleased that the Stockton Thunder has joined the Oilers' organization as our ECHL affiliate," said Oilers assistant general manager Scott Howson. "The Oilers are excited to be partnering with a franchise that has strong ownership and is well supported by its fans. We are confident that Chris Cichocki will develop our young players in the early stages of their professional hockey careers."

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 seventh-year General Manager Kevin Lowe, the Oilers have sent four players to the Hockey Hall of Fame, including Wayne Gretzky, the National Hockey League's all-time leading scorer.

The agreement signals a transition for the Thunder, who was previously affiliated with the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes and American Hockey League's San Antonio Rampage for the 2005-06 season. The Oilers also announced AHL affiliation working agreements with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Hamilton Bulldogs, Grand Rapids Griffins, Iowa Stars, and Milwaukee Admirals for the 2006-07 season.

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