Thunder Host Bakersfield for Teddy Bear Toss

Published on January 18, 2014 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Stockton Thunder (19-13-0-4) host their Pacific Division rivals, the Bakersfield Condors (15-17-1-1) tonight at Stockton Arena for the team's annual "Teddy Bear Toss" game. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. PST.

Fans who cannot attend in person can enjoy watching the game on AmericaONE or listening to free live audio of the broadcast, which is available on Spreaker.com andStocktonThunder.com. Free audio is now also available from AmericaOne on your computer, on iOS devices, and android devices.

Following the Thunder's first goal of the game, fans can throw teddy bears and other stuffed animals onto the ice. The items will then be collected and given to the United Way of San Joaquin who will donate them to local charities. Last year the Thunder collected 5,235 teddy bears from the event.

Tonight's contest is the Thunder's first home game since January 3, when the team hosted San Francisco on "WE PAINT the Ice" night. The Thunder won three out of five games during their five-game road trip, ending with a 4-2 victory over Ontario. The win was the Thunder's second in a row and second of the season against the division-leading Reign.

Forward Garet Hunt will hope to continue his strong play from Wednesday night's win over Ontario. The Thunder captain reached several personal milestones as he played in his 350th career ECHL regular season game, all of which have been with the Thunder. Hunt had a goal and an assist on the night and his second period tally marked the 50th goal of his ECHL career. It was also the team-leading 13th goal of the season for the Maple Ridge, British Columbia native, who tied his career high for most goals in a single season, which he set back in 2010-11.

While Hunt has the most goals on the team, Joey Martin leads the squad in both assists and points. The 25-year-old from Thorold, Ontario is 10th in the ECHL with 35 points and is tied for 5th in the league with 26 assists. Martin is also third on the team in goals with nine. The Thunder's line of Martin, Greg Miller and Mitch Bruijsten has been especially effective as of late. The trio have combined for 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in the last 11 games. Miller is tied with Martin for third on the team in goals with nine while Bruijsten has been a point-per-game player, registering 12 points in 12 games since being signed from the Mississippi Surge of the SPHL.

Goaltender Brian Foster is set to make what will be his fifth-straight start tonight. It will be the most times in a row a Thunder goalie has gotten the start this season, as Foster has previously started four straight games on two occasions this year. The former Florida Panthers draft pick has a 15-6-3 record on the season and has won two of his past four starts. Emergency back-up goalie Dave Guy will be on the bench once again for the third straight game with netminder Parker Milner in the AHL with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Bakersfield comes into the game having handled the Thunder earlier this week, with a 7-2 beating at Rabobank Arena. It's the latest evidence that the Condors are a team on the rise. After a terrible start to the season, Bakersfield has gone 7-2-1-0 over their last ten games, moving out of the league's basement and into the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.

The Condors are led by captain Joel Broda and forward Jordan Knackstedt who are the only two players on the roster with more than 20 points on the season. Broda leads the squad in goals with 17 and a team-high total of 28 points, while Knackstedt has put up 22 points on 10 goals and 12 assists. Goaltender Laurent Brossoit has been a revelation in net for the Condors. The fifth different goalie to start for Bakersfield this season, Brossoit has posted a 6-2-1 record with three shutouts since being assigned to the Condors from their AHL affiliate the Oklahoma City Barons. The rookie goaltender started the year with the Alaska Aces where he earned two shutouts in both of his starts with the team.

The Thunder have held a Teddy Bear Toss game since the franchise's inaugural season. Overall the Thunder are 4-2-0-2 in Teddy Bear Toss games with the most recent victory being a 7-5 win over the Las Vegas Wrangler on January 21, 2012. Former Thunder player Harrison Reed has the fastest goal in Teddy Bear Toss history when he scored 5:14 into the first period of last year's game against the Utah Grizzlies.

In addition to the Teddy Bear Toss, tonight's game will also serve as the ECHL Fantasy Team game presented by the MeiGray Group. Team Captain Garet Hunt was voted by fans to the Fantasy team and will wear a special American flag themed Thunder jersey tonight during the game. Starting Goaltender Brian Foster will also wear an American themed jersey in net tonight as part of the promotion. The MeiGray Group will then auction of these jerseys beginning on January 20th through February 10th on ECHL.com and MeiGray.com.

The Thunder will be wearing limited edition Rough & Ready Islanders jerseys on February 7th, 8th and March 22nd as a part of the ECHL's Hockey Heritage Weekend. Fans can preorder these jerseys on the Stockton Fan Attic's website until 5PM on January 23rd. The authentic jerseys are $209 and pay tribute to both the team's NHL affiliate, the New York Islanders, and the city's rich history with Rough & Ready Island. The long time U.S. Naval base, supply depot, and communications station now serves as a hub for economic development and growth for the city.

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