Thunder's All-Time Best Returns for 14th Season
August 24, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Wichita Thunder News Release
WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Thunder has re-signed veteran Jason Duda for the 2009-10 season.
Duda enters his 14th season of professional hockey and his 14th in a Thunder uniform. Last season, Duda shattered every major offensive record in team history, and now ranks first in goals (335), assists (530), points (865), and games played (735).
In 10 of his previous 13 seasons, Duda has scored more points than games played. Originally from Sexsmith, Alberta, Duda was a finalist for the 2005 CHL MVP Award, notching a career-best 66 assists and 96 points, while finishing +37.
The left winger ranks third all-time in CHL history with 337 goals and 536 assists, fourth with 873 points, and second with 740 games played. Duda's third point of the 2009-10 season will move him past Doug Lawrence for third place all-time in the league's 18-year history.
Despite battling through a back injury for most of last season, Duda paced the Thunder with 55 points in 58 games played, led the team with a +8 rating, and was selected to the CHL All-Star team as a reserve. Duda won CHL Player of the Week honors in early November, which included a six-game point streak. At the end of the season, Duda was named the Thunder's 2009 Team MVP. Duda was originally acquired in a trade from the Oklahoma City Blazers in December of 1996 in exchange for Dave Shute.
The Thunder begins the 2009-10 season on Friday, October 16th when they host the Amarillo Gorillas at the Kansas Coliseum. One week prior, the Thunder hosts a pair of exhibition games against the expansion Missouri Mavericks on the 9th and 10th at the Wichita Ice Center. Tickets for both preseason games are all general admission for just $10.00 Season tickets and packages are on sale now for the regular season, which will see the Thunder move into the new downtown arena on January 23rd versus the Tulsa Oilers. For more information, contact the Thunder office at (316) 264-GOAL.
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