StocktonThunder

History of the Thunder

On a cold, crisp day in January 2005, Dan Chapman walked into a near-empty office located on Main Street in downtown Stockton with just one desk and an office chair, and the Stockton Hockey Franchise Gsroup officially set up shop.

What began with just a desk light now has turned into a spotlight large enough to cover the Central Valley sports scene.

February came and the team would begin selling season tickets for the first time. On February 5, 2005, over 600 season tickets were sold to fans that lined up early in the morning to be the first to purchase tickets for Stockton’s new team.

Throughout the year, the Thunder front office was a whirlwind of activity as new front office staff members were hired and the ground work was laid for the team’s inaugural season.

The ECHL’s Stockton Hockey Franchise Group was born when owner Michael Reinsdorf purchased the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies, only two seasons after the team won the ECHL’s Kelly Cup Championship. Reinsdorf relocated the team to Stockton where a brand-new, state-of-the-art arena was being built.

During the summer, while construction crews worked around the clock on the arena and temperatures continuously reached over 100 degrees, the team continued to sell tickets at a fast pace to fans throughout the Central Valley.

On May 11, fans were introduced for the first time to Head Coach Chris Cichocki at an afternoon press conference at Valley Brew Family Restaurant. Two weeks later, on May 23, the hockey team taking the Central Valley by storm had a name that fit – the Thunder. The name was submitted by 11-year old Michelle Costa of Tracy.

After two impressive seasons in Atlantic City, it was clear there was only one man appropriate to announce as the Thunder’s first player signing: goaltender Jake Moreland. Moreland’s signing personified the first player on the Thunder roster in the image of what Chris Cichocki’s team was to be in 2005-06: unrelenting, aggressive, and capable of the highlight play or save.

2005-06: A Smashing Debut

The 2005-06 season began with a wave of fan support, as a throng of Thunder fans trekked south to Fresno’s Save Mart Center on October 22, witnessing a Stockton comeback that fell painfully short in a 4-3 setback to the Fresno Falcons, marking the Thunder’s ECHL debut.

Two weeks later, Stockton got another landmark: its first win in team history. The Thunder silenced a boisterous crowd of 13,001 at San Diego’s iPayOne Center, knocking off the Gulls by a 4-3 overtime score, as Stephen Slonina repetitively jammed at a rebound located at the top of the crease and etched a date for the history books.

Through all the buildup and hype that surrounded the much heralded opening of the new arena, the night of December 10, 2005 not only went down as a historical night for Stockton hockey, but for the changing lifestyle of San Joaquin Valley residents. The new arena promised to be the start of many new entertainment options for Stockton residents in the months to come.

Fans came in droves for the red-letter game as the Thunder matched-up against the Phoenix RoadRunners. A sellout crowd of 10,117 witnessed a 4-0 Thunder blanking over Phoenix, which included Moreland’s shutout of 22 saves to post the first shutout in Thunder history. Mike Lalonde christened the new arena by scoring the game’s first goal on a first-period power play tally, while Slonina shined with a two-goal game, including a third-period breakaway goal to put away Phoenix.

The Thunder even got involved with the Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, sending forward Maris Ziedins to the hockey championship tournament as a member of Team Latvia. Ziedins scored a goal during the tournament, notching a mark for Stockton in the world’s most important international winter sports competition.

Riding tweaks to the roster and the multiplying fan base, the Thunder finished the 2005-06 season unbeaten in 13 of their final 20 games, with Moreland setting a club record for most saves in one season (1,412), overcoming a recurring hip injury that nearly sidelined him for the season in February.

But by far the most exciting things in Stockton were happening in the stands. Each game, more and more fans were taking residence in ThunderLand. During the final home game of the season, the Thunder fans dethroned the Florida Everblades, who had been the league attendance kings for the past five seasons. The Thunder drew 30,562 fans to Stockton Arena in the final four regular season games, averaging over 7,000 per game to knock off the Everblades and capture the ECHL’s attendance title with a total of 228,364 fans for all 36 home games during 2005-06.

The Thunder season ended on a high note when the team won its final game of the season with a 4-2 victory over San Diego. Over 9,000 fans cheered the team on that night. Most fans stayed well after the final buzzer sounded to see awards given to Joel Irwin (Leading Scorer), Dean Stork (Inaugural Team Captain) and Jake Moreland (MVP).

With the thrills of every Moreland save and strong finish, Cichocki set out to take the Thunder to the next level during the offseason – the right to play hockey in April and beyond.

All but four players who had 05-06 playing experience (Nathan Martz, Mike Lalonde, Steve Slonina and Jeff Lang) were ushered out or simply moved on. In place was new blood – fast, agile skaters who still maintained the playing style of Cichocki’s team – the forechecking aggressiveness of a pit-bull.

The Phoenix Coyotes pulled out of an affiliation relationship with the Thunder, leaving Cichocki to search for one team that would match his playing style and raise the bar on player development for the NHL. In late August of 2006, the Edmonton Oilers came calling and signed a one-year pact with the Thunder, serving as a pipeline to rich talent that would carry the team to new heights.

2006-07: Soaring to New Heights

The Thunder got off to a roaring start in 2006-07, going unbeaten in 20 of its first 22 games (15-2-5 record). For their efforts, four Thunder players – Martz, Beau Geisler, Troy Bodie and Devan Dubnyk were chosen to the National Conference All-Star team, including Martz and Geisler’s selection to the starting lineup. In the middle of a swift turnaround of the team, Cichocki was honored with his third selection to the All-Star Game as a head coach, tying a league all-time high with Alaska’s Davis Payne and Gwinnett’s Jeff Pyle.

The fans kept coming as well. Three sellouts and 10 games drew crowds of 8,000 or more at Stockton Arena were fueled by the California fan’s unquenchable thirst for hockey and entertainment and the Thunder’s way of giving back to the community, starting with “Thunder Goes Pink” weekend in November to celebrate breast cancer awareness.

For the second straight year, “Teddy Bear Toss” night drew in a nearly-packed house, as thousands of stuffed animals rained onto the ice following a Mike Lalonde shorthanded goal against Bakersfield in January and the animals were donated through the United Way of San Joaquin County afterwards.

What was also developing in the midst of the strong start was a springboard to higher levels for Thunder players. Tyler Spurgeon earned a promotion to the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Bryan Young, who appeared in 17 games with Stockton, shot all the way up to Edmonton within two months, becoming the first former Thunder player to earn a spot with an NHL club.

As the Thunder closed on its first all-time Kelly Cup Playoff berth, the assignment of goal-scorer extraordinaire Brock Radunske and trade deadline acquisitions of defenseman Brian Lee from Gwinnett and Colin Pepperall (free-agent signee) energized the team, winning an all-time club record 11 straight games, climbing the Thunder into the sixth seed of the playoffs.

In a wide-open field with no clear-cut favorite, the Thunder faced the Idaho Steelheads in the National Conference Quarterfinal, whom Stockton had taken 7 of 11 games from in the regular season. Yet, Idaho was loaded with playoff experience from its previous 2004 Kelly Cup championship team, which proved the best-of-seven game series would be no picnic.

Yet, the Thunder feasted on a game 1 comeback, taking a 4-2 win in front of a silenced crowd at Qwest Arena after Tim Sestito scored one of the biggest goals in Thunder history – a shorthanded goal with four minutes left in regulation to highlight a three-goal third period.

Idaho won the next two in series, including an 88-minute, double-overtime affair in game 3 at Stockton Arena, the longest tilt in Thunder history. But the Thunder bounced back in game 4 with a 3-2 win to knot the series at 2-2. Yet, Idaho had an answer in the form of Lance Galbraith’s overtime winner in game 5, setting up Idaho’s academic 6-1 win in game six to close the Thunder season. Idaho eventually rode the wave of momentum and captured its second Kelly Cup title in four years.

2007-08: Shooting for the (All)Stars

In 2007-08, higher expectations surrounded the Thunder in an off-season that produced free-agent signings of four players with ECHL All-Star Game experience, followed by a six-month period that involved the highs and lows of the ECHL All-Star Game, injuries, a wild opening night, call-ups, the Cincinnati Cyclones (pictured), down-to-the-wire finishes and another attendance title.

Following a stretch of losing their first three games, the Thunder began its quest for a second straight Kelly Cup Playoff appearance with their first win of the season – in convincing fashion – by trumping the Phoenix RoadRunners in a 4-0 triumph that helped rookie goaltender Glenn Fisher earn his first career shutout. Ryan O’Marra, the second player with first round NHL Draft experience to don a Thunder uniform, made splashing debut with two goals in the victory.

Three nights later, the rallying cry of Thunder hockey, “Rated E For Excitement,” took the home opener against the Alaska Aces and turned it into an Oscar Night premiere overtone. A red-carpet entrance was laid out for the fans of over 8,000 in attendance, a movie character costume contest at center ice and Thunder staff donned in black-tie apparel.

The ending was also fit for the silver screen. Right winger David Rohlfs sent the crowd home with a happy ending after his one-timer from the left circle beat counterpart Derek Gustafson with 2:56 left in overtime.

The Thunder were in the middle of a 6-1-0 stretch in seven games and the ship seemed to be righted, receiving scoring in bunches from Andy Contois, Jacob Micflikier, O’Marra, Beau Geisler and rookie sensation Sebastien Bisaillon, a 21-year old defenseman armed with a booming slapshot that helped produced five goals in just a six-game stretch during the period.

His first, a missile of a one-timer from the left point on November 2, helped the Thunder sink the Idaho Steelheads in a 4-0 victory that served many accomplishments. It was the first of back-to-back victories during “Thunder Goes Pink II” weekend, celebrating breast cancer awareness which was aided by over 15,000 fans in attendance for the two consecutive nights while the Thunder showed their support by donning pink-bolted jerseys and skating on a pink-accented ice surface.

In the first meeting since the 2007 first round playoff series which saw Idaho advance past the Thunder en route to a Kelly Cup title, the Thunder also served payback while Glenn Fisher set a club record with his second straight shutout. His streak would continue into a November 6 road game against the Phoenix RoadRunners, when his shutout streak of 153:48 set a team record.

However, injuries, call-ups and inconsistent play left the Thunder languishing at the .500 mark at the All-Star break and changes to the lineup were in store. Jesse Bennefield, who scored five goals in his first six games, was shipped out to the Bakersfield Condors for hard-hitting defenseman L.P. Lachance and enforcer Spencer Carbery – an effort to mix more grit into a lineup filled with a surplus of finesse-oriented players.

A changing of the guard was on tap as goaltender Cam Ellsworth was dealt to the Pensacola Ice Pilots for future considerations, giving room for newcomer Tim Boron to step in after being claimed off waivers from the Charlotte Checkers.

Boron would go on to post three shutouts, a team record which started on December 27 against the Fresno Falcons in a 2-0 triumph. What helped make the subplot juicier was the return of Boron’s counterpart and fellow St. Cloud State predecessor – Jake Moreland – who made his first return to Stockton Arena since tending the pipes for the Thunder during 2005-06.

The moment that thousands of hockey fans had waited for since the previous summer came on January 22-23, when the hockey world shined its spotlight on the city of Stockton for the ECHL All-Star Game, the crown jewel of a continuous season-long celebration of the league’s 20th anniversary. Thousands of tourists poured into the downtown waterfront events center for the week, aided by the ECHL Skills Competition on Jan. 22 and the inaugural ECHL Hall of Fame induction ceremony the morning after.

Three Thunder represented the hometown crowd in the Jan. 23 game televised nationally by NHL Network and aired throughout the country via NHL Radio, as (photo left, to right) Ryan MacMurchy, Brad Farynuk and Andy Contois helped the National Conference take a 10-7 win.

The crowd of 7,500 had their offensive appetite whet as the second-highest scoring game in league history was topped by a new offensive record, when Ash Goldie’s hat trick and two assists set a new ECHL all-star game record with a five-point outing.

Following the week, it was back to reality for the Thunder, who still had a long road ahead in the final half of the season in attempts to lock up a postseason berth.

The Cincinnati Cyclones, who seemed to be destroying everything in their path on their way to a Brabham Cup title and Kelly Cup championship, hit major speed bump along Fremont Street on March 1. Rising to the occasion in a playoff-like atmosphere, the Thunder and Boron (who made 42 saves) suffocated the Cyclones vaunted offense and snapped the team’s league record 17-game winning streak in front of a packed house of 9,737. Rookie sensation David Desharnais, who would go onto win the league’s scoring title by a whopping 15 points, had his league record 20-game assist streak snapped in the process.

A photo finish in the National Conference playoff race came down to the final weekend and a final hurdle stood in the way of the Thunder clinching their second straight playoff berth – the Utah Grizzlies, who had won 5 of 6 games against the Thunder that year entering the season-concluding three-game series.

However, the Las Vegas Wranglers gave the Thunder help by defeating the ninth-place Phoenix RoadRunners (who entered the weekend one point behind the Thunder) the final night of the regular season, and the Thunder, who finally had life breathed back into their lineup with the return of Micflikier and Bisaillon from the AHL, took advantage by posting two of the most dramatic finishes of the season in the final two games.

The next night, the Thunder righted the ship after falling behind 3-0 in the second period and scored three unanswered goals, capped by Schwartz’s deflection goal with 1:15 left in regulation which forced overtime and officially punched the team’s playoff dance card, personified by an eruption of sticks, arms and voices on the bench when regulation time ended. Utah capped the game on Olivier Labelle’s overtime goal and won 4-3.

What lied ahead was best-of-seven series against the National Conference champ Las Vegas Wranglers. Like Utah, the Wranglers posed a serious hurdle as the Thunder had not won a game in Orleans Arena since March 28, 2006. Yet, as many coaches preach to their players to throw statistics out the window in the playoffs, the Thunder did likewise – and in dramatic fashion again.

Entering the third period with a 1-0 deficit in game 1, the Thunder erupted for four goals and sunk the Wranglers in a 4-2 win, aided by Jonas Almtorp’s shorthanded goal with 4:19 left.

Las Vegas got the best of the Thunder in the next three games, including two overtime wins in games 2 and 4 for a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Thunder refused to go quietly and throttled the Wranglers for a 6-3 win at Stockton Arena in game 5, aided by Stephane Goulet’s hat trick – the first Thunder player to score three goals in a playoff game.

The stakes were raised in game 6 and despite a valiant effort by the Thunder, the Wranglers proved too much and ended the series and the Thunder season in a 4-2 win in game 6 at Las Vegas, en route to the club’s first ever Kelly Cup Finals appearance.

For the fans who piled into Stockton Arena – 239,337 in total to garner the Thunder’s third straight attendance title, the rallying cry of “Rated E” certainly gave them exactly what they bargained for – excitement.

The Thunder and their fans look for even more of the same, aiming to soar to new heights in 2008-09.

2008-09: Welcome to the Next Level

Thunder fans had enjoyed calling themselves “top dog” when it came to loyalty for three seasons. An additional boost began with an increased dedication from the Edmonton Oilers and Springfield Falcons at helping players move onto the next level and strengthen the team’s talent depth.

Head Coach Chris Cichocki signed just seven players in the offseason as part of an agreement that had a whopping 19 players with an NHL contract or an AHL contract (including those inactive or on injured reserve) making the opening night roster via the Springfield Falcons. Ryan Huddy (right) was one of them, whose offensive brilliance totaled 36 goals and 73 points that season, shattering Thunder scoring records.

Among other highlights was goaltender Andrew Perugini, assigned from Springfield, who became the second goaltender in Thunder history to win more than 20 games in a season (joining Dubnyk).

Expectations, again, rose for the Thunder who had a roster laden with talent, speed, grit and goaltending. But injuries and inconsistent play led the team to a 10-17-4 start to the regular season, ushering in change.

For the first time in Thunder history, the change involved the coaching staff. Cichocki was relieved on his duties on December 29, just 24 hours after a 5-2 loss at home to the Victoria Salmon Kings, which was the team’s fifth loss in a row and the tail-end of a 2-8-2 stretch in 12 games.

In came Matt Thomas, who had been a finalist for the first Thunder head coaching position in 2005-06 but over four years later, stepped in after his Fresno Falcons folded during the middle of the season. Coming full circle four years later, Thomas brought a brash attitude, a Kelly Cup ring, .636 lifetime winning percentage as coach, and an entertaining, up-tempo puck possession style all geared to turn the Thunder’s season around in a hurry.

The move paid off. Under Thomas’ guidance, the Thunder began the new era by winning seven games in a row amidst a 7-0-1 stretch in eight games with new additions to the roster that Thomas (pictured, right) brought along from Fresno in all-stars Kenny MacAulay, Igor Gongalsky, defensemen Matt O’Dette, Daryl Marcoux and rookie sensation Judd Blackwater.

The Thunder were the talk of the ECHL by late January when the All-Star Game in Reading rolled around. Three members of the Thunder (Thomas, Cory Urquhart and Ryan Huddy) represented the National Conference while a fourth selection, MacAulay, took a detour to the AHL’s Portland Pirates for the remainder of the season by earning a well-deserved call-up.

With a newfound confidence, the Thunder gained ground on the entire West Division and a 5-1 hammering of the first place Ontario Reign put them three points out of the top spot in early February. When in December, it seemed out of reach with the team languishing in fourth place.

Fans kept coming in droves to see the hottest sports attraction in the San Joaquin Valley and the Thunder saluted the loyal crowd by clinching its third consecutive Kelly Cup Playoff berth with a 3-1 victory over the Las Vegas Wranglers in the regular season home finale on March 29. With a crowd of 6,473, it was the fourth straight season that the Thunder led the ECHL in attendance.

The Thunder achieved their goals under Thomas – make the playoffs, and recapture their edge on home ice as the Thunder finished the regular season 22-16-2 under Thomas, and 14-10-2 at Stockton Arena.

Still, there was much more to be had than regular season accomplishments, and targets were set on the Reign, who won the West in their first season. What followed was one of the most wild and dramatic series in Kelly Cup Playoff history. Five games were decided by one goal, one game went to overtime and the series went to Game 7.

Drama that included an injury to Perugini (leading into the late signing of young Parker Van Buskirk) in Game 1, the Thunder knotted the series in a heart-pounding 6-5 win at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Game 2.

But Ontario’s confidence took a daring step in the form of unbridled expression in the media. Before the clubs shifted back north for Games 3-5 in Stockton, it was Ontario head coach Karl Taylor’s single excuse in local newspapers for the game two loss that made it on the Thunder dressing room bulletin boards by saying, “we weren’t prepared to play. We thought it was going to be easy.”

Maybe Ontario was banking that statement off a 4-0-0 regular season record at Stockton Arena. Maybe it fueled their confidence, certain they could do it with one hand tied behind their back after the Thunder dropped a lackluster 5-1 loss in Game 3.

The Thunder decided to prove them wrong.

In came Van Buskirk, whose only professional experience was a cup of coffee with the Charlotte Checkers following a stellar four year career with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, including an MVP performance in 2008-09.

Making his playoff debut and thus cast into the fire, Van Buskirk was as cool as ice in Game 4, making 34 astounding saves. However, with the Thunder hanging onto a 4-2 lead, their conservative approach to closing the game almost cost them when Ontario roared back with two dramatic goals in the final minutes, a shorthanded goal by Jon Rheault and an extra attacker marker by Bud Holloway to send the game into overtime, tied 4-4.

It didn’t take long for the Thunder to pick up their working bootstraps and end the Reign threat. On an attacking zone faceoff just minutes into sudden death overtime, the first line of Mike Lalonde, Ryan Huddy and James Bates cycled the puck into the corners long enough to keep the towering defensive pair of Colten Teubert and Chad Starling spinning with heads on a swivel. Capitalizing off the quicker matchup, Huddy found daylight from behind the net and centered the puck for James Bates, waiting in the slot.

The rookie right winger, who buried 16 goals in the regular season and had his first of the playoffs earlier that night, made no mistake on a one-timer from the slot and rifled the puck over goaltender Jeff Zatkoff’s glove. The goal sent the Thunder to a dramatic 5-4 victory and Stockton Arena in delirium, as Bates was mobbed by his teammates on the ice (pictured, right).

Van Buskirk continued his brilliance in net with 30 more saves in Game 5, sending Ontario to the brink of elimination with a 4-2 victory just two days later, but lost the services of captain Matt O’Dette and Lalonde to injury. Ontario wouldn’t go down without a fight as well and Game 7 was forced after the Thunder dropped another 4-3 heart-pounding decision despite scoring three goals in the third period to mount a comeback.

The momentum from Tuesday’s Game 6 fueled the Thunder for Game 7 and head coach Matt Thomas, who was behind the bench for the third deciding game in his career. With a surprise appearance by Troy Bodie (now an Anaheim Duck) in attendance, the Thunder came out prepared under acting captain Craig Valette, who helped set up two of the four goals in the first period by the Thunder, who lit up the Reign in a 4-1 lead on tallies by defenseman Robbie Bina, Urquhart, Gongalsky and Bates.

The Thunder followed by trying to tie the defensive screws on the Reign for the rest of the game and the plan seemed to work, until the team went into coasting mode. The Reign took advantage and a goal by Ontario veteran Brad Mehalko was answered by Valette’s power-play goal, seemingly putting the game out of reach at a 5-2 Thunder cushion.

The Thunder followed by trying to tie the defensive screws on the Reign for the rest of the game and the plan seemed to work, until the team went into coasting mode. The Reign took advantage and a goal by Ontario veteran Brad Mehalko was answered by Valette’s power-play goal, seemingly putting the game out of reach at a 5-2 Thunder cushion.

But two quick strikes in the final eight minutes by Ontario, courtesy of Tim Kraus and Geoff Walker, amazingly cut the deficit to 5-4 and made the Thunder sweat. Yet, a final flurry by Ontario in the last few seconds was stonewalled by Van Buskirk, including a highlight-reel, point-blank save on Jon Francisco, and the Thunder exploded off the bench with their first playoff series victory in team history.

Onto round two, the Thunder had a score to settle with the Las Vegas Wranglers in the quest to reach the National Conference Finals. A familiar face in net – former Thunder goaltender Glenn Fisher, was loaned to Las Vegas from Springfield looking for more playing time with his time in the AHL spent mostly on the bench.

Looking for payback after dropping the six-game series a year ago, Stockton roared out of the gates with a 4-3 victory at home before a raucous crowd at Stockton Arena. Cory Urquhart’s game-winning goal helped his teammates overcome a 2-0 deficit in the first period. Fisher, who started the game, was pulled in the first period after surrendering three goals in the opening stanza.

Playing in a bizarre 1-1-2-3 format due to building schedule conflicts at Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena, the Thunder gained more ammunition on their blueline with the return of MacAulay from his AHL call-up. They were unable to solve the puzzle of the Wranglers home ice (Stockton had only won once – Game 1 of the 2008 playoff series – in the past 13 tries dating back to 2006-07) in Game 2 and dropped a 4-2 loss to fall into a 1-1 tie in the series.

The home ice and boisterous Thunder faithful proved to be necessary home cooking, and the Thunder cruised to a statement-making 5-1 win in Game 3 at Stockton Arena. Huddy posted pair of goals and assist, with Van Buskirk just falling 16 minutes shy of his first pro shutout.

The team had to also recuperate after losing Blackwater to injury in Game 3 on a vicious knee-on-knee hit delivered by J.D. Watt. Bates then dropped the gloves with Watt at center ice to defend his teammate while Blackwater was given treatment by the training staff and helped off the ice.

Seemingly undeterred, the Thunder found players to step up and fill the holes in Game 4. An unlikely source, rookie Brandon Naurato (picked up a week before the regular season’s conclusion out of college at Michigan) gave the Thunder a 2-1 lead in the third period, finishing Huddy’s brilliant three-way passing sequence at the doorstep.

The Wranglers, with backs to the wall, shot back with Dan Riedel’s game-tying goal just nearly three minutes later and scored the goal that turned the series around. Mick Lawrence’s overtime winner with just 19 seconds elapsed came on a slap shot from the right circle to level the series 2-2 and give Las Vegas a 3-2 win in the game.

The Thunder were faced with a daunting task – win two of the last three in one of the most difficult venues in the ECHL. The stakes were further raised after a 4-2 loss in Game 5. The next night at Orleans Arena, the Thunder staved off elimination on goals by Valette, MacAulay and an empty-netter by Urquhart to put Las Vegas away, 3-1 and force Game 7.

With Game 7 again on the road, the Thunder had been in the same situation just two weeks prior and looked to build on the experience of putting the Reign away. But home ice for the Wranglers proved to be too much for the Thunder to handle and Las Vegas scored four unanswered goals before Urquhart finally got the Thunder on the board at a 4-1 deficit in the third period.

Sean Owens put the game away with an empty net goal. The win would be Las Vegas’ final of the year before bowing out in a four-game sweep to the eventual Kelly Cup finalist Alaska Aces in the conference finals.

Still, as the Thunder exited off the 2008-09 hockey stage earlier than hoped, they capitalized on a groundbreaking season, on and off the ice. With a fourth straight attendance title in tow and winning the hearts of many playoff hungry fans by getting into the month of May for the first time ever, the Thunder toppled community milestones by raising a club record $550,683 for charity.

“Thunder Goes Pink III” drew over a combined 15,000 fans in two games for a win and loss against the Victoria Salmon Kings in November, raised over a whopping $40,000 for the American Cancer Society – Stockton Field Office and the St. Joseph’s Foundation – Breast Cancer Services.

The architect of the season’s turnaround was signed, sealed and delivered – Thomas signed a two-year contract extension on June 11, laying the foundation to take the hockey club to new and exhilarating heights.

With the growth of hockey in California and the zeal of San Joaquin Valley hockey fans burning hot as ever, the Thunder entered a new era by setting the tone for its loyal fans and blossoming team with the rallying cry for success of 2009-10.

The time arrived to go “All Out, All Season.”

2009-10: That’s (Conference) Final

By taking the next step with its success on the ice and firmly solidifying its place in the Central Valley with a legion of Thunder fans following the team’s every move, the next plan was put into place with a team that would play to the identity of Thomas’ brand of high-tempo hockey.

Many faces from the 2008-09 roster returned and were determined to build on the success of the previous season via free agency. Additionally, Edmonton returned contracted prospects James Bates, Jordan Bendfeld and goaltenders Andrew Perugini and Bryan Pitton for a second run with Stockton, while signing former Las Vegas playoff foe Kelly Czuy to an AHL contract – placing the speedy, hard-nosed winger with the Thunder.

In what would be a common theme under the Thomas regime, several team bonding events were staged to build team chemistry, which included a cookout and camping trip to Half Moon Bay at the conclusion of training camp.

Yet, the season began on a turbulent note. The Idaho Steelheads, who would leave the entire National Conference in their wake by capturing the best record in the league that season, swept the first three games from the Thunder in Idaho. The following weekend, the losing streak hit four games after a 7-1 home opening loss to the Ontario Reign, the same night that brand new, gold-colored third jerseys were unveiled.

The Thunder eventually hit rock bottom as the offensive continued to sputter – following a 5-11-3 start, changes were made to the roster. Forwards Matt Robinson, J.F. Caudron, Brett and Colin Hemingway and defensemen Anthony Aiello and Justin DaCosta were all brought in through trades and free agency signings, helping direct a swift turnaround to the season.

Stockton roared their way through vaunted territory – Sullivan Arena – to record a rare three-game sweep of the Alaska Aces, something that no other team but the 2006-07 Las Vegas Wranglers have done in ECHL history.

By the All-Star break, the Thunder reached the .500 mark and wouldn’t look back. With rookie sensation Chris D’Alvise and budding star James Bates racing up the scoring charts, the Thunder were just four points out of first place in the Pacific Division by the middle of February.

They continued to streak into late March with sights set on locking up a playoff berth, but it required a bit of grunt work with the Las Vegas Wranglers looking to take five points in a three-game series in Stockton.

The game, a Sunday afternoon, March 28 affair, looked grim with the Thunder trailing 3-0 and 4-1 during the game and little used backup Kurtis Mucha thrusted in net.

It turned out to be one of the great comebacks in Thunder history at one of the most critical moments of a hockey season.

After back-to-back goals in the second period which closed the gap to 4-3, a bullet of a one-timer by D’Alvise knotted the score, 4-4 with 7:05 remaining the third period.

The game was up for grabs. Robinson, scoring his second goal of the game, then threw Stockton Arena into a frenzy for the Thunder’s first lead of the game just 27 seconds later when his deflection of a Ryan Constant shot from the point put the Thunder ahead, 5-4.

Yet, an Adam Miller goal with three minutes left tied the game at 5-5, making it a neck-and-neck race to the finish line for both teams.

Robinson, however, had one more bullet left in his arsenal and made it count, drilling a slapshot from off the rush to the back of the net with 59.5 seconds left, upgrading the Stockton Arena frenzy to a derlirium with a 6-5 Thunder lead, and a Robinson hat trick.

The Thunder, fresh off the one-goal win, tied for the Pacific Division lead later in the final week of the season and clinched a playoff berth. The Condors would win the division outright, but the score between both teams was far from settled.

First up, in the Kelly Cup Playoffs was the Alaska Aces, who narrowly clinched home ice advantage over the Thunder. If Stockton were to get to the second round for the second straight season, they would have to do something no other team had done in ECHL history – knock the Aces out of the playoffs in the opening round.

A curveball was thrown the Aces way though – and the usually vaunted Sullivan Arena was left out of the playoff picture when scheduling conflicts forced Games 1-2 of the series to a smaller, Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla.

Yet, the Aces seemed to take the Sullivan Arena magic with them, and jetted out to a 1-0 series lead when they erased a 3-2 Thunder deficit in the third period with back-to-back goals by offensively starved B.J. Crum – he had only scored one goal all year.

The Alaska win, 4-3, meant the Thunder faced a must-win in Game 2 to prevent facing elimination in the best-of-five series.

The final three games were guaranteed for Stockton Arena, and the Thunder left no doubt as to who controlled the ice surface in front of its raucous fans. Down 3-2 in the third period, a Jason Pitton goal then opened the floodgates with a 3-3 tie.

On a mission to gain control in the series, the Thunder took as big of a lead of 5-3 on two more goals off the sticks of Matt Marquardt and Czuy, but the Aces made it a one-goal gap just nine seconds later when Judd Blackwater, now behind enemy lines, scored from off the rush when the Aces won the faceoff.

Yet, the momentum wildly swung back into the Thunder favor when D’Alvise made it 6-4, burying a one-timer from the slot after Bates set him up from the right wing.

An empty net goal by Ryan Constant sealed the game and put the Aces on their heels.

The Thunder completed their historic run of knocking the Aces into the summer the next night, when a wild 8-5 win gave them a 3-1 series victory.

How they got there was no less wild than the previous evening. A five-goal outburst in the first period put the Thunder up 5-3, in a wild offensive track meet style affair that had the Thunder come from behind separate 2-0 and 3-1 deficits.

In scoring a combination of ten goals on Alaska’s goaltending in 28 minutes, the Aces were left in disarray. The Thunder only continued to pour more fuel onto the fire with goals from Garet Hunt, Igor Gongalsky and Matt Robinson.

Stockton and Bakersfield finally had their match – a battle for the right to move onto the National Conference Final. For both team, it would be their first, and emotional civic pride was also put on the line.

Stockton mayor Ann Johnston put up a bushel of asparagus against Bakersfield counterpart Harvey Hall, who offered Dewar’s Candies with the winner dining on the loser’s delicacy.

The Condors, powered by the NHL experience of Kyle Calder and MacGregor Sharp and owning home ice advantage, yet succumbed to a determined and resilient Thunder team in Game 1, when Stockton won 3-2 in sudden death overtime after rallying with a Czuy goal to knot the score with less than three minutes left in regulation. J.F. Caudron drove home the winner, and Stockton snagged home ice advantage.

Surely, the Thunder needed to be prepared for a desperate effort by their Anaheim-affiliated counterparts for Game 2. Another Thunder victory meant a 2-0 series gap before it shifted to Stockton for the middle three games.

Different night, same result. Following another neck-and-neck race through three periods, overtime was required again. The heroes were the ones leaving Bakersfield, 2-0. Oren Eizenman, this time, provided the dramatic ending when he slipped a backhanded attempt through the five-hole of Timo Pielmeier, sending the team into party mode by erupting off the bench.

The Condors seemed buried. But Game 3 proved they weren’t going down without one final fight, trying to get back in the series. Bakersfield continued their rotation of goaltenders and the move paid off. Jean-Philippe Levasseur blanked the Thunder in a 3-0 victory at Stockton Arena, getting Bakersfield back in the series at a 2-1 deficit.

Yet, the next two games proved it was a matter of time before the gauntlet was thrown down, before raucous crowds looking to help the Thunder move onto the Conference Finals.

The Thunder faced another Levasseur barrier in net for Game 4 and it appeared the frustration would continue, until Matt Robinson unknotted a 0-0 tie with a goal in the last minute of the period.

Four goals by the Thunder put the game out of reach in the second period, pounding Levasseur with second chance rebounds and turnovers.

The Thunder defense then tightened the clamps in the third period and Matt Marquardt’s empty net goal sealed a 6-2 win and a 3-1 series advantage – giving the Thunder a chance to put Bakersfield away in a relatively quick fashion, with just five games required to do it.

There would be little doubt left as to who had the gas-powered engine, and who was walking to their demise for the 2009-10 season. Matt Marquardt’s late first period goal, a rocket shot from the slot, gave the Thunder a 2-1 lead which would never be relinquished.

Bakersfield, and an old friend, Stephane Goulet, cut the score to 3-2 until the Thunder embarked on yet another rally in the final period – using four goals to put away the Condors with a 7-4 win. Colin Hemingway put the game out of reach with his first goal of the postseason – a one-timer from the slot – for a 5-2 advantage, before both teams traded off four goals to finish the game, which was merely academic at that point.

The countdown was on. Nearly 5,000 Thunder fans, decked in black and gold, went into a rally towel waving frenzy as the clock ran out and the Thunder spilled off the bench, celebrating their first trip to the National Conference Final.

Nearly a week off was at hand to celebrate and then prepare for what would be the penultimate showdown of the National Conference – the Idaho Steelheads yet again – who had captured the ECHL’s best record in the regular season.

Following another team bonding trip which included televised recognition at a San Francisco Giants baseball game, the Thunder embarked to Boise for Games 1-2 of the series, which proved to contain more of the same painful endurance tests that were familiar with the early part of the season.

Goaltender Richard Bachman was nearly unbeatable – giving up two goals in the first 120 minutes, including nothing in Game 2 – giving the Steelheads a 2-0 series advantage with it heading back to Stockton Arena.

Andrew Perugini then yielded the starting goaltending job to Bryan Pitton – which would be his first start of the playoffs – and the result was a performance for the ages that no other Thunder netminder had ever accomplished in team history.

Pitton was invincible. He finally answered Bachman’s challenge, and the goaltenders embarked on a shutout duel into overtime, with the Thunder fortunes riding on one shot.

The battled extended into a third overtime period – the longest scoreless playoff game in ECHL history – and that one shot gave the Thunder a jolt of life, courtesy of Ryan Constant.

He lined up a Matt Robinson feed at the center point position on a power-play, and simply flicked a wrist shot that Bachman had trouble seeing through traffic.

The puck found the back of the net, Stockton Arena went into a frenzy, and a sliding Constant was greeted by celebrating teammates at center ice to enjoy a breathtaking, 1-0 Thunder win in triple overtime, completing a battle of endurance and breaking a remarkable shutout streak of 172 minutes and seven seconds Bachman had on Stockton.

Pitton also broke a Thunder playoff record with 49 saves, while recording the first postseason shutout of his career and the first in Thunder history.

Sensing a chink in the armor of the Steelheads, the Thunder continued to hammer away at Bachman in Game 4. Eventually, the move paid off – on a three goal outburst in the second period which also knocked Bachman out of the game when he collided with teammate Evan Barlow during a J.F. Caudron goal off the rush, giving the Thunder a 2-1 lead.

Rejean Beauchemin hadn’t played hockey in nearly a month due to Bachman’s hot streak, but was thrust into action at a critical time. The Thunder took advantage by running roughshod over Beauchemin and built a thick 4-1 edge after two periods. Goals by Matt Marquardt, James Bates and Colin Hemingway pushed the game into blowout mode with a 7-1 lead in the third period.

Pitton earned his second straight win in net with a 7-2 win, and the series was up for grabs with a 2-2 tie.

Game 5 would yield a tug-o-war style of efforts between two desperate teams sensing two wins, in reach, to advance to the Kelly Cup Finals. Stockton and Idaho traded four goals, at one point, in a span of 1:25, finished off by a Matt Robinson snipe in the mid slot for a 3-3 tie.

Yet, Marty Flichel’s late goal in the second gave Idaho a narrow 4-3 edge and the Thunder came back by throwing their entire arsenal at Rejean Beauchemin in the final 20 minutes, coming within inches of the back of the net on several occasions.

Oren Eizenman appeared to tie the game with nearly 3:30 left in regulation, but officials confirmed after a review that his one-timer at the left circle rang off the crossbar, instead of the back, inside bar of the net as originally protested by the Stockton bench.

Idaho capitalized on the momentum and put Game 5 out of reach with back-to-back goals from Barlow and Mark McCutcheon, using a 6-3 decision at Stockton Arena to put the Thunder into a must-win situation for Game 6 at Qwest Arena.

It started out bright, as Steve Vanoosten and Jason Pitton used back-to-back goals in the first period to assume a 2-0 lead, before John-Scott Dickson put the Steelheads on his back.

He notched a natural hat trick to give Idaho a 3-2 edge in the second period, but Garet Hunt restored the tie with a one-timer at the top of the crease.

McCutcheon chipped in with a goal for a 4-3 lead and the Thunder had one more period to fight back, or it meant the end of their season. The situation turned bleak when Idaho used two early goals in the third period for a 6-3 advantage, until one final rally was paged from the Thunder side.

Matt Marquardt and Kelly Czuy each scored in the final ten minutes to remarkably cut the deficit to 6-5 with two minutes left. After one more scoring chance was thrown the way of the Idaho net with Andrew Perugini pulled for an extra skater, an empty net goal from Marty Flichel sealed the game and series for a 7-5 final score.

Idaho would go onto lose the Kelly Cup Final in five games to the Cincinnati Cyclones, but the Thunder foundation was set for its continuous ascension up minor league hockey’s hierarchy. Its run to the Conference Finals signaled a commitment to success on the ice, with a head coach at the controls who poured his passion into the team every day.

Off the ice, the Thunder continued to flourish before its rabid legion of hockey fans, drawing over 6,000 fans per game for the fifth straight season, five games containing crowds of 8,000 or more, its one millionth fan in franchise history and bolstering its sellout total to 14 over five seasons at Stockton Arena.

The community continued to wrap its arms around the game of hockey as well. A Thunder record of $656,977 was donated in cash, tickets, memorabilia and other items to charity in 2009-10, toppling its charitable record of over $550,000 set in 2008-09.

Additionally, the wildly successful “Thunder Goes Pink” series of games in November raised $32,480 in charity for the American Cancer Society – Stockton Field Office and St. Joseph’s Foundation – Breast Cancer Services.

Very much past the “honeymoon” period of a new franchise in town to entertain curious fans, Stockton Thunder hockey became entrenched in the fabric of the Central Valley’s passion heading into 2010-11.

It was an “All Out” effort, paving the way for more anticipation for Thunder success in the future.