Steve Slonina's 19 goals led the Thunder in goal-scoring prior to a late-February deal with the Greenville Grrrowl

STOCKTON, Calif. – The Stockton Thunder has agreed to terms with free agent forward Steve Slonina, Thunder head coach Chris Cichocki announced today. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Steve's gritty play and poise in clutch situations made him a fan favorite here last season, and I look forward to having him back in the mix," said Cichocki. "I'm very comfortable knowing what he can bring to our lineup."

Slonina, 25, returns for his second stint in Stockton after scoring 33 points (19g-14a) in 47 games with the Thunder in 2005-06. A native of Abington, Massachusetts, Slonina’s 19 goals led the Thunder prior to his acquisition by the Greenville Grrrowl on February 20, 2006 in exchange for the rights to defenseman Mike Knight, which the Thunder flipped to the Toledo Storm on February 21 in exchange for defenseman Jeff Lang.

Slonina finished his 2005-06 campaign by scoring 12 points (3g-9a) in 22 regular season games with the Grrrowl, posting career-highs in all scoring categories with 45 points (22g-23a) in 69 games. Slonina helped guide Greenville to an American Conference division semifinal playoff berth with a 45-24-3 regular season record (93 points), scoring a goal and an assist in six Kelly Cup Playoff games in 2006.

“The organization in general – Coach Cichocki, Stockton Arena, the front office, the area and the fans – it all accounted into my return to Stockton,” said Slonina. “I’m looking forward to returning to a vastly improved team this fall and I’m excited at the possibility of how far this team can go.”

Slonina scored a goal in his first Thunder game on October 29 at Long Beach and registered a game-winning overtime goal on November 5 at San Diego, a 4-3 Thunder win which accounted for the first win in team history. Slonina also registered two-goal games in four separate occasions with Stockton, including a two-goal effort on December 10, a 4-0 win versus Phoenix in the first Thunder home game in team history.

In 189 career ECHL games with Stockton, Greenville, Toledo, and the Gwinnett Gladiators, Slonina has scored 101 points (50g-51a) and 171 penalty minutes in three seasons (2003-06), and has scored six points (2g-4a) in 23 career Kelly Cup Playoff games. Slonina made his ECHL debut in 2003-04 with Gwinnett, scoring 37 points (20g-17a) in 69 games while ranking third on the team in goal-scoring.

Slonina made his professional debut with the American Hockey League’s Lowell Lock Monsters in 2002-03, appearing in two games after finishing a four-year (1999-03) college hockey career at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell (NCAA), where he registered 59 points (23g-36a) in 132 career games with the River Hawks.

Details on Thunder 2006 training camp information will be announced soon.

The Thunder begins the 2006-07 ECHL season Friday, October 20 on the road against the Bakersfield Condors at 7:00 p.m. PT, and faces the Long Beach Ice Dogs on Saturday, October 28 at 7:30 p.m. PT in the home opener at Stockton Arena.

The Thunder drew 228,364 fans to Stockton Arena in its inaugural season, the ECHL’s best attendance mark for 2005-06. Thunder season tickets and mini-plans for the 2006-07 season are on-sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit www.stocktonthunder.com.