6-foot-3 defenseman agrees to terms after 06-07 year with Dayton, Columbia 


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Thunder, the ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers and American Hockey League's Springfield Falcons, has announced defenseman Jeff Winchester has agreed to terms. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Winchester, 25, split his first full ECHL season with the Dayton Bombers and Columbia Inferno last year, tallying six points (1g-5a) with 44 penalty minutes in 48 games while signed with the American Hockey League's Syracuse Crunch on an AHL/ECHL "two-way" contract. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound defenseman made his professional debut with the San Diego Gulls (ECHL) in 2005-06, tallying two assists with six penalty minutes in five games.

Winchester was in the San Diego lineup against the hosting Thunder on Fan Appreciation Night in April 2006.

The Dalhousie, New Brunswick native scored two assists and had four penalty minutes in three Kelly Cup Playoff games with San Diego in 2006.

Winchester appeared in 108 career games in four seasons (2002-06) during his college hockey career with the University of Alabama-Huntsville (NCAA), scoring 45 points (4g-41a) with 273 penalty minutes. Winchester had a career-high 21 points (1g-20a) in 29 games as a 2004-05 junior, garnering second team all-conference honors in the College Hockey America conference while ranking second among all conference defensemen in scoring.

Winchester joins former San Diego Gulls teammates - right wing Jesse Bennefield and defenseman Mark Adamek - on the Thunder roster.


ABOUT THE ECHL
Opening Day for the 20th Anniversary Season will be Oct. 18 when the Johnstown Chiefs host the Wheeling Nailers at Cambria County War Memorial in a rematch of Game 7 from the first-ever ECHL Finals.

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary as the Premier ‘AA' Hockey League in 2007-08, the ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in three states and has grown to be a coast-to-coast league that will have 25 teams in 17 states and British Columbia in 2007-08. The 25 teams includes the Mississippi (Biloxi) Sea Wolves, who return after missing two seasons in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the expansion Elmira (N.Y.) Jackals. The ECHL will play 900 games beginning Oct. 18 and concluding Apr. 5.

Details on Thunder 2007 training camp information will be announced soon. The Thunder begins the 2007-08 ECHL season Friday, October 19 on the road against the Bakersfield Condors at 7:00 p.m. PT, and faces the Alaska Aces on Saturday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m. PT in the home opener at Stockton Arena.

Host of the 2008 ECHL All-Star Game, the Thunder has led the ECHL in attendance for two consecutive seasons and drew 244,085 fans to Stockton Arena in 2006-07. Season tickets for 2007-08 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/.


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