Las Vegas Thunder

Pro hockey team
text_color = teal
bg_color = black
team = Las Vegas Thunder

logosize = 150px
city = Las Vegas, Nevada
league = IHL
conference = Western
division = Pacific; Southwest
founded = 1993
arena = Thomas and Mack Center
colors = teal, black, silver, white
owner = Hank and Ken Stickney
coach =
GM =
media = Las Vegas Review-Journal
affiliates = Phoenix Coyotes (NHL), Knoxville Cherokees and Mississippi Sea Wolves (ECHL), and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (RSL)
name1 = Las Vegas Thunder
dates1 = 1993 to 1999
reg_season_titles = 1993–94, 1995–96
division_titles = 1993–94, 1995–96

The Las Vegas Thunder were an independent professional ice hockey team competing in the International Hockey League. The team's home rink was at the Thomas & Mack Center. They began play in the 1993–1994 season, folding on April 18, 1999.

The Thunder's best season was in 1995–1996 when it finished in 1st (Wins 57 Losses 17 Ties 8), but lost in the conference finals.

Throughout the team's history they garnered player development deals with the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL, the ECHL's Knoxville Cherokees and Mississippi Sea Wolves and Russian side Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

The Thunder's main rivals included the Denver/Utah Grizzlies, Los Angeles/Long Beach Ice Dogs, San Diego Gulls, and Phoenix Roadrunners. These rivalries have seen a rebirth in the ECHL.

The team's mascot was "Boom-Boom", a polar bear.

:The Franchise was replaced by: Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL (2003-present)

Notable Alumni

* Radek Bonk
* Pavol Demitra
* / flagicon|SUI Paul DiPietro
* Bryan Fogarty
* Brent Gretzky
* Peter Ing
* Curtis Joseph
* / flagicon|ITA Patrice Lefebvre
* Clint Malarchuk
* / flagicon|CAN Petr Nedvěd
* Ruslan Salei
* Paxton Schulte
* / Alexei Yashin
* Sergei Zholtok

eason-by-season record

"Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes"

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; font-size: 95%"
-!rowspan="2"|Season!rowspan="2"|Conference!rowspan="2"|Division!colspan="9"|Regular Season!colspan="6"|Post Season
-!Finish!GP!W!L!T!Pts!GF!GA!GP!W!L!GF!GA!Result
-!1993-94
Western
style="background: #ddffdd;"|Pacific
style="background: #ddffdd;"|1st
81
52
18
11
style="background: #FFCCCC;"|115
319
282
5
1
4
14
20
align="left"|Lost in Quarterfinals, 1-4 (San Diego)
-!1994-95
Western
Southwest
2nd
81
46
30
5
97
328
278
10
4
6
27
35
align="left"|Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-2 (Atlants)
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1-4 (Milwaukee)
-!1995-96
Western
style="background: #ddffdd;"|Southwest
style="background: #ddffdd;"|1st
82
57
17
8
style="background: #FFCCCC;"|122
380
249
15
9
6
59
53
align="left"| Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–1 (Phoenix)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–1 (Chicago)
Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (Utah)
-!1996-97
Western
Southwest
4th
82
41
34
7
89
287
299
3
0
3
4
9
align="left"| Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 0-3 (Houston)
-!1997-98
Western
Southwest
4th
82
33
39
10
76
260
305
4
1
3
9
16
align="left"| Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1-3 (Long Beach)
-!1998-99
Western
Southwest
4th
82
35
39
8
78
247
307
colspan="6" align="center" | "Did not qualify"
--
-!colspan="4"|Totals
490
264
177
49
.589%
1821
1720
37
15
22
113
133
—
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

Head Coaches

* Butch Goring 1993–94
* Chris McSorley 1995–98
* Clint Malarchuk 1998–99

Honors

:Division Titles : 2 – 1994, 1996:Turner Cups : 0:Regular Season Titls : 2 – 1994, 1996

External links

* [http://www.lasvegasthunderjerseys.com/ Las Vegas Thunder Fan site]
* [http://www.azhockey.com Las Vegas Thunder]
* [http://www.lasvegasthunderjerseys.com/Individual%20Records.htm Records and Rewards]