Wichita Thunder

Pro hockey team
text_color = white
bg_color = #054EA4
team = Wichita Thunder

logosize = 150px
city = Valley Center, Kansas
league = Central Hockey League
conference = Northern Conference
division = Northwest Division
founded = 1992
arena = Britt Brown Arena
colors = Blue, Black
owner =
coach = Brent Bilodeau
GM =
media =
affiliates =
name1 = Wichita Thunder
dates1 = 1992 to Present
reg_season_titles = 1993-94, 1994-95
division_titles = None
conf_titles = 1997-98
chl_championships = 1993-94, 1994-95

The Wichita Thunder are a minor league hockey team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team plays in the Central Hockey League. The Thunder play in Britt Brown Arena / Kansas Coliseum, located in the northern Wichita suburb of Valley Center.

Championships

Retired numbers

*9 - Ron Handy

Thunder Head Coaches

eason 1

*May 19, 1992 The new Central Hockey League (CHL) is formed with teams in Wichita, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Memphis, Fort Worth, and Dallas.
*August 6, 1992 Gary Fay is named the first Head Coach of the Wichita Thunder.
*November 4, 1992 The Thunder begin their first season in the new Central Hockey League, a 6-4 victory in front of 5,486 fans at the Kansas Coliseum.
*December 9, 1992 The Thunder lose their 11th straight game, falling to a record of 3-14.
*December 31, 1992 NHL veteran Doug Shedden replaces Gary Fay as Head Coach of the 6-20 Wichita Thunder.
*January 5, 1993 Goaltender Bobby Desjardins records the first shutout in Thunder history, a 1-0 shootout victory over Tulsa.
*January 20, 1993 Wichita wins their franchise best fifth consecutive game.
*March 5, 1993 9,686 fans, the first sellout in team history, watch the Thunder defeat Oklahoma City 4-3.
*March 12, 1993 The Thunder finish their first season in the cellar with a record of 25-32-2. However the Thunder end the season on a roll, going 19-13-2 under Shedden.
*March 1993 Goaltender Bobby Desjardins is named CHL Rookie of the Year.

eason 2

*October 28, 1993 Wichita begins the season with a 7-5 upset of the defending CHL Champion Tulsa Oilers.
*December 22, 1993 The Blazers defeat Wichita 12-3. The two teams combine for a CHL record 334 penalty minutes, including 13 game misconducts.
*January 14, 1994 Paul Jackson scores his 50th goal in the 37th game of the season, tying for the professional hockey record for the fastest 50 goals in a season, set by Trevor Jobe.
*January 30, 1994 The Thunder win a franchise best eighth consecutive game.
*February 23, 1994 Brent Sapergia becomes the first player in professional hockey history to score five goals in one period.
*March 8, 1994 The fourth sellout crowd of the season watches the Thunder pound Tulsa 10-6 to clinch their first ever CHL Adams Cup, as the regular season champions. Bryan Wells, playing in his first game at the Coliseum scores four goals in the second period before receiving a match penalty.
*March 23, 1994 The Thunder defeat the Dallas Freeze 6-1, to win their first ever postseason game.
*April 5, 1994 The Thunder knock off the Freeze in game 7 at the Coliseum, to advance to the CHL finals versus the defending CHL Champion Tulsa Oilers.
*April 14, 1994 The Thunder sweep Tulsa in four games to win the Levins Trophy as CHL Champions. Ron Handy is named playoff M.V.P.
*April 1994 The Thunder pick up two more CHL trophies, as Paul Jackson is named Most Valuable Player, and Doug Shedden is named Coach of the Year.

eason 3

*October 28, 1994 The Thunder begin their title defense with a 2-1 victory over Tulsa at a sold out Kansas Coliseum.
*December 28, 1994 Wichita drops Tulsa 7-5, to go 14-0-2 in their last 16 games, and improve their overall record to 21-3-2.
*January 14, 1995 Brent Sapergia caps an amazing four-goal third period comeback to defeat Oklahoma City 6-5 in front of 9,698 fans, the largest crowd in Thunder History.
*March 17, 1995 Wearing special green St. Patrick's Day Jerseys, the Thunder defeat Memphis 7-4 to clinch their second straight Adams Cup.
*April 1, 1995 Wichita defeats Oklahoma City 8-1, and takes the series in five games to advance to the CHL Finals versus San Antonio.
*April 10, 1995 The Thunder quickly fall behind 3-0, but comeback to win 7-6 and take game one of the CHL Finals.
*April 18, 19958,320 fans turn out to see the Thunder defeat San Antonio 9-4, and win their second CHL Championship. Ron Handy is once again named playoff M.V.P.
*May 14, 1995 Head Coach Doug Shedden resigns to become coach of the Louisiana Ice Gators of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). Over two seasons, Shedden compiled a record of 103-49-12.

eason 4

*July 21, 1995 Wichita names Don Jackson as the new Head Coach. A former member of the Wichita Wind of the old Central Hockey League, Jackson also won two Stanley Cups as a member of the Edmonton Oilers.
*October 28, 1995 The Thunder win their fourth consecutive season opener, defeating Fort Worth 7-6 in a shootout.
*January 28, 1996 Down 7-1 in the third period, Wichita scores six straight goals, but loses in a shootout for a team record 13th straight time.
*February 2, 1996 Alex Osadchy, a defenseman under contract with the San Jose Sharks, scores a goal in his first game in a Thunder uniform.

eason 5

*July 19, 1996 Don Jackson resigns to become Head Coach of the International Hockey League's (IHL) Kansas City Blades.
*July 15, 1996 Bryan Wells, who set a CHL record in 1995-96 with 407 penalty minutes, is named the Thunder's fourth Head Coach.
*August 29, 1996 Wichita signs the East Coast Hockey League's all-time leading scorer Trevor Jobe.
*October 18, 1996 The Thunder lose their first ever season opener, 7-3 to the Tulsa Oilers.
*November 30, 1996 Defenseman Cam Plante sets a CHL record with an assist in 19 straight games.
*December 1996 Former Thunder defenseman Alex Osadchy is found dead in his Moscow apartment. Foul play is suspected.
*December 17, 1996 Trevor Jobe sets a CHL record, scoring 9 points in a 13-7 victory at San Antonio. The game also featured 293 penalty minutes, including 14 game misconducts.
*January 31, 1997 Wichita drops a 6-5 shootout to Fort Worth. Wichita and Fort Worth tie the CHL record set by the two teams the previous season, by using 11 shooters apiece.
*March 1, 1997 The Thunder trade Trevor Jobe, the CHL's leading scorer, to Columbus for Casey Hungle.
*March 6, 1997 Wichita loses their 10th shootout, a CHL record.
*March 14, 1997 Down 3-0 midway through the third period in San Antonio, the Thunder score four unanswered goals to eliminate the Iguanas and clinch the final playoff spot, on the second to last day of the season.
*March 21, 1997 Trailing 1-0 in the best-of-five Western Division semifinals, the Thunder defeat Oklahoma City 4-2, for just the fourth time in the last 30 tries, to tie the series at 1-1.
*March 24, 1997 Cory Dosdall is named CHL Rookie of the Year.
*March 25, 1997 The Thunder eliminate the defending CHL Champion Blazers on Jason Duda's goal just 39 seconds into overtime. The 3-1 series victory is the Thunder's fifth straight without a loss.
*April 1, 1997 The Thunder cut Fort Worth's series lead to 2-1, with a 4-3 victory, and move Wichita's home playoff record to 14-1.
*April 5, 1997 Fort Worth hands the Thunder their first ever playoff series defeat, four games to one.

eason 6

*August 7, 1997 The Wichita Thunder sign the CHL's first ever affiliation agreement, with the Kansas City Blades of the International Hockey League.
*September 27, 1997 The Kansas City Blades defeat the Houston Aeros in an IHL exhibition, 4-3 in a shootout, before a sold out crowd at Ice Sports Wichita.
*October 17, 1997 The Thunder set/tied several records in opening day action against the Fort Worth Fire:
**Tied CHL record for Most Goals/One Team/One Period at 8.
**Tied CHL record for Most Goals/Both Teams/One Period at 9.
**Tied CHL record for Most Goals/One Team/One Game at 16.
**Set CHL record for Most Points/One Team/One Game at 42.
**Also is a new Thunder team record!
*November 10, 1997 Head coach Bryan Wells is given a 12-game suspension for his part in a post-game altercation with Tulsa head coach Ric Seiling on November 7.
*November 21, 1997 In the first meeting since the November 7 brawl, the Thunder shutout Tulsa in front of a sellout crowd of 9,658 at the Kansas Coliseum. Rob Friesen would shutout Fayetteville two days later, giving the Thunder back-to-back home shutouts for the first time in franchise history.
*March 13, 1998 Trailing 8-3 with less than two minutes remaining, the Oklahoma City Blazers cut the score to 8-7; however, the Thunder hang on for the victory in front of 9,169 fans at the Coliseum. The game also featured 321 penalty minutes and the ejection of 10 players.
*March 31, 1998 The Thunder finish the regular season on a five-game winning streak, clinching second place in the Western Division with a 7-6 victory over Fayetteville.
*April 1, 1998 Thunder left wing David Beauregard is named CHL Rookie of the Year.
*April 10, 1998 Wichita eliminates Tulsa in the first round of the playoffs, with a 4-3 victory in front of 7,468 fans at the Coliseum.
*April 26, 1998 Jim McGeough's overtime goal at Oklahoma City gives the Thunder a 4-3 series victory over the Blazers, and a third berth in the CHL Finals.
*May 4, 1998 Columbus defeats the Thunder 4-2 at the Coliseum, to win the 1998 CHL Championship in four straight games.

eason 7

*April 10, 1998 Wichita eliminates Tulsa in the first round of the playoffs, with a 4-3 victory in front of 7,468 fans at the Coliseum.
*April 26, 1998 Jim McGeough's overtime goal at Oklahoma City gives the Thunder a 4-3 series victory over the Blazers, and a third berth in the CHL Finals.
*May 4, 1998 Columbus defeats the Thunder 4-2 at the Coliseum, to win the 1998 CHL Championship in four straight games.
*October 16, 1998 On the earliest opening day in Thunder history, Wichita defeats the expansion Topeka ScareCrows in the first game of the inaugural "Park City Kansas Challenge".
*December 10, 1998 Lance Leslie shuts out the first place Blazers, 5-0 in Oklahoma City.
*December 12, 1998 Greg Smith shuts out the ScareCrows, 5-0 in Topeka, making the Thunder the first team in CHL history to record back-to-back road shutouts.
*January 23, 1999 In front of a sellout crowd of 9,654 at the Kansas Coliseum, Greg Smith records his franchise-best third shutout of the season, 2-0 over Oklahoma City.
*January 27, 1999 The Thunder defeat the Fort Worth Fire and take over first place in the CHL Western Division. With a record of 27-12-5, the Thunder are now in first place this far into a season, for the first time since January 1995.
*February 9, 1999 In the first morning game in Thunder history, Oklahoma City's Simon Olivier butt-ends Thunder assistant coach Todd Howarth in the eye, ending his season (and later career). Olivier is banned from the CHL for the remainder of the year (and for all games against the Thunder for the 99-2000 season).
*March 31, 1999 The San Antonio Iguanas, down to just four skaters, forfeit the game late in the second period, giving the Thunder a 6-1 victory.
*April 2, 1999 Rookie Walker McDonald's goal midway through the first overtime gives the Thunder a 1-0 lead in their opening round series at San Antonio. The win moves Wichita's all-time overtime playoff record to a perfect 4-0.
*April 9, 1999 Despite outshooting San Antonio 51-20, the Iguanas take a 5-4 victory at the Kansas Coliseum, eliminating the Thunder from the CHL playoffs.

eason 8

*June 30, 1999 Head Coach Bryan Wells signs a three-year contract extension.
*November 17, 1999 Bob Berg picks up three assists in a 4-2 victory at Tulsa, becoming the first Thunder player to record 300 points.
*December 11, 1999 Goaltender Greg Smith records his franchise-best, fifth career shutout, a 2-0 win over the Tulsa Oilers.
*January 5, 2000 Center Travis Clayton is selected to his second straight CHL All-Star Game.
*March 24, 2000 Left wing Kris Schultz picks up his 36th major penalty of the season, setting a new CHL single-season record. Schultz finished the sason with 37 major penalties.
*March 27, 2000 Goaltender Lance Leslie is named the CHL Goaltender of the Week, for a single-season record fourth time. The Thunder took a total of seven weekly honors during the season.
*April 1, 2000 On the second to last day of the season, the Thunder clinch the CHL's final playoff spot with a 4-1 win at the Memphis RiverKings.
*April 7, 2000 Kris Shultz' overtime goal runs Wichita's all-time playoff overtime record to 5-0, and gives the Thunder a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five first round series over the Oklahoma City Blazers.
*April 12, 2000 The Thunder drop their third straight game to the Blazers, becoming the first team in CHL history to blow a 2-0 series lead.

eason 9

*November 23, 2000 Kris Schultz picks up his Thunder record 44th major penalty.
*December 23, 2000 The Thunder set several records, with a 12-0 victory over the expansion Border City Bandits.
*January 20, 2001 The Thunder knock off San Antonio, 3-2 in a shootout, for their seventh consecutive victory.
*February 28, 2001 Tied at 5-5 with just over seven minutes remaining, the Thunder erupt for five unanswered goals, shocking the Tulsa Oilers and their fans, 10-5.
*March 10, 2001 Travis Clayton is called up to the IHL's Kansas City Blades for the remainder of the season.

eason 10

*May 2, 2001 The Thunder dismiss head coach Bryan Wells.
*July 5, 2001 Former Thunder forward Jim Latos is named the fifth head coach in franchise history.
*October 19, 2001 Jim Latos wins his first game as head coach, a 3-2 opening day victory over the Tulsa Oilers.
*January 9, 2002 Jason Duda scores his 331st career Thunder point, surpassing Bob Berg for the most in Thunder history. Two days later, Duda would score his 144th career Thunder goal, also passing Berg for the most in franchise history.
*January 18, 2002 The Thunder and the Oilers combine for a CHL season-high 266 penalty minutes (143 to the Thunder). Trailing 4-0 at the time of a second period brawl, the Oilers come back and shock the Thunder with a 5-4 victory.
*February 16, 2002 Trailing 3-0, the Thunder return the favor in Tulsa, recording a 7-6 shootout victory. Goaltender Stephen Wagner picks up the win, remaining a perfect 6-0 all-time in shootouts.
*March 16, 2002 Once again, the Thunder and the Oilers brawl to a total of 182 penalty minutes (108 to the Thunder). Wichita finally wins the game 5-2, eliminating their arch-rivals from playoff contention.
*March 17, 2002 Jason Duda records four points in a 9-6 victory at Amarillo, finishing fifth in the CHL in scoring, with 83 points. Duda finishes the season as Wichita's all-time leader in both goals (160) and points (373), and extends his consecutive games played streak to 146, also a Thunder record. Travis Clayton finishes the season as Wichita's all-time leader in both games played (325) and assists (217), while Sean O'Reilly takes over Wichita's all-time lead in both points by a defenseman (169) and penalty minutes (926).
*April 3, 2002 Veteran defenseman Rob McCaig is suspended by the CHL for the entire 2002-03 season, the result of an altercation with a fan in Wichita's finale at Amarillo.
*June 16, 2002 Former Thunder left wing Kevin Powell is killed in a motorcycle accident in Calgary, Alberta. Powell played a total of 103 games for the Thunder during the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons.
*August 22, 2002 Defenseman Sean O'Reilly announces his retirement, after spending his entire five-year pro career with the Thunder. O'Reilly retires as Wichita's all-time leader in both penalty minutes(926) and points by a defenseman (169).

eason 11

*November 2, 2002 The Thunder drop their eighth straight game, opening the season 6-2.
*November 4, 2002 The Thunder dismiss General Manager Bill Shuck.
*November 15, 2002 The Edmonton Oilers assign goaltending prospect Kristian Antila to the Thunder. Antila was drafted by Edmonton in the fourth round of the 1998 NHL draft.
*November 27, 2002 Jason Duda picks up four points versus Tulsa, becoming the first Thunder player to ever record 400 career points.
*November 29, 2002 Not to be outdone, Travis Clayton records four points of his own versus Corpus Christi, joining Jason Duda in the Thunder 400-point club.
*December 14, 2002 Team Captain Jeff Leiter picks up a Thunder single-game record of 47 penalty minutes at Tulsa. A week later at Tulsa, Leiter would record his 45th career major penalty, passing Kris Schultz for the most in Thunder history.
*January 12, 2003 Following a disappointing start of just 8-19-7, the Thunder fire second-year head coach Jim Latos.
*January 15, 2003 Former Thunder defenseman Sean O'Reilly wins his first and only game as Interim Head Coach, 5-2 over Fort Worth.
*January 16, 2003 Derek Laxdal is named the sixth head coach in Thunder history.
*January 18, 2003 Derek Laxdal wins his first game as Thunder head coach, 4-3 in a shootout at Indianapolis.
*February 11, 2003 The Thunder are involved in a brawl during the pregame warmup at Fort Worth. Four players are ejected before the game even starts, including Wichita's Aaron Plumb and Ryan McLean.
*February 21, 2003 Veteran Tom Gomes picks up a goal in his eighth straight game, the longest streak in the CHL during the 2002-03 season.
*February 26, 2003 The Thunder defeat Memphis 6-5 in a shootout, moving their all-time shoot our record versus Memphis to a perfect 11-0.
*March 3, 2003 David Holt is named just the second General Manager in Thunder history.
*March 5, 2003 Tom Gomes is named CHL Player of the Month for February. Gomes picked up 12 goals and 23 points in just 14 games during the month.
*March 16, 2003 Jason Duda plays in his 212th consecutive Thunder game.

eason 12

*May 28, 2003 The Thunder unveil their new logo.
*November 1, 2003 The Thunder defeat Tulsa 5-4, moving their record to 5-1-0 and into sole possession of first place for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
*November 18, 2003 Jason Duda suffers a broken hand in Tulsa ending his streak of consecutive games played at 225. The streak is the longest in Thunder history and the third longest in CHL history.
*December 20, 2003 The Thunder knock off Bossier-Shreveport 5-4 in overtime, beginning one of the greatest second half runs in CHL history.
*January 9, 2004 Veteran Travis Clayton picks up his 500th career point.
*January 15, 2004 Wichita defeats Memphis in a shootout, moving their all-time shootout record versus the RiverKings to a perfect 12-0.
*January 16, 2004 Veteran Jason Duda records his 500th career point.
*January 17, 2004 Jeff Leiter picks up five penalty minutes in a fight with Indianapolis' Ken Boone, becoming the all-time Thunder leader in that category. Leiter, who would retire following the season, finished his Thunder career with a franchise record 1003 penalty minutes and 75 major penalties.
*January 22, 2004 Head Coach Derek Laxdal is suspended three games by the CHL for an incident in Indianapolis on January 17.
*February 13, 2004 In an unprecedented promotion, T-95's Phil and Hank marry 36 couples on the ice, following Wichita's 3-2 victory over Memphis.
*February 29, 2004 Joe Blaznek's overtime game-winner at Lubbock helps the Thunder finish February with a record of 9-3-0, the best February mark in franchise history.
*March 13, 2004 Trailing 1-0 in the third period at Bossier-Shreveport, the Thunder score three unanswered goals for a 3-1 victory. The Thunder finish the season with a CHL-best 10 victories when trailing after two periods.
*March 14, 2004 With over 6,000 fans anticipating Wichita's important final game versus Amarillo, the Tulsa Oilers defeat the Memphis RiverKings, putting Wichita in the playoffs for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
*March 20, 2004 In perhaps the greatest comeback in CHL playoff history, the Thunder score four goals in the final 22 minutes at Colorado, winning 4-3 and moving within one victory of the Northern Conference Finals.
*March 27, 2004 The Thunder defeat the top-seeded Colorado Eagles, 2-1, in game four and advance to the Northern Conference Finals. Goaltender Nathan Grobins leads the way, winning his first ever playoff series.
*April 3, 2004 In the longest game in Thunder history, Jim Sprott's goal almost four minutes into the third overtime gives Bossier-Shreveport a 2-0 series lead in the Northern Conference Finals.
*April 10, 2004 The Thunder are eliminated by Bossier-Shreveport in five games, falling three games shy of the CHL Finals. The Thunder finish the season with an overall record of 39-29-5, and their .561 winning percentage is the best in Thunder history since the 1994-95 season.

eason 13

*November 9, 2004 Jamie Vandespyker is named Sherwood CHL Goaltender of the Month for October.
*November 12, 2004 The Thunder defeat Oklahoma City for their eighth straight victory, the best start in franchise history.
*December 21, 2004 The Thunder defeat Oklahoma City for the 10th straight time and the fifth straight time at the Ford Center.
*January 3, 2005 The Thunder defeat Topeka 6-2, again winning their franchise-record eighth straight game.
*January 5, 2005 Veteran Travis Clayton is named Sherwood CHL Player of the Month for December, notching 10 goals and 22 points in 13 games.
*January 10, 2005 With a record of 24-7-2, the Thunder hold the best record among all 95 pro hockey teams.
*January 12, 2005 Jason Duda, Travis Clayton and Paul Esdale all play in the 2005 Dodge CHL All-Star Game in Laredo.
*January 14, 2005 Veterans Joe Blaznek and Jason Duda pick up six points each in a 9-6 rout of the New Mexico Scorpions.
*January 15, 2005 Travis Clayton ties Brent Sapergia’s Thunder record with a goal in his 10th straight game. Clayton also becomes the first Thunder player to record 600 points.
*January 29, 2005 Jason Duda clinches a 3-1 Thunder win in Odessa with an empty net goal. It is his 600th career Thunder point.
*February 9, 2005 Joe Blaznek is named Sherwood CHL Player of the Month for January, picking up 11 goals and 26 points in just 11 games.
*February 23, 2005 Paul Esdale records his 21st goal of the season, a Thunder single-season record for a defenseman.
*March 16, 2005 Travis Clayton and Paul Esdale are named to the first ever All-CHL Team.
*March 18, 2005 Paul Esdale is named the 2005 CHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman. Derek Laxdal is runner-up for the CHL Coach of the Year Award.
*March 20, 2005 Jason Duda finishes the regular season with a CHL-best 66 assists and 96 points. Travis Clayton finishes second with 93 points. Paul Esdale leads all CHL defensemen with 22 goals and 69 points. He also leads the CHL with a plus/minus rating of +39. Rookie Derek Parker finishes with CHL single-season records for both major penalties (47) and penalty minutes (503). The Thunder end the regular season 40-17-3, the second best finish in franchise history.
*March 26, 2005 The Thunder defeat Bossier-Shreveport 1-0, taking a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven first round playoff series. A bench-clearing brawl ensues at the end of the game, involving head coaches Derek Laxdal and Scott Muscutt, who are in turn suspended for the remainder of the series.
*April 7, 2005 Veteran Scott Allison’s goal just 20 seconds into sudden death overtime gives the Thunder a 2-1, game seven victory in Bossier-Shreveport. The win moves Wichita’s all-time record to 3-0 in game sevens.
*April 14, 2005 Rookie Jason Flick makes 33 saves, many of them acrobatic, recording a 3-0 shutout and tying up the Northern Conference Finals series with Colorado at 2-2. The shutout is Flick’s second playoff shutout and fourth overall, a Thunder single-season record.
*April 20, 2005 Sean Robertson’s tie-breaking goal with just 47 seconds remaining lifts Colorado to a 4-2 series victory, ending Wichita’s playoff run just two wins shy of the CHL Finals.

eason 14

*April 25, 2005 Chris Presson is named the third General Manager in Thunder history.
*August 3, 2005 Head Coach Derek Laxdal shocks the organization and announces his resignation in order to become head coach of the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. Laxdal finishes his Thunder career with a record of 87-58-8.
*September 27, 2005 The Wichita Thunder name Mark French as the seventh head coach/director of hockey operations in franchise history.

*January 18, 2006 Joe Blaznek named fastest skater at the CHL All Star skills competition.
*January 18, 2006 Joe Blaznek named MVP at CHL All Star game .
*March 1, 2006 Travis Clayton reaches 700th point in his career.
*March 4, 2006 Jason Duda reaches 700th point in his career.
*March 18, 2006 "Pack the House Night" breaks the Coliseum attendance record with 9,728. However the Thunder go on to lose the game to the Oklahoma City Blazers.
*March 22, 2006 Goalie Sebastien Laplante's 3rd shutout ties team record.
*April 9, 2006 The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs eliminate the Wichita Thunder from the first round of the playoffs winning the series 4-1.

eason 15

*December 09, 2007 Coach Mark French is dismissed from the team.
*December 10, 2007 Rob Weingartner, former forward for the Thunder, is named head coach.
*January 28, 2008 Goaltender Sebastien Laplante is traded to Colorado for Marco Emond and forward Mike Lukajic.
*March 31, 2008 The Thunder finish the season 20-42-2: The worst record in franchise history.

Dance Team

* Dancer Jessica Hughbanks was a contestant on the reality show Big Brother 8. She was the 9th person to be evicted.

External links

* [http://www.wichitathunder.com/ Wichita Thunder official site]
* [http://talkwichita.com/thunder/ Wichita Thunder official message board]