Alumni Game Set for April 11th

Wichita, KS (April 6th) - The Wichita Thunder, proud member of the ECHL and powered by Toyota, are excited to announce that the annual Alumni game will take place on Saturday, April 11th at INTRUST Bank Arena starting at 5:15 p.m. in a match-up against the Wichita Junior Thunder.

Highlighting the group will be Tom Roulston, Joe Blaznek and Ryan McLean. Roulson, who played in the NHL and was traded for current Thunder Head Coach Kevin McClelland, played 69 games for the Wichita Wind during the 1980-81 season and finished his career in Wichita as a member of the 1994-95 championship team. Blaznek spent four seasons in Wichita from 2003-07. His best year was 2005-06 when he racked up 100 points (44g, 56a). Blaznek ranks fourth in Thunder history in points (249), goals (117), power play goals (41), third in shorthanded goals (15) and game-winning goals (30). The Detriot, Michigan native earned the nickname Smokin' Joe for his rocket slap shot. McLean played five season in Wichita, collecting at least 170 penalty minutes each year. He is the all-time leader in penalty minutes in Thunder history (1,094) and fourth all-time in games played (297), playing from 2002-07. Also appearing will be netminder Greg Smith, who played for the Thunder from 1993-95 and 1998-00 seasons.

The Junior Thunder roster is highlighted by the McClelland brothers, who all played on the team this past season. Jack McClelland will play alongside his twin brothers Matt and Max. Joining them will be Alex Smith, Jet Bell, John Crusinberry and Trevor Mitchell. Another interesting part to the friendly contest will be the Junior Thunder Coaching staff going up against their own players as Kevin St. Pierre, Sean O'Reilly and Weingartner will play for the Alumni squad. The Junior Thunder are coming off an impressive season and reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Doors to the arena will open up at 5 p.m. with the start of the game taking place at 5:15 p.m. With the purchase of a Thunder ticket to the game on Saturday, April 11th, fans can watch both games for the price of one.

Wichita plays this coming Wednesday night against the Tulsa Oilers starting at 7:05 p.m. The two teams will conclude their regular season-series on Friday night, which is Student Rush Night, presented by the Kansas National Guard. High School and College Students can receive tickets for just $2 with a valid ID. Their parents can get a discounted ticket as well.

Individual tickets are on sale now. Don't delay! Tickets can be purchased at the INTRUST Arena Box office, by calling 755-SEAT or go online at www.selectaseat.com. Stay up-to-date on all the news during the season by visiting www.wichitathunder.com.

Thunder Alumni RosterKevin St. Pierre, G Brad Link, GGreg Smith, GBobby Desjardins, GSean O'Reilly, DTodd Newton, DMark Bourgeois, DGreg Neish, DRob Weingartner, FTom Roulston, FSean Roulston, FJoe Blaznek, FRyan McLean, FSteve Magnusson, F

Wichita Junior ThunderJake Larson, GAlex Smith, DAustin Barr, DMax McClleland, DTyler Larson, DJohn Crusinberry, DTrevor Mitchell, FMatt McClelland, FJack McClelland, FPeter Cicmanec, FDylan McDonald, FZac Boyle, FJet Bell, F

About the ECHL

The ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 28 teams in 20 states and one Canadian province for its 27th season in 2014-15. There have been 541 players who have started their career in the ECHL have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 29 who made their NHL debuts in the 2013-14 season. The ECHL had affiliations with 26 of the 30 NHL teams in 2013-14, marking the 17th consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

-Thunder-