Thunder Announce Two Roster Moves; Gauthier Returns

Wichita, KS (February 9th) - The Wichita Thunder, proud member of the ECHL and powered by Toyota, announced this afternoon that forward Danick Gauthier has been reassigned to Wichita from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League by the Tamp Bay Lightning (NHL). The team also announced that forward Travis Granbois has been dealt to the Evansville IceMen in exchange for future considerations.

Gauthier, 23, has played in three games this season for the Crunch. The Tampa Bay Lightning product leads Wichita in goals with 17 and second in points with 37. A native of Brossard, PQ, the 6-foot-2, 207-pound forward split time between the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League and the Florida Everblades (ECHL) last year. Gauthier appeared in 19 games with the Crunch in 2013-14, posting seven points (3g, 4a) while also playing in 30 games for Florida, notching 17 points (5g, 12a). This will be his fourth stint in Syracuse, having played in 58 career games and collecting 17 points (8g, 9a). Gauthier was the Thunder's lone All-Star representative last month, scoring a goal and went +2 during the 2015 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic.

Wichita returns home for two of the next three games beginning on Friday night against the Missouri Mavericks at 7:05 p.m.

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. 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-