Thunder Sign Former Princeton D-Man

Wichita, KS (Nov. 12th) - The Wichita Thunder, proud member of the ECHL and powered by Toyota, announced this afternoon the signing of defenseman Eric Meland to a standard player contract. The Thunder also announced that defenseman Jim Jorgensen has been released from his ECHL agreement.

Meland, 25, played overseas last season for HC Banska Bystrica in Slovakia, tallying 22 points (7g, 15a) in 34 games. A native of Grand Forks, North Dakota, the 6-foot, 185-pound blueliner also played 18 games for BK Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic, recording eight points (4g, 4a) in 18 games. He signed in the off-season with the Missouri Mavericks of the ECHL and appeared in two contests earlier this season. Prior to turning pro with Missouri in 2012-13, Meland played a four-year career at Princeton University where he finished with 60 points (16g, 44a) in 118 games as a Tiger.

Wichita returns home for the next two games, starting on Saturday night against the Allen Americans at 7:05 p.m. The Thunder host Missouri on Sunday afternoon at 5:05 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-