Las Vegas Thunder
Encyclopedia
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 demise of the franchise was precipitated by the refusal of UNLV officials to negotiate with team owners regarding a new agreement to continue playing at the Thomas and Mack after the 1998-'99 season. This left the team with no place to play.
The Thunder's best season was in 1995–1996 when they finished in first place (57 wins, 17 losses, 8 ties). The Thunder lost in the conference finals that season.
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.
Pavol Demitra
/
Paul DiPietro
Bryan Fogarty
Brent Gretzky
Peter Ing
Andre Sioui Curtis Joseph
/
Patrice Lefebvre
Clint Malarchuk
/
Petr Nedvěd
Ruslan Salei
Paxton Schulte
/ Alexei Yashin
Sergei Zholtok
{| 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
|—
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team competing in the International Hockey League. The team's home rink was at the Thomas & Mack Center
Thomas & Mack Center
The Thomas & Mack Center is an arena, located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. For ring events, the capacity is 19,522, for basketball, the capacity is 18,776.-History:...
. They began play in the 1993–1994 season, folding on April 18, 1999. The demise of the franchise was precipitated by the refusal of UNLV officials to negotiate with team owners regarding a new agreement to continue playing at the Thomas and Mack after the 1998-'99 season. This left the team with no place to play.
The Thunder's best season was in 1995–1996 when they finished in first place (57 wins, 17 losses, 8 ties). The Thunder lost in the conference finals that season.
Throughout the team's history they garnered player development deals with the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, the ECHL's
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
Knoxville Cherokees
Knoxville Cherokees
The Knoxville Cherokees were an East Coast Hockey League team based in Knoxville, Tennessee.-History:The franchise was formed in 1988 along with the ECHL...
and Mississippi Sea Wolves
Mississippi Sea Wolves
The Mississippi Sea Wolves were a professional hockey team based in Biloxi, Mississippi and playing in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The Sea Wolves were members of the ECHL....
and Russian side Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Hockey Club Lokomotiv , also known as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, is a Russian professional ice hockey team based in Yaroslavl. The name of the team is derived from its owner, Russian Railways, the national railroad operator....
.
The Thunder's main rivals included the Denver/Utah Grizzlies, Los Angeles/Long Beach Ice Dogs, San Diego Gulls
San Diego Gulls (1990–1995)
The second San Diego Gulls team was founded in 1990 as part of the International Hockey League. The Gulls played at the Valley View Casino Center, formerly known as the San Diego Sports Arena....
, and Phoenix Roadrunners
Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL)
The Phoenix Roadrunners were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. The team was housed at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The team played in the IHL from 1989 to 1997. The IHL Roadrunners were named for a World Hockey Association team of the same name...
. These rivalries have seen a rebirth in the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
.
The team's mascot was "Boom-Boom", a polar bear.
- The Franchise was replaced by: Las Vegas WranglersLas Vegas WranglersThe Las Vegas Wranglers are a professional ice hockey team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wranglers are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the ECHL...
of the ECHLECHLThe ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
(2003-present)
Notable alumni
Radek BonkRadek Bonk
Radek Bonk is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for Oceláři Třinec of the Czech Extraliga.-Playing career:...
Pavol Demitra
Pavol Demitra
Pavol Demitra was a Slovak professional ice hockey player. He played sixteen seasons in the National Hockey League , two in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League /Slovak Extraliga and one in the Kontinental Hockey League . Known as an offensive player, Demitra was a first- or second-line...
/
Paul DiPietroPaul DiPietro
Paul DiPietro is a Canadian-born Swiss professional ice hockey player currently playing for EV Zug. He plays forward. He played for the Swiss national ice hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics.-Playing career:...
Bryan Fogarty
Bryan Fogarty
Bryan Fogarty was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played for the Quebec Nordiques, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens.-Personal life:...
Brent Gretzky
Brent Gretzky
Brent Gretzky is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, and the brother of Wayne and Keith Gretzky. He briefly played in the National Hockey League for the Tampa Bay Lightning....
Peter Ing
Peter Ing
Peter A. Ing is a former National Hockey League goaltender, who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1989 to 1991. Ing was born in Toronto of mixed ancestry, his father was Chinese....
Andre Sioui Curtis Joseph
Curtis Joseph
Curtis Shayne Joseph is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League....
/
Patrice LefebvrePatrice Lefebvre
Patrice Lefebvre is a Canadian former ice hockey forward who played three games in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals during the 1998–99 NHL season...
Clint Malarchuk
Clint Malarchuk
Clint Malarchuk , is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League between 1981 and 1992, and is currently an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames...
/
Petr NedvědPetr Nedved
Petr Nedvěd is a Czech Canadian professional ice hockey player who spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League. He currently plays centre for HC Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga.- Biography :...
Ruslan Salei
Ruslan Salei
Ruslan Albertovich "Rusty" Salei was a Belarusian professional ice hockey player. Salei played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who selected him ninth overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft...
Paxton Schulte
Paxton Schulte
Paxton James Schulte is a retired professional ice hockey player.Schulte was drafted 124th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques and played one game for the team during the 1993–94 NHL season, spending much of his tenure in the American Hockey League with the Cornwall Aces...
/ Alexei Yashin
Alexei Yashin
Alexei Valeryevich Yashin is a Russian professional ice hockey player. He is currently a member of CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League...
Sergei Zholtok
Sergei Zholtok
Sergejs Žoltoks was a Latvian professional ice hockey center who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators....
Season-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| Turner Cup Champions Turner Cup The Turner Cup is the championship trophy of the International Hockey League. The Cup is named for Joe Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario. Turner became professional with the Detroit Red Wings organization, and played one season with the Indianapolis Capitals in the American Hockey League... |
Huber Trophy Champions Fred A. Huber Trophy The Fred A. Huber Trophy was awarded annually by the International Hockey League to the North American ice hockey team with the most points during the regular season. The trophy for the league championship was originally named the J. P. McGuire Trophy, the owner of Detroit car dealership, and... |
Division Champions |
{| 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
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...
)
|-
!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
Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL)
The Phoenix Roadrunners were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. The team was housed at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The team played in the IHL from 1989 to 1997. The IHL Roadrunners were named for a World Hockey Association team of the same name...
)Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–1 (Chicago
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois...
)Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (Utah
Utah Grizzlies (1995-2005)
This is about the defunct IHL/AHL team that folded in 2005. For the current ECHL team, see Utah Grizzlies.For information about the Minor league baseball team known as the Denver Grizzlies , see Denver Grizzlies ....
)
|-
!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
Houston Aeros
The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :...
)
|-
!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
|—
Honors
- Division Titles : 2 – 1994, 1996
- Turner Cups : 0
- Regular Season Titls : 2 – 1994, 1996