The Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League announced today that they have partnered with the Salvation Army of Central Oklahoma, Eddy’s Toyota and the Wichita Ice Center to help those who were affected by yesterday’s tornado in Moore, OK.

Donations will be collected at all three locations throughout the week and brought down to the Salvation Army in the Oklahoma City area on Friday morning at 9 a.m. The Salvation Army is suggesting that donations include water, canned goods, diapers, formula, clothes, flash lights, shovels and any other items that the people of Moore could use at this time.

“We are more than happy to lend a hand to the people who were affected by this terrible tragedy,” commented Thunder GM Joel T. Lomurno. “We, as a community, have to step up to the plate and do all that we can to get these people back on the road to recovery.”

For more information on how you can help the victims from May 20th’s storm, go to the following link. http://www.wichitathunder.com/news/Press_Releases/article1822.html

Central Hockey League Commissioner Duane Lewis. Photo Courtesy of the Central Hockey League

Minor League Hockey Report podcast #12 (Friday, May 10, 2013), sponsored by Superior Signs and Engraving, is now available! You can find the MLHR podcasts on iTunes! Be sure to click on the logo below the podcast player for a link to the podcast in the iTunes store.

In this edition of the podcast, we talk with Central Hockey League Commissioner Duane Lewis.

Topics we covered:

• Addition of the Brampton Beast beginning next season
• Possibility of revisiting old CHL markets
• Status of the St. Charles Chill and Fort Worth Brahmas
• Changes to suspension rules

Thanks again to Commissioner Lewis for taking a few minutes to chat with us about the state of the Central Hockey League headed into the offseason.

Here is the official press release from the Southern Professional Hockey League:

HUNTERSVILLE, NC – The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) today announced its Board of Governors has unanimously approved the Bloomington Blaze and Peoria Rivermen to join the league for the 2013-2014 season.

The teams will be owned and operated by Illinois Pro Sports, LLC, whose members have extensive experience at all levels of professional hockey.

Both cities will hold official press conferences on Wednesday, May 22.  The Peoria announcement will take place at 10:00 am at the Peoria Civic Center Great Hall, with the Bloomington presser to follow at the US Cellular Coliseum Bud Light Lounge at 2:00 pm.

“We are pleased that the SPHL Board of Governors unanimously approved both Peoria and Bloomington markets as new members of the SPHL,” said Illinois Pro Sports partner Bruce Saurs.  “This is a new era for professional hockey in Central Illinois and we look forward to carrying on the rich tradition fans have come to enjoy over the years.”

“We are excited to welcome Bloomington and Peoria into the league,” added SPHL President Jim Combs.  “The addition of two teams in the Midwest opens up a new range of opportunities for the SPHL.”

For the moment, the move leaves the Central Hockey League with 11 teams for the 2013-14 season. However, additional moves maybe in the offing once the ECHL’s Kelly Cup Finals conclude. Stay tuned for updates on this situation as it develops.

With the American Hockey League officially ending it’s stay in Peoria, Illinois (not far from Bloomington,) speculation has been rampant about what league would occupy an arena there in the 2013-14 season.

For the time being, it would appear that the SPHL will play there beginning next season, and it looks like the Bloomington Blaze are going with them.

For more information on what appears to be an impending move by the Blaze to the SPHL, read the article by Dave Eminan of the Peoria JournalStar, here: http://www.pjstar.com/news/x811437871/Vancouver-tells-Civic-Center-it-wont-operate-AHL-team-in-Peoria

What do you think of a potential move by the Blaze? Leave us a comment below, or on our Twitter and Facebook pages.

Five-time championship winning head coach Al Sims has hung up his whistle. The Komets announced the move on Monday. Sims coached the Komets to a Central Hockey League title in 2012, after winning four championships prior with the Komets.

For more information on Sims’ retirement, read Justin Cohn’s article, here:

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130513/BLOGS11/130519833

Allen Celebrates as Central Hockey League Champions!
Photo courtesy Chip Crail at www.chlphotos.com

Minutes after the Allen Americans got off the ice from skating the President’s Cup…we were inside the champagne soaked, cigar smoke filled Allen locker room talking with head coach Steve Martinson and key players who helped the Americans capture their first CHL championship.

View inside the Allen Locker room during their championship celebration.

Click on the players below to listen to the interviews:

Allen Americans Head Coach Steve Martinson:

Americans Captain Jason Deitsch:

Overtime hero Todd Robinson:

CHL Playoff MVP Brian McMillin:

Americans Forward Darryl Bootland:

Congratulations to the Americans on their first ever CHL championship and thanks to both teams for giving the fans an incredible seven game series we will remember for years to come. We want to know what you thought of the series? Leave us a comment, or join the conversation on our Twitter or Facebook pages!

Allen Celebrates as Central Hockey League Champions!
Photo courtesy Chip Crail at www.chlphotos.com

It took only two minutes and forty-seven seconds for Todd Robinson to take a slapshot from the high circle and the Allen Americans were champions. In a game that was led for 57:41 seconds by the Wichita Thunder, Allen kept plugging away. Their determination paid off and were able to skate the Ray Miron Presidents Cup in front of their home fans.

Wichita started the game off with a R.G. Flath snap shot from the high slot that beat Aaron Dell high glove side at 6:25 of the first period. Flath struck again in the second period. This time shorthanded, Flath took a drop pass from Chad Painchaud on a 3 on 2 break and buried a slap shot blocker side to put the Thunder ahead 2-0.

It took just over forty-seven minutes for the Allen Americans to get on the board, but when they did, they did it in dramatic fashion. Drew Daniels took a hard slap shot from the left blue line that led to a goal mouth scramble. After a hard battle Jarret Lukin was able to get his stick on the rebound and put it home to get the Americans on the board. Trevor Hendrikx evened up the game with just under three minutes left on a wrist shot from the point that ended up sneaking through the five hole of Torrie Jung.

When overtime started the Americans carried the momentum from the tying goal all the way to the Presidents Cup. Wichita was only able to muster one shot during the overtime period before Todd Robinson took a long lead pass from Mike Montgomery, reared back and fired a bullet that beat Torrie Jung blocker side. The party ensued. In front of a packed house of 6,125 fans from both Allen and Wichita, the Americans celebrated as champions.

Once the ceremonial hand shake line was completed, Brian McMillin was named the Central Hockey League playoff most valuable player. League commissioner Duane Lewis presented the Ray Miron Presidents Cup to team captain Jason Deitsch.

On behalf of all of us at Minor League Hockey Report, we want to congratulate the Allen Americans on their fantastic season.

So this is it. Game 7 for all the marbles. This has been one helluva series and game 7 surely will not disappoint. Here are each of our keys to tonight’s championship game.

Matthew: The Thunder must come out with a great intensity and be strong on the forecheck. I would expect the first ten or so minutes to be very physical, seeing as how neither team will not play on Sunday. If the Thunder can limit the shots in front of Torrie Jung and get a power play goal or two, I would expect them to win this game.

For Allen, they will need to skate a lot harder than they did Friday night in Wichita. The physicality seemed to be missing as well and I would expect that to change. They must also continue to get pucks to Torrie Jung, as he has looked shaky at times, especially in that building. If they do that, Allen wins the Cup.

Zach: Friday night proved to be a gutsy all out effort by the Wichita Thunder to stave off elimination and force a game 7 Saturday night against the Allen Americans. The best thing about a game 7 scenario, is being able to see both teams leave everything on the ice with no worries of having to play another game or series. By the time the final horn will sound, there will be nothing left in the gas tanks for either team.

Wichita was able to get to Aaron Dell early in game six which is what they will need to do in game seven if they hope to bring a championship back to Wichita for the first time since 1995. Allen will have to go back to shutting down Wichita’s explosive offense. In game six, nine different skaters had points for the Thunder, and no single player had more than one point. Wichita will need to spread the offense out like that again and get contributions on all fronts in order to win.

Allen however needs to play a more balanced game. The Americans found themselves flat footed at times in the defensive zone, and while they had ample scoring opportunities, they were not able to bury those opportunities. This has been one of the most evenly matched finals series I have seen in quite sometime. As of right now, there is no way to even begin predicting and outcome. The good news for all of us? This will be one of the most competitive games we have seen all year, and one team will achieve the goal they set out to accomplish in early October.

Photo Courtesy Marc Browning/Wichita Eagle

The Wichita Thunder used a scrappy effort to win their final home game of the 2012-13 season by a score of 3-2 over the Allen Americans in game six of the President’s Cup Finals.

Allen got the scoring going early on a goal by Brian McMillin at 7:36 of the first period. The Thunder quickly came back, scoring three goals in a seven minute period. Greger Hanson got things going at 14:42 pf the first period, then Kevin Young scored 30 seconds later. Ian Lowe scored to end the flurry at 19:02 of the first to give the Thunder a 3-1 advantage.

Allen scored the only goal of the second period, as Anthony Maiani lit the lamp at 8:05, after the Americans killed a penalty to forward Jim McKenzie.

The Thunder managed to kill off two power plays in the last 10 minutes of the third period, enroute to the win. Wichita finishes their home schedule with a record of 31-7-2.

Will Allen Lift the President’s Cup or Will Wichita Force Game 7?
Photo courtesy Chip Crail at www.chlphotos.com

Series So Far: Game one of the series was carried by the Thunder 4-1. Todd Griffith and Les Reaney led the way with two points each on the night.

Game two of the series seen the Americans bounce back, winning 5-2. A 4-minute spurt with goals by Kale Kerbashian, Brian McMillin and Todd Robinson keyed the Americans to the win. The third period was marred by six fights, a coach flex-off and 136 minutes in penalties.

Game three featured much less pugilism, but still intense hockey. Greger Hanson and RG Flath each had three points and Torrie Jung made 19 saves, as the Thunder won 5-2 to gain a 2-1 series advantage. 

Game four was a very evenly matched game, both goaltenders put on a great performance. Early in the third frame, Brian McMillan passed the puck to the front of the crease which deflected into the net, to put Allen up for good.

Game five was dominated by Allen. The second period Allen smothered the Wichita defense, leading to four goals and the Americans never looking back. Jim McKenzie scored two goals including a power play goal to lead the Americans to a 5-1 game five win in Allen.

Leading Scorers: Wichita is led by R.G Flath who has five points (3G 2A) and has five players with three points or more each. Allen is being led by Todd Robinson who has seven points (2G, 5A) in the series. The more impressive stat, is that Allen has seven players with four or more points in the series.

Goaltending: Aaron Dell has played all but 2:25 seconds of the finals. In five games played, Dell has three games with only one goal allowed. The two games he has lost, he allowed four goals. Torrie Jung, who has started every game this post season for Wichita, is at risk to be replaced by Kevin Regan. Jung has allowed  six goals in his last two games including four goals given up in game five. The encouraging stat for Wichita is that Jung has only given up more than two goals twice in the five games.

Special Teams: The Allen power play finally broke through in game five going 2-4 on the man advantage. Wichita had mild success going 1-5 but if the Thunder hope to keep their championship aspirations alive they need to be more efficient on the power play.

How Allen wins game 6: In game 5 Allen smothered Wichita in the second period, only allowing seven Wichita shots in the second while piling on twelve of their own, four of which translated into goals. They have to have the mentality that this is game seven, because for Wichita, this is it. If Allen plays with desperation they can over take Wichita once again and skate the cup in Wichita.

How Wichita wins game 6: For Wichita they have to know this is it. Sixty minutes of hockey left before they either play a game seven, or set a tee time in a local course in Wichita. The team has shown they have the talent, offensive power, and defensive mindset to beat any team in the league. Execution has been their biggest downfall. Wichita stands sixty minutes away from advancing to the biggest game of their careers, or sixty minutes away watching the Allen Americans skate the Presidents Cup on the Thunder home ice. Simply put, do or die.

X-Factors: Wichita’s Neil Trimm and Matt Robinson have been absent from the finals. The pair, who combined for 47 goals in the regular season, have zero goals in the finals. Trimm led the team in goals scored during the regular season, while Robinson tied for the team lead in game winning goals. These two have to start chipping in if Wichita hopes to have a game seven. For Allen it has to be Aaron Dell. Dell has to continue to keep his game at a high level, and stop Wichita’s high powered offense. The Central Hockey League’s most outstanding goaltender has to prove why he received that award for the regular season.

What do you think the key factors in game six will be? Who will win game six? Will Allen lift the cup or will Wichita force game 7? Let us know your thoughts!!