Wichita Thunder Retired Numbers

The Wichita Thunder were one of six charter teams that formed the Central Hockey League for the 1992-93 season. The Thunder and the Tulsa Oilers are the only two of the six that remain untouched today. Along the way, the Thunder have retired the jersey numbers of five players.

Ron Handy - 9

Ron Handy played with Wichita from 1992-93 to 1994-95 and helped the team to Ray Miron President’s Cup championships in 93-94 and 94-95. In his second season with the club, his 109 points placed him fourth in the CHL. The Thunder have retired number 9 in his honour.

Handy was a third round pick of the New York Islanders at the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, 57^th overall. He played a total of 14 games in the NHL with the Islanders and St. Louis Blues. His junior career was stellar, playing in the Ontario Hockey League from 1980-81 to 1982-83 with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Kingston Canadians. His 148 points with Kingston in his final season placed him second in the league, behind only Doug Gilmour of the Cornwall Royals and his 177 points.

Jason Duda - 11

Jason Duda played for Wichita from 1996-97 to 2009-10. For the Thunder, he has the most games played, goals, assists and points in team history. On the CHL all-time list, Duda is placed third for goals, assists and points and second overall for games played. In 2004-05, he led the league with 96 points and was awarded the Joe Burton Award. Jason is the assistant coach of the 2012-13 Wichita Thunder. The team retired number 11 in his honour.

Rob Weingartner - 15

Rob Weingartner played with the Thunder in their first four years of existence, 1992-93 to 1995-96. In 1994-95, he placed fifth in the CHL with 274 penalty minutes. A few years later, with the Louisiana IceGators, he placed eighth in the ECHL with 334 PIM. Ron Handy was also with Louisiana that season and led the league in assists. Weingartner was head coach of the Thunder for part of the 2007-08 season. His number 15 is retired by Wichita.

Robert Desjardins - 35

Robert Desjardins was CHL rookie of the year in 1992-93. The following season, Desjardins was honoured with the Bill Levins Trophy as the most valuable player in the CHL. Those were Robert’s only two years of professional hockey. He had been MVP before. In 1986-87, he won the Michel Briere Memorial Trophy as MVP in the QMJHL. He was also OUA MVP with Concordia University in 1990-91. Number 35 is retired by the Thunder in honour of Robert.

Travis Clayton - 38

Travis Clayton played with the Thunder from 1997-98 to 2007-08 and played 880 regular season games in the Central Hockey League. Over his CHL, he totalled 983 points. The Thunder have retired number 38 in his honour.

Hershey Bears Trivia

The Hershey Bears are the longest lasting American Hockey League team to remain in one location, a member of the league since 1938-39. The Bears are also one of the most successful AHL teams with four Calder Cup victories in the new millennium. Test and expand your knowledge of the Hershey Bears with the following four trivia questions and answers.

Q. What member of the Hershey Bears is the latest AHL player to lead the league in goals in consecutive seasons?

A. Alexandre Giroux led the AHL in goals in 2008-09 and 2009-10 with 60 and 50 goals. By doing so, Giroux earned the Willie Marshall Award. Alexandre is the first to lead in goals scored in consecutive seasons since Paul Gardner in the mid 1980’s. Only five AHL players have accomplished this feat since the league began in 1936-37. Giroux did this while also playing 12 games with the Washington Capitals in 2008-09 and nine with the NHL club in 2009-10.

Since, Giroux has played sparsely with the Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets before heading to Europe. 2012-13 was split between Dynamo Riga in the KHL and the Kloten Flyers in Switzerland’s National League A. For 2013-14, Alexandre will remain in Switzerland but has switched to Ambri-Piotta.

Q. In what year did the Hershey Bears win their first Calder Cup as AHL playoff champions?

A. In 1946-47, the Hershey Bears beat the Pittsburgh Hornets in the Calder Cup final series, four games to three. The Bears finished first in the East Division during the regular season. In a very odd playoff format, the Bears and the West Division regular season champ, the Cleveland Barons, were both given a bye through the first round. However, the two division champs then met in the semi-finals, while the two weaker teams played off in the other semi-final.

As of the end of 2012-13, the Bears have won eleven Calder Cup championships in total. Twice, they won in consecutive seasons, 1957-58 and 1958-59, along with 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Q. What Hershey Bears player has the club retired jersey number 16 for?

A. If you answered Willie Marshall, you are right. If you answered Mitch Lamoureux, you are also right. The team retired the number in honour of both players. Marshall played with the Bears from 1956-57 to 1962-63. He played over 1,200 games in the AHL and was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2006. Lamoureux is also a member of the AHL Hall of Fame, inducted in 2011.

Q. What Hockey Hall of Fame player, who played his entire NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers, coached the Hershey Bears for one full season, 1995-96?

A. Bill Barber coached the team in 1984-85, as well, but for only 17 games. In 1995-96, Barber was behind the bench as the Bears finished second in the South and made a first round exit from the Calder Cup playoffs.

Barber was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990 after playing 903 regular season National Hockey League games between 1972-73 and 1983-84, all with the Flyers. In 1997-98, Bill coached the Philadelphia Phantoms to a Calder Cup championship in the AHL. Ironically, the Phantoms swept the Hershey Bears in the second round before taking out the Saint John Flames in the finals. Barber was awarded the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL coach of the year as head coach of the Flyers in 2001-02.

1973 NHL Amateur Draft: 3 First Rounders Now in the Hockey Hall of Fame

In today’s National Hockey League, with advanced scouting and technology added to the fact that there are 30 teams and plenty of job openings, the first round picks at the NHL Entry Draft often, but not always, stick. In the 1970’s, it wasn’t so much the case. The fact that three of the top eight picks at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft are now in the Hockey Hall of Fame is quite astounding.

 

Bob Gainey

Bob Gainey was selected eighth overall in 1973 by the Montreal Canadiens. 20 years later, in 1992, Gainey was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Also picked fourth overall in the WHA amateur draft in 1973 by the Minnesota Fighting Saints, Gainey chose the NHL route and was a regular on the league’s top team in 1973-74.

Bob was taken from the OHA’s Peterborough Petes after playing just one season, 1972-73. He played his entire NHL career with Montreal from 1973-74 to 1988-89, winning five Stanley Cups with the team. He was a four time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner as the league’s most defensive forward. In fact, he won the trophy in its first four years of existence and is the only four-time winner to date. Gainey’s number 23 was retired by the Canadiens in 2008.

 

Lanny McDonald

Lanny McDonald was taken fourth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, one of three first round picks by Toronto at the 1973 NHL Draft. Like Bob Gainey, McDonald was also taken in the first round of the WHA draft, 10^th overall by the Cleveland Crusaders. He had played two seasons of junior hockey in the WCHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers in 1971-72 and 1972-73. In his two seasons, Lanny contributed 114 and 139 points.

Over his NHL career that spanned from 1973-74 to 1988-89, McDonald played 1,111 regular season games with an additional 117 in the playoffs. He began with Toronto, made a stop with the Colorado Rockies then finished off his career with the Calgary Flames. With Calgary, he scored 66 goals in 1982-83 and won the Stanley Cup in 1985-86. He finished his career with exactly 500 goals and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame along with Bob Gainey in 1992.

 

Denis Potvin

Denis Potvin was the first overall pick at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft, going to the New York Islanders. After five years of junior hockey with the OHA’s Ottawa 67’s, Potvin jumped right into a starring role with New York for the 1973-74 season, winning the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. Denis played his entire career with the Islanders, retiring after the 1987-88 season. He captained the team for eight years, from 1979-80 to 1986-87, including the team’s four year Stanley Cup championship run from 1979-80 to 1982-83.

In all, Potvin played 1,052 NHL games and scored 310 goals. He was a three time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenseman, winning in 1975-76, 1977-78 and 1978-79. In 1991, his number 5 was the first jersey number ever retired by the New York Islanders. Denis had a one year head start on Gainey and McDonald, being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.