The Albert Lea Thunder was a Tier II junior

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

team in the

North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 48th season of operation in 2022–23. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...

's Central Division. The team was an expansion franchise for the 2008–09 season and played their home games at the Albert Lea Ice Arena in

Albert Lea, Minnesota Albert Lea is a city in Freeborn County, in southern Minnesota. It is the county seat. Its population was 18,492 at the 2020 census. The city is at the junction of Interstates 35 and 90, about south of the Twin Cities. It is on the shores of ...

History

The franchise joined the

(NAHL) for the 2008–09 season with Chicago businessman Jim Perkins and Barry Soskin as owners. Soskin was also the owner of independent

Northern Junior Hockey League The Northern Junior Hockey League (NJHL) was an independent regional junior ice hockey league based in Jamestown, New York. The league operated from 2008 to 2010. History United Junior Hockey League The United Junior Hockey League (UJHL) was cre ...

teams, the

Findlay Grrrowl The Michigan Grrrowl was a tier III Junior "A" ice hockey team and a member of the Midwest Junior Hockey League. The franchise was previously known as the NWO Grrrowl and Findlay Grrrowl Franchise history Findlay Grrrowl era The franchise was ...

and defunct

Pittsburgh Cougars The Pittsburgh Cougars are a currently dormant junior ice hockey team. The Cougars play their home games at the Iceoplex at Southpointe near Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Franchise History The team was originally known as the Traverse City Enforcer ...

, as well as the former owner of the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The E ...

Toledo Storm The Toledo Storm were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the ECHL from 1991 to 2007. The Storm played their home games at the venerable Toledo Sports Arena along the eastern banks of the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The team colors ...

and

Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which opera ...

Nashville Nighthawks The Nashville Ice Flyers (named the Nashville Nighthawks for the 1996–97 season) were a professional ice hockey franchise that played in the Central Hockey League from 1996–1998. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, they played their home game ...

. On November 18, 2009, it was reported that the Thunder were engaging in "pay-to-play," or taking money to guarantee players' spots on the team, an act that is against the rules under the Tier II sanctioning of

USA Hockey USA Hockey is the national ice hockey organization in the United States. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the Sport governing body, governing body for organized ice ...

for the NAHL. A total of eight players were named and the organization was facing a $400,000 fine from the NAHL. On December 7, 2009, the NAHL's Board of Governors terminated the Albert Lea membership and took over operations of the team during the transition. Despite the scandal, the Thunder mounted a late-season comeback and made the playoffs for the first time in team history in 2010. In May 2010, the team found new owners and relocated to

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall County ...

, for the 2010–11 season as the

Amarillo Bulls The Amarillo Bulls were a Tier II junior ice hockey team based in Amarillo, Texas. They were a member of the North American Hockey League's South Division and played home games in the Amarillo Civic Center. History The franchise joined the NAHL ...

Season records

References

External links

Official siteNAHL website
{{NAHL Defunct North American Hockey League teams Freeborn County, Minnesota Amateur ice hockey teams in Minnesota Ice hockey clubs established in 2008 Sports clubs disestablished in 2010 2008 establishments in Minnesota 2010 disestablishments in Minnesota