Perth Thunder

The Perth Thunder is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Perth, Western Australia. Founded in 2010, the Thunder have been a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) since 2012. The Thunder are based at the Perth Ice Arena, located in the suburb of Malaga. Perth are one time Goodall Cup runners-up and two time H Newman Reid Trophy runners-up.

History

Foundation blocks

The concept of a Perth based Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) team began in 2007. Englishman Stan Scott, a former four time national champion in the 1980s, began a conversation about the idea due to local state hockey becoming predictable and boring. The need for a new challenge and a pathway for local Western Australian talent was the driving force that propelled the idea into action and eventually a team.

The blueprint was simple, take the crop of young talent in Western Australian junior ranks and develop it into the backbone of an AIHL team. Add serious imported talent to the mix and a strong team is organised that is both capable of challenging short term, developing medium term and dominating long term.

Stan's first proposal in 2007 was to invite an AIHL team over to Perth to play in a ‘challenge series’ to test the competitiveness of local talent. The idea was knocked back and Stan Scott was told ‘it could not be done’. In 2009, the campaign to enter the AIHL began to pick up pace. A sustainable business plan was developed, sponsorship and community support was sought and acquired, and plans were drawn up for inviting interstate teams to play matches in WA and for a team to travel interstate to Eastern Australia. Once these key objectives were met, the state would then be in a position to establish a team and apply for an AIHL licence.

Establishment

Having met their establishment goals, the Perth Thunder was finally established in 2010 by Stan Scott and John Del Basso. Stan Scott was immediately appointed Thunder general manager (GM). In 2010, through a working contact, Paul Watson (Melbourne Ice head coach), Stan Scott was able to secure the first AIHL opposition for exhibition matches against the Thunder. The Thunder, known at that time under the working title of "Western Thunder", travelled to Melbourne to take on the Melbourne Ice and fellow AIHL aspirant, Mustangs Ice Hockey Club. The Ice also travelled to Perth. After all the exhibition matches had been played and proved successful, it was clear the team was ready to apply for entry into the AIHL. In November 2010, the Thunder was granted a provisional licence for 2011, with a view for the team to enter the league for the 2012 season as the ninth team.

In 2011, the Thunder worked with the AIHL to find solutions to predicted problems arising from a team in Western Australian joining a league predominantly located in Eastern Australia. Issues such as higher operating costs, extra demands on players and staff, travelling and match scheduling. The Thunder provided their business case to cover these issues and to showcase to the AIHL the benefits Perth and Western Australia could bring to the AIHL. Stan Scott completed his level 3 coaching qualifications to ensure the team would have an appropriately qualified coach at the outset and the team organised more exhibition matches. The Thunder travelled to Adelaide in May to play the Adelaide Adrenaline twice. Grabbing a tie and win from those matches. In June, the Melbourne Ice travelled to Perth for a two game series at Cockburn Ice Arena. The Ice and Thunder split the series one-all. In September, the Thunder welcomed the Newcastle North Stars to Perth for a two game series. The Thunder won both matches 4–2 to complete a successful season of exhibition games. On 22 October 2011, at the AIHL annual general meeting (AGM), the Thunder was officially granted their full licence and joined the AIHL. The team immediately set about preparing for the 2012 AIHL season.

AIHL era

In the Thunder's inaugural season in 2012, the team set lofty objectives for itself. The goal was to make finals in their first season. The introduction of the Thunder to the league saw the AIHL adopt a conference format for the first time. The Thunder was placed in the Easton Conference along with Melbourne Ice, Melbourne Mustangs, Adelaide Adrenaline and Gold Coast Blue Tongues. The top two teams from each of the two conferences qualified for finals. The Thunder enjoyed an up and down first season. Their form was inconsistent. It took some time for the Thunder to settle on consistent first and second lines. However, Perth was one of the few teams in the league in 2012 that implemented a full third line, helping the team towards the end of the season. By season's conclusion, the Thunder had won ten from twenty-four matches. They placed fourth in their conference, missing out on finals. 30 August 2012, Perth held their first ever awards night at the Rosemount Hotel. Canadian import Ken Rolph was named the team's inaugural MVP. Rolph racked up 21 goals and 26 assists during the season to win the award. Best defenceman went to Aaron Wilson, Samuel Wilson was named best local player, while David Kudla took out the most improved award.

In 2013, the Thunder, in only their second year in the competition, reached their first ever AIHL finals weekend after finishing third in the league standings for the season. Their first finals opposition was the Newcastle North Stars in a semi-final held at the Melbourne Icehouse

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