Perth Thunder

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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[1]

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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[1] 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.[3][4]

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.[1] The Thunder travelled to Adelaide in May to play the Adelaide Adrenaline twice. Grabbing a tie and win from those matches.[5] 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.[6][7] In September, the Thunder welcomed the Newcastle North Stars to Perth for a two game series.[8] The Thunder won both matches 4–2 to complete a successful season of exhibition games.[9] 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.[10]

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.[1] The introduction of the Thunder to the league saw the AIHL adopt a conference format for the first time.[11] 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.[12] By season's conclusion, the Thunder had won ten from twenty-four matches. They placed fourth in their conference, missing out on finals.[13][14] 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.[15]

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.[16] Their first finals opposition was the Newcastle North Stars in a semi-final held at the Melbourne Icehouse on 7 September 2013.[17] Jordan Kyros was the first Thunder player to score a goal in finals hockey but it proved a consolation goal as the Thunder lost the semi-final match 1–6 with Northstars Canadian import, Pier-Olivier Cotnoir, starting with a hat trick of goals.[18][19]

In 2014, prior to the start of the season, the Thunder welcomed a new investor in the team. Robert Cox became partner, director and board member in March 2014. Cox had followed the team since its inception.[20] In April, Stan Scott announced that he had stepped down as head coach to focus on the general manager operations of the club. Scott was replaced by Dylan Forsythe as head coach and but Scott remained on the coaching panel as an assistant.[21] After eight games into the 2014 season it was announced that Forsythe had stepped down as head coach with immediate effect for unknown reasons. Stan Scott agreed to take over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[22] The Thunder did not enjoy a good season on the ice in 2014. The team finished seventh in the league standings (second last), the lowest finish in Thunder history.[23]

Between 2015 and 2018, the Thunder enjoyed a period of consistency in the league. The team finished third or second each season but failed to win in four consecutive AIHL semi-finals. In 2019, the Thunder broke their finals curse by beating home team, the Newcastle Northstars 3–2 to reach their first ever Goodall Cup final.[24] In the final the Thunder came up against the Sydney Bears.[25] Perth took a quick 2–0 lead in the first period over the Bears thanks to goals to Louick Marcotte and Kieren Webster. However, the Bears fought back to score five unanswered goals to defeat the Thunder 5–2.[26][27]

Team roster for the 2019 AIHL season[28][29]

#	Nat	Name	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
1		Evan Bowater	G		36	2018
36		Benjamin Breault (A)	F	L	32	2016	Pembroke, Ontario, Canada
24		Andrew Cox (A)	F	R	29	2012	Auckland, New Zealand
22		Jake Gilmour	F	R	23	2019	Toronto, Canada
20		Sean Hamilton	F	R	38	2019	Erin, Ontario, Canada
3		Rob Haselhurst	D	R	27	2019	Perth, Western Australia
17		Liam Jeffries	F	L	31	2012	Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada
8		David Kudla	D	R	29	2012	Perth, Western Australia
23		Jordan Kyros	F	R	28	2012	Perth, Western Australia
15		Lyndon Lodge	F	R	22	2015	Perth, Western Australia
17		Yannic Lodge	F	L	20	2019	Karrinyup, Western Australia
11		Louick Marcotte	F	R	26	2019	Longueuil, Quebec, Canada
7		Jaymie McDonnell	F		27	2017
19		Jason McMahon	D	L	26	2018
1		Rhys Pelliccione	G	L	19	2018	Perth, Western Australia
25		Alastair Punler	D	R	24	2015	Kallaroo, Western Australia
32		Jake Ruck	F	L	22	2017	Langley, British Columbia, Canada
21		Tomek Sak	F	R	24	2015	Canning Vale, Western Australia
14		Shaun Tobin	F	R	25	2019	Perth, Western Australia
44		Keven Veilleux	F	R	30	2019	Saint-René, Quebec, Canada
31		Nico Vikstén	G	L	23	2019	Tampere, Finland
12		Kieren Webster	F	R	22	2014	Perth, Western Australia
1		Nicholas Windle	G	L	43	2018	Sydney, Australia
27		Jamie Woodman (C)	D	R	25	2014	Kardinya, Western Australia

These are the top-ten all-time/career player records in franchise history, for the following categories: appearances,[30] goals,[31] assists,[32] points,[33] and penalty minutes[34]
(Current as of 2019 AIHL season; figures are updated after each completed AIHL regular season)

Appearances # Name Pos MP 1 Jordan Kyros F 206 2 Andrew Cox F 200 3 David Kudla D 193 4 Jonathon Bremner F 163 5 Jamie Woodman D 150 6 Robert Haselhurst D 145 7 Samuel Wilson F 139 8 Kieran Webster F 135 9 Tomas Sak F 127 10 Ben Breault F 110

Goals # Name Pos G 1 Ben Breault F 82 2 Andrew Cox F 68 3 Jordan Kyros F 49 4 Ken Rolph F 41 5 Jessyko Bernard F 38 6 Jonathon Bremner F 38 7 Robert Haselhurst D 34 8 Kieran Webster F 29 9 Pier Grandmaison F 28 10 Phil Ginand F 26

Assists # Name Pos A 1 Ben Breault F 111 2 Jordan Kyros F 98 3 Andrew Cox F 84 4 Robert Haselhurst D 78 5 David Kudla D 55 6 Ken Rolph F 52 7 Samuel Wilson D 51 8 Jessyko Bernard F 48 9 Jonathon Bremner F 45 10 Jamie Woodman D 42

Points # Name Pos Pts 1 Ben Breault F 193 2 Andrew Cox F 152 3 Jordan Kyros F 147 4 Robert Haselhurst D 112 5 Ken Rolph F 93 6 Jessyko Bernard F 86 7 Jonathon Bremner F 83 8 Samuel Wilson F 72 9 Kieran Webster F 68 10 Pier Grandmaison F 67

Penalties in minutes (PIM) # Name Pos PIM 1 Bradley Young F 303 2 Robert Haselhurst D 223 3 Andrew Cox F 200 4 Jonathon Bremner F 182 5 Greg Hyde D 161 6 Daniel Göransson D 159 7 Alastair Punler D 149 8 Simon Kudla F 139 9 Samuel Wilson D 131 10 Keven Veilleux F 112

The first captain of the Perth Thunder was Samuel Wilson, who remained captain of the Western Australian team for five consecutive AIHL seasons.

#	Manager	From	To
1	Samuel Wilson[35]	2012	2016
2	Jamie Woodman[36]	2017	Present

The first Head Coach for the Perth Thunder was Englishman Stan Scott.[37]

#	Manager	From	To
1	Stan Scott[38]	2012	2013
2	Dylan Forsythe[39]	April 2014	23 May 2014
3	Stan Scott (interim)[22]	24 May 2014	1 September 2014
4	Dave Kenway[40]	2015	2016
5	Dave Ruck[41]	2017	2019
6	Ben Breault[42]	2020	present

Perth Thunder's first and only general manager (GM) to date has been Stan Scott.[38]

#	Manager	From	To
1	Stan Scott	2012	Present