WICHITA, Kan. – As the Central Hockey League gets set to open its 20th post-season, it’s only fitting that one of the league’s two remaining original franchises sits in the drivers seat. 
Only two seasons removed from a dismal 9-50-5 campaign, the Wichita Thunder, one of only five teams to win multiple CHL championships, is back on top. The combination of the addition of strong local ownership, a solid group of veteran players and a passionate fan base, combined with the leadership of veteran Head Coach Kevin McClelland led the squad to a 44-19-3 regular season record and the 2011-12 CHL Governor’s Cup. Now just days away from the playoffs, it is clear that the road to the 2012 CHL Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup goes through Wichita. The Thunder will begin their playoff run with a best-of-seven Berry Conference Semi-Final series against the fourth-seeded Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (32-27-7). Game one is set for a 7:05 pm face-off at Wichita’s Intrust Bank Arena on Friday night. The Thunder seemingly has the upper-hand in the series after posting a 3-0 record against the Killer Bees in the regular season. 44 of Wichita’s 66 regular season games were played against the other seven teams in the playoffs, with the Thunder posting a 27-15-2 record in those games. The Killer Bees posted a record of 8-18-4 against other playoff squads, but enter the post-season having won 10 of their last 12 games. Wichita will rely on several players to provide scoring in the post-season. Matt Summers led the team in the regular season with 61 points, his 42 assists ranked him ninth in the regular season. Thomas Beauregard has enjoyed his first year in Wichita and the CHL, adding 22 goals and 37 assists for 59 points. Also, the return of veteran CHL journeyman Aaron Davis from the injured reserve list will provide on-ice leadership and offense. Matt Robinson (58 points) led the squad in goals, ranking fourth in the league with 34. He also leads the league with 10 game-winning goals. Robinson’s efforts earned him recognition as a finalist for the CHL Most Valuable Player award. Defensively, the Thunder is led by Jarred Mohr who posted a plus-minus rating of +22 while contributing offensively with 32 assists. Mohr and fellow defenseman Travis Wight (+17) are the only two players to see action in all 66 games. Backstopping the effort for Wichita will be the dynamic duo of Adam Russo and Bryan Hogan. Russo has posted a 27-11-3 record this year, while adding a GAA of 2.61 and a .910 save percentage. On March 7th, he was named a finalist for the league’s Most Outstanding Goaltender. Hogan (10-3-0) has posted ten wins, a 1.90 GAA and .937 save percentage since being acquired from Dayton in a January trade. McClelland previewed his squad’s match up with Terry Ruskowski’s Killer Bees in a recent interview with The Wichita Eagle. “They’ve got some real skill up front and some real fast guys,” McClelland said. “They’re a quick hockey team and they’re a group that really works hard…we’ve got to make sure we match their work ethic and contain their speed.” Contact the writer at john.hall@prohockeynews.com
