WICHITA, Kan. – Another player signing, another player returning to the Wichita Thunder for another season.

In their latest player-signing announcement, the Thunder announced Mitch Gillam will return for his second season in the Thunder crease. Gillam’s re-signing makes him the 14th player from the 2019-20 team to come back.

The native of Peterborough, Ontario, appeared in 40 games last year in Thunder blue. He led the league in saves (1,273) and was fifth in minutes played (2,292). Gillam finished with a 15-19-4 record, a 3.48 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.

He joined Wichita last season after coming off an American Hockey League deal with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. In 2018-19, he was selected to the CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic as he sported a .924 save percentage (ranked fourth in the ECHL) and a 2.63 goals-against average (ranked 14th) prior to the contest.

As a rookie in 2017-18, Gillam appeared in 41 games with the Railers. Gillam posted a record of 23-14-2 with five shutouts, a 2.15 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. His performance earned him a spot on the ECHL All-Rookie Team.

Prior to turning pro, Gillam appeared in 97 career games at Cornell University. He went 47-28-17 with 11 shutouts, a 2.15 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. He earned All-Ivy League Second Team in 2014-15 and 2016-17.

With the announcement of Gillam’s return, the Thunder now have a breakdown of 15 forwards, 6 defensemen, and a goalie signed for the upcoming season.

Later this week, I’ll have a breakdown of the latest signings as we approach the start of training camp.