WICHITA, Kan. – The Wichita Thunder kicks off a hectic month of November tonight, opening a three-game-in-three-day stretch with the Kansas City Mavericks.
The Specifics:
WHO: Wichita Thunder (2-2-2-0) at Kansas City Mavericks (2-4-0-0)
WHEN: Pregame show at 6:40 pm CT, face-off is 7:05 PM CT
WHERE: Silverstein Eye Centers Arena – Independence, Missouri
HOW TO LISTEN/WATCH: Download The Sin Bin app (Google Play & Apple app stores) and ECHL.TV
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: @MavsInsiderJoe and @MavsInsiderAdam on Twitter
REFEREE: Cameron Fleming (#27)
LINESMEN: Russ Coll (#40) and Sam Rankin (#88)
Possible Scratches
- Jordan Sims – WIC – 14-day IR effective 10/20
- Spencer Dorowicz – WIC – 14-day IR effective 10/14
- Neil Goff – KC – 14-day IR effective 10/19
- Cole Fraser – KC – 14-day IR effective 10/9
Additional scratches due to lineup changes or injury will be announced closer to game time.
Series-in-Review
- Wichita won the season series in 2018-19, with a 6-3-2-0 record
- Kansas City has a 34-22-4 record against Wichita since moving to the ECHL
- At SECA, the Mavs have an 18-5-2-1 record against Wichita
- At INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita is 11-10-1-2 record against the Mavericks
Busy Month
The Thunder will play 15 games in 30 days this month, but the good news is that Wichita will not travel more than six hours from home. Of the 15 games, ten will be played at INTRUST Bank Arena, where the team is 2-0-1-0 this season.
The Mavericks will also be busy this month, playing 13 games in the next 30 days. Seven of the 13 games will come at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena.
Collectively, the Mavs and Thunder will play each other six times this month.
Comings and Goings
The Thunder offense took a hit this week when Nolan Vesey and Steven Iacobellis were recalled to Bakersfield of the AHL. Initially, Vesey was called up due to an injury to Joe Gambardella. Iacobellis was recalled when Vesey suffered an upper-body injury following a fight last Saturday night.
The roster shuffling was not over for Wichita, as Bruce Ramsay acquired netminder Evan Weininger from Allen for future considerations. This would seem to imply that neither Dylan Wells or Stuart Skinner will be returning to the Thunder roster anytime soon, as Shane Starrett continues to recover from a lower-body injury. Look for Weininger to get at least one start this weekend.
Finally, the team announced Wednesday that Kelly Cup champion forward Tommy Mele is joining the squad. The 33-year-old forward has played in 324 ECHL games, piled up 157 points (86G, 71A) and 607 penalty minutes.
On the other side, the Mavs have all-star defenseman Cliff Watson back in the fold after a stay with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. They are currently without the services of Mason Morelli and Mitch Hults, who are with the AHL’s Stockton Heat.
Old Friend Alert
Tonight’s contest will be the first time Mavericks forward Ryan Van Stralen has played against his former club. In 73 regular-season games in a Thunder uniform, the native of Prescott, Ontario posted 34 points (16G, 18A) and 105 penalty minutes. Thus far for the Mavs, he has played in five games and posted three points (1G, 2A).
