WICHITA, Kan. – After having seven players called up to four different American Hockey League teams, it stands to reason that at some point, they were all going to have to come “home.” That process started today for the Wichita Thunder.
After a stint with the Stockton Heat where he only played one game, Jay Dickman returns to the Thunder lineup. At the time of his AHL callup, he had 24 points (8G, 16A) in 25 games.
Two more come back to the Thunder from the Bakersfield Condors. Team captain Alex Peters returns after playing in six games with the Condors and registering one assist. He had just come back from five weeks off with an injury at the time of his AHL callup but managed to post five points (1G, 4A) in seven games played.
Finally, goaltender Evan Buitenhuis returns to the Thunder after spending two weeks with the Condors. Though he did not play, it is likely he would have garnered the start Monday afternoon against the Abbotsford Canucks if the game were to be played as scheduled (the game was postponed due to COVID protocol affecting Abbotsford). Still, the 29-year-old netminder returns to the Thunder with a 9-12-2-0 record, a 2.87 goals against average, a .919 save percentage, and a shutout.
Barring travel issues, all three are expected to dress tonight for Wichita. To make room for the return of Dickman to the lineup, Brady Fleurent has been released.
If you’re keeping score at home, Peter Crinella remains up in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds, Dean Stewart is up with the Manitoba Moose, while Matteo Gennaro and Tim Soderlund remain up with the Condors.
In case you missed it, the last week has been filled with roster moves for the Thunder. Yesterday, the team announced the return of Stefan Fournier and the addition of Joe Manchurek. Last Wednesday, the signing of forward David Thomson was announced, with the return of Jacob Graves being announced a day earlier.
Matthew Will and I break down all the moves tonight on the Field Pass Hockey Pregame Show, powered by Pure Performance, starting at 6:40 pm CT. The Thunder wrap up their five-game set with the Kansas City Mavericks tonight at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence. Faceoff is set for 7:05 pm and can be heard live exclusively on the Field Pass Hockey App!
