WICHITA, Kan. – The Wichita Thunder announced the signing on ECHL returner Jordan Sims on Tuesday afternoon. Wichita Head Coach Bruce Ramsay commented on the 29-year old forward from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and what he brings to the Thunder this season.
“Jordan is a strong, two-way center that has been described to me as a player who you want on the ice late in games. He has had some productive seasons in this league and will be a good addition for us up front. He comes from a good pedigree, as I coached against his father for many years. Being the son of a coach is an advantage for him, and he is an extremely intelligent player as well.”
Following a successful collegiate career at the University of Connecticut, Sims jumped into the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) with the Peoria Rivermen for the 2014-15 season. His 21 points in 33 games earned him a spot in the ECHL, where he played five games for the Idaho Steelheads before moving to the Evansville IceMen.
He finished the 2014-15 season with the IceMen and stayed there for the whole of the 2015-16 season. During that year, he also logged two games in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda. During his 2015-16 season with Evansville, he recorded 46 points in 64 games with a plus-18 rating.
Sims spent a year in France before returning to the ECHL for 2018-19. During this past season, Sims played for the Cincinnati Cyclones, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and the Fort Wayne Komets. He had a combined 26 games played with 15 points (4G+11A).
Sims brings a smaller, quicker look to the forward position for Wichita, standing 5’11” and 185 lbs. His play resembles that of Steven Iacobellis, a shot-creating forward.
With 173 ECHL games under his belt, Sims brings advanced knowledge of the league and the style the league plays. Although, he only played in 26 regular season games last year, which could lead to limited ice time to begin the season (likely on the third line). Don’t expect that to last far into the season, as Sims has shown multiple times the speed in which he adapts to new play schemes.
You can follow Matthew Harding and Matthew Will on Twitter (@SinBinThunder) and stay caught up on the offseason signings across the ECHL by visiting our transactions page.
