Posts Tagged ‘Thunder AAA’
Thunder Alum Zack Conner Tenders With The Austin Bruins in NAHL
Twenty-three Thunder AAA alums currently on NCAA D1 rosters
Total Package Hockey is proud to acknowledge and congratulate the Thunder AAA organization for its latest achievement in advancing players to higher levels of hockey.
Twenty-three Thunder alums are currently on NCAA Division 1 rosters.
“Having 23 Thunder alums currently on DI NCAA rosters is a testament of all the hard work that players, families, and coaches have poured into Thunder Hockey over past 15 years,” said Keith Rowe, the Thunder AAA director of hockey. “It’s exciting to look toward the future knowing these student-athletes have paved the way for current and future Thunder players.”
A look at the boys representing Thunder Hockey at the D1 level:
In addition to the updated NCAA roster count, check out these other Thunder advancement numbers:
- 2 NHL Draft Picks
- 45 NCAA DI Commits
- 54 NCAA DIII Commits
- 19 OHL Draft Picks
- 39 USHL Drafts, 2 Tenders
- 16 NAHL Drafts, 61 Tenders
For more on Thunder Hockey, visit the organization’s official website.
Nashville Jr Predators and Thunder AAA Hockey Club merge to create more opportunity for youth hockey participants
NASHVILLE YOUTH HOCKEY GETS STRONGER
– Nashville Jr Predators and Thunder AAA Hockey Club merge to create more opportunity for youth hockey participants –
Nashville, Tenn. (December 20, 2018) – The Nashville Jr. Predators and Thunder AAA Hockey Club announced today that the two entities will merge together and operate under the Nashville Jr. Predators Hockey Club emblem starting in 2019. This merger affords children a clear path from learning to skate to participating in Tier I AAA hockey and every level in between.
“Hockey in Tennessee and the Southern Amateur Hockey Association (SAHA) region is only getting stronger with the merger between the Nashville Jr. Predators and Thunder AAA Hockey Club,” said Danny Butler, General Manager of Ford Ice Center. “With two new sheets of ice at the Ice Center in Bellevue opening in the Fall of 2019, youth hockey players will have additional opportunities to participate in hockey programs and receive valuable ice time with elite coaches.”
Growing the game of hockey in Tennessee and surrounding states, is a very important initiative of the Nashville Predators. For every new hockey family that is created, provides more opportunity for life-long Nashville Predators fans. “With the newly formed Nashville Jr. Predators, there will be more spots available for kids who want to play, learn to play the game and compete on several different levels,” said Nat Harden, Senior Vice President, Tickets / Premium Sales & Youth Hockey. “More tournaments will be hosted at Ford Ice Center, which will create additional revenue for the surrounding businesses in Antioch, Bellevue and across Middle Tennessee.”
The Nashville Jr. Predators will enlist Total Package Hockey as the administrator of all hockey operations and coaching. One of the main driving forces behind the merger is to help families take advantage of one of the best development programs in the country that does not require them to move.
“We are extremely grateful for the positive leadership and growth of the game in Nashville, Huntsville, and Atlanta from the Nashville Predators. The NHL-backed Little Preds program being ran in each market is introducing the game to the next generation of players and is critically impacting grassroots growth of hockey. We would also like to thank the Nashville Jr Predators Board for their support in this merger. By working together, teams at the Tier I level will immediately be more competitive on the national stage, which will alleviate the pressure often felt by some families to move. In turn, this will increase the number of players that are drafted and/or tendered by junior hockey programs and commitments made to NCAA Division I schools, while playing youth hockey in the Nashville Jr. Predators Hockey Club. Perhaps the most important part of this new program is the addition of the Nashville based AA teams that will provide more development options for players” said Nathan Bowen, CEO of Total Package Hockey. “We have a long history of providing outstanding positive mentors and we look forward to staffing the Jr Preds with world class professional coaches and managing the day-to-day operations of the hockey club in a professional, cost-effective and efficient manner. “
“The Nashville Predators continue to do an outstanding job growing the game for players at all levels of hockey and they support this next step in creating a clear path for youth hockey families to follow. Our board unanimously
supported this merger in the long-term best interest of hockey in Nashville. We also recognized that consolidating the two clubs only strengthens every level of play for the kids. Adding the AA program creates one homogenous development program for every player. They can begin in the Little Preds program, move along to House League, Preds Select A, now AA and lastly AAA. A family can now come into the game, develop here in Nashville until they are ready physically and mentally for junior hockey.” stated Nashville Jr Predators President Matt Goudy.
Total Package Hockey held these same responsibilities for the past 15 years with the Thunder AAA Hockey Club. During that time, the club provided a path for student-athletes to develop and advance to junior hockey while living at, or close, to home. The program became a member of the prestigious Tier I Elite League, the only national Tier I Youth Hockey League in the country that produces the most junior, college and professional players in the country.
Thunder AAA Hockey Club Player Advancement Summary:
– 4 NHL Draft Picks or Signed
– 45 NCAA DI Commits
– 56 NCAA DIII Commits
– 39 USHL Drafts, 2 Tenders
– 16 NAHL Drafts, 61 Tenders
– 19 OHL Draft Picks
– 4 International (2 NTDP, 2 Hlinka/Gretzky)
Former alumni include Mitch Eliot who signed just last week with the Vancouver Canucks, Nic Dowd from Huntsville Alabama, now with the Washington Capitals, Bjorn Krupp from Atlanta Georgia who played with the US National Development Team Program and now with Grizzlys Wolfsburg in the DEL, Nathan Krusko from Atlanta Georgia at Harvard University and national honors student, Andrew Sinard from Nashville Tennessee who is a freshman at Miami of Ohio playing NCAA DI and attended Nashville Predators Prospect camp in 2017.
Former coaches for the Thunder AAA Hockey club include:
- Chris Luongo – Current AC Michigan State Spartans, USA National Development Team Program, Team USA World Championships,
- Scott Gordon – Current HC Philadelphia Flyers, Team USA World Championships and Olympics, Former Assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs and HC New York Islanders
- Jim McKenzie – Current Scout Las Vegas Golden Knights NHL and Muskegon USHL
- Steve Briere – Current Goalie Coach Toronto Maple Leafs NHL, Fargo Force USHL, Topeka RoadRunners NAHL
- Uwe Krupp – Current HC Sparta Praha DEL and Team Germany World Championships and Olympics
- Karlis Zirnis – Current AC University of Alaska Fairbanks, Shreveport Mudbugs NAHL, Team Latvia World Championships and Olympics,
- Darren Eliot – Current Detroit Redwings NHL and Atlanta Thrashers NHL
- Danny Geoffrion – Former player Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets
- Jay More – Former player Nashville Predators
- Jay Leach –Former NCAA DI Maine Black Bears and Washington Capitals NHL
- Paul Flache – Former associate head coach Flint firebirds OHL
For more information about the NEW Nashville Jr. Predators program, please call Jordan French at email to info@jrpredators.com or Keith Rowe at keith@totalpackagehockey.com and visit nashvillejrpredators.com.
Noah Henry tendered by Aberdeen Wings of NAHL
Once Noah Henry wraps up high school, he’s off to the NAHL’s Aberdeen Wings in 2019-2020.
The longtime member of the Thunder hockey program and well-versed #TPHTrained player from Milton, Ga., has had a slew of hockey successes, and TPH is proud of how he has grown on and off the ice.
“I can’t thank Coaches Bowen, Rowe, Fairbanks, Kaminski and Marakovski and the entire Thunder organization enough for the training and support that I received the from the organization from 2012-2016, Henry said. “TPH and Thunder’s training and professionalism is outstanding. They gave me a solid foundation in skating, game play, and mental approach to the game that I am still using every day and will use as long as I play hockey.”
Check out Henry’s hockey accomplishments as we celebrate another success story from the TPH family.
- Played on Thunder Pee Wee and Bantam teams from 2012-2016
- In 2015-2016 was assistant captain on Thunder Bantam Major team with Coach Rowe
- Played with Thunder Bantam Major in U15 National Championship tournament in Anchorage, AK
- Selected for U14 and U15 USA National Camp
- Played in All-Star Game on TPH Selects team at 2016 World Selects Invitational
- Played on TPH Showdown in Motown teams for 5 years
- Officiated over 50 games as a Georgia Ice Official from 2011-2015
Southern New Hampshire University Wins NE10 Conference Championship
Congratulations to four Thunder hockey alums Dylan Sobczyk (96), Jake Cox (97), Kyle Galloway (97) and Cole Stewart (97) on being a part of Southern New Hampshire’s NE10 Conference Championship team.
Four Thunder alums set to compete in 2019 NCAA Tournament
Total Package Hockey would like to congratulate and wish the best of luck to the four TPH Thunder alums who are set to begin competition in the 2019 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament this weekend.
Good luck to the following players:
Matt Jennings
Ohio State – Freshman
Buford, Ga.
Topeka RoadRunners and Minot Minotauros (NAHL), Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) alum
Josh Wilkins
Providence – Junior
Raleigh, N.C.
Austin Bruins (NAHL), Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) alum
Zach Solow
Northeastern – Sophomore
Naples, Fla.
Janesville Jets (NAHL), Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) alum
Nathan Krusko
Harvard – Sophomore
Alpharetta, Ga.
Minnesota Magicians (NAHL), Omaha Lancers (USHL) alum
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND FOR THE THUNDER HOCKEY CLUB
The Thunder Hockey Club finished the 2018-19 season on a high note as three teams took division championships at regional tournaments.
Twenty #TPHTrained players selected in 2019 USHL Draft
otal Package Hockey is proud to congratulate the 20 #TPHTrained players who were selected during the two-day USHL Draft.
Four TPH names were selected during the Phase 1 Draft Monday evening, the portion of the draft that focused solely on the 2003 birth-year class.
On Tuesday, 13 TPH names followed suit, as the USHL clubs filled their rosters with a selection process of all the players eligible to play junior hockey next fall.
Seven TPH Detroit Center of Excellence student-athletes – four current enrollees and three alums – were selected, while a collection of players who have participated in the Eight Week Summer Progression Program or competed with TPH at the World Selects Invite or the OHL Cup. Three players are Thunder AAA alums, as well.
“The TPH family is tremendously proud of these players for this latest achievement,” said TPH CEO Nathan Bowen. “We are confident that due to their character and their work ethic that they’re up to the challenge, and they will continue to make us proud at the next level – wherever that may be.”
Phase 1 Draft
Finn Kilbride – Center of Excellence – Green Bay Gamblers
Ryan Humphrey – Center of Excellence, OHL Cup Team – Muskegon Lumberjacks
Nicholas Sofikitis – Center of Excellence – Tri-City Storm
Luke Buss – Center of Excellence – Tri-City Storm
Sutter Muzzatti – OHL Cup Team – Muskegon Lumberjacks
Riley Rosenthal – OHL Cup Team – Dubuque Fighting Saints
Phase 2 Draft
Davis Pennington – Center of Excellence – Madison Capitols
Dalton Norris – Center of Excellence – Lincoln Stars
Tyler Williams – Center of Excellence – Muskegon Lumberjacks
Sam Antenucci – Eight Week Program – Sioux City Musketeers
Drew Cooper – Eight Week Program – Omaha Lancers
Thomas Middleton – Eight Week Program – Dubuque Fighting Saints
Jacob Willets – Eight Week Program – Green Bay Gamblers
Michael Woll – World Selects Invite – Madison Capitols
Conor Ronayne – OHL Cup Team – Muskegon Lumberjacks
Cameron Rowe – OHL Cup Team – Des Moines Buccaneers
Joseph Blackley – OHL Cup Team – Sioux Falls Stampede
Ben Schultheis – Thunder alum, Eight Week Program – Dubuque Fighting Saints
Cooper Fensterstock – Thunder alum – Des Moines Buccaneers
Therien Thiesing – Thunder alum – Green Bay Gamblers
About Total Package Hockey: Founded in 2001, it is TPH’s vision to become the world leader in positively impacting the lives of student-athletes through the game of hockey. Through academics, mentorship and athletics, TPH prides itself on operating at a standard that exceeds expectations of student-athletes, families, coaches, advisors and all other entities of the hockey world. With platforms that include association management, elite prospects programs, tournaments and showcases, camps and clinics and its hallmark Center of Excellence academy model, Total Package Hockey has assisted in the academic, athletic and hockey development of over 600 players who have advanced to junior, collegiate and professional hockey. Since inception, 45 #TPHTrained student-athletes have been selected in the NHL Draft, while 280 have committed to the NCAA level – 189 of which are Division I. In addition, 99 players have been selected in the OHL Priority Selection and 353 have signed tenders or been drafted in the USHL and NAHL. While TPH is proud of its student-athletes who have achieved success on-the ice, it is the process of developing young men and women as people, first and foremost, that our world-class team of coaches and mentors take the most amount of pride in. While it is our responsibility to prepare each individual for success on the ice, it is our mission to prepare each and every individual for success in the ultimate game – the game of life! To learn more about TPH, visit www.totalpackagehockey.com.
Nashville Predators Sign TPH Thunder alum Josh Wilkins to Entry-Level Contract
Nashville, Tenn. (April 18, 2019) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Thursday that the team has signed forward Josh Wilkins to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Wilkins, 21 (6/11/97), helped lead Providence College to its fifth Frozen Four appearance in school history in 2018-19 and capped off his junior campaign with a career-high 46 points (20g-26a) in 40 games. He led the Friars and was ninth in the country in points, and his 20 goals – also a career best – were 10th among all NCAA players. Wilkins, who was among the top three on his team in scoring during all three of his college seasons, was a 2019 NCAA All-American and a 2019 First Team Hockey East All-Star, both career firsts. He closed out his time at Providence with 108 points (48g-60a) in 119 games from 2016-19.
Never drafted, the Raleigh, N.C., native spent one season with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers in 2014-15 before enrolling at Providence, tallying 29 points (16g-13a) 49 games. Wilkins is a product of the TPH Thunder youth program, which merged with the Nashville Jr. Predators in December of 2018 and plays out of Ford Ice Center, captaining its U-16 team in 2013-14.
The day before each Predators Playoff game, both at home and on the road, fans can partake in the Monster Block scavenger hunt. Follow @PredsNHL on Twitter for hints to the locations of ice blocks in and around Nashville that contain Preds memorabilia, gift cards to local businesses, tickets to upcoming Playoffs games and more!
All Citizens of Smashville will have the ability to enter the Drive to the Cup ticket contest for a chance to win one of 50 pairs of free tickets provided by Bridgestone. To enter, the day before each home game, fans can find any Bridgestone logo, add their Preds Pride and tweet a photo using #Bridgestone. On game day, the 50 winners will be contacted directly with additional information on claiming their pair of tickets!
29 #TPHTrained Drafted or Tendered following NAHL Draft
The 2019 NAHL Draft took place on Tuesday, June 4th where we are proud to announce 10 #TPHTrained players were selected. In addition, 18 more #TPHTrained players have been tendered for the upcoming NAHL season to this point.
Draft Position – Player – Draft Team – TPH Program
No. 38 – Kyle Kawamura – Corpus Christi Ice Rays – Thunder AAA & 8-Week Program
No. 70 – Bobby Burns – Springfield Jr. Blues – Center of Excellence & 8-Week Program
No. 105 – Cannon Green – Maine Nordiques – Center of Excellence & OHL Cup
No. 161 – Owen Kelly – Corpus Christi Ice Rays – 8-Week Program
No. 171 – Ryan Sorkin – Shreveport Mudbugs – OHL Cup
No. 187 – Owen Michaels – Chippewa Steel – 8-Week Program
No. 223 – Josh Deluca – Shreveport Mudbugs – 8-Week Program
No. 230 – Riley Stuart – Johnstown Tomahawks – WSI
No. 308 – Michael Mercurio – Johnstown Tomahawks – OHL Cup
The #TPHTrained players to this point that have signed tenders going into the NAHL 2019-2020 season are:
Player – TPH Program
Billy Simms – Lonestar Brahmas – Center of Excellence & 8-Week Program
Brendan Murphy – Michigan Hockey Advancement
Bryce Kallen – Michigan Hockey Advancement
Carter Korpi – 8-Week Program & Michigan Hockey Advancement
Chuck Bay – Thunder AAA
Colin Kerchoff – 8-Week Program
Dalton Norris – Center of Excellence & 8-Week Program
Davis Goukler – Thunder AAA & 8-Week Program
Griffon Sanom – Center of Excellence, Michigan Hockey Advancement, & 8-Week Program
Hunter Longhi – WSI
Jack Hillman – Center of Excellence
Joe McCollum – Center of Excellence
John Druskinis – Michigan Hockey Advancement & OHL Cup
Mitch Morris – Michigan Hockey Advancement & 8-Week Program
Ryan Kerchoff – 8-Week Program
Ryan Waltman – Center of Excellence
Tim Erkkila – Michigan Hockey Advancement & 8-Week Program
Trent Grimshaw – Center of Excellence
Trevor Russell – Thunder AAA, OHL Cup & 8-Week Program
To read more about the NAHL Draft click here.
About Total Package Hockey: Founded in 2001, it is TPH’s vision to become the world leader in positively impacting the lives of student-athletes through the game of hockey. Through academics, mentorship and athletics, TPH prides itself on operating at a standard that exceeds expectations of student-athletes, families, coaches, advisors and all other entities of the hockey world. With platforms that include association management, elite prospects programs, tournaments and showcases, camps and clinics and its hallmark Center of Excellence academy model, Total Package Hockey has assisted in the academic, athletic and hockey development of over 600 players who have advanced to junior, collegiate and professional hockey. Since inception, 45 #TPHTrained student-athletes have been selected in the NHL Draft, while 280 have committed to the NCAA level – 189 of which are Division I. In addition, 99 players have been selected in the OHL Priority Selection and 353 have signed tenders or been drafted in the USHL and NAHL. While TPH is proud of its student-athletes who have achieved success on-the ice, it is the process of developing young men and women as people, first and foremost, that our world-class team of coaches and mentors take the most amount of pride in. While it is our responsibility to prepare each individual for success on the ice, it is our mission to prepare each and every individual for success in the ultimate game – the game of life! To learn more about TPH, visit www.totalpackagehockey.com.