A documentary about the creation of the sculpture "We want to continue to make this an exciting event for the people in attendance and one they look can look forward to each year.". Please, Threshy, hard at work, hypes up the student section at a fall football game . Tristan England Jan 27 Due to a variety of events at Bethel recently, school spirit is at an all time high. And for good reason. On April 16, 2016, the Thunder announced that the team would not renew McClelland's contract for the 201617 season. His was the winning design, which the university adopted as its mascot. [6] After one season, the Thunder changed affiliations to the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and Bakersfield Condors (AHL). This is just one step in a process, Arensman told the Wichita Eagle. Hoping to go pro and make a career out of what I love. The first video clip was from a hockey game filmed with a GoPro Hero 4 Silver, and the second clip was filmed with a GoPro Hero. issue of The Sunflower, the student newspaper, ran an advertisement urging students The schools pep club members were called Wheaties, and the football team played on a wheat field, so the name stuck. about the time it receivedits first football coach. January 7, 2012 Last year in the first-ever NHL game to be played in the city of Wichita, the St. Louis Blues defeated the Arizona Coyotes, 5-4, in front of over 8,500 at INTRUST Bank Arena. For nearly 50 years, Wichita State University didn't have a mascot - its symbol was just a shock of wheat. Throughout history, Wu has gone through many documented awkward phases to reach today's iteration. It was freshman Jack Kersting who suggested Wichita Thunder Store. Homepage. Dr. Kenneth A. Jansson, MD: Orthopedic Surgeon: Advanced Orthopaedic Associates: Orthopedic Care: Andrew Clifford: Physical Therapist . With the redesign, a new costume was introduced February 28, 2023 - ECHL (ECHL) - Wichita Thunder News Release. This is only the beginning, as Coach Gogus reveals; he has plans to take Threshy to the College Mascot Nationals Tournament. Hopefully, so will you. WuShock is often listed among the nation's strangest college mascots. In fall 1999, the head of the new costume underwent another redesign Were Always Available. At the time, many Fairmount football players earned tuition and board harvesting, The Coyotes are owned by Chairman and Governor Alex Meruelo, and are led by General Manager Bill Armstrong, Head Coach Andr Tourigny, and 24-year-old forward Clayton Keller, who represented the Coyotes at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game. Latos was fired the following season after a disappointing start of 8197. The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff. If youve never been to a game, the Wichita Thunder is a minor league hockey team who plays their games at the downtown arena. Browse nearly 3,000 active listings. Ron Handy was the Playoff Most Valuable Player for both seasons and was the only player in Central Hockey League history to win the award on multiple occasions. Close. I Threshys inclusion in this event signifies a rising interest from local event organizers in the uniqueness and creativity in the Bethel mascots design by Head Cheer Coach Joseph Gogus and Director for Institutional Communications & Marketing Tricia Clark, as well as the promotions done by the various news outlets in the area, including local news source HarveyCountyNow, which wrote an article about Threshy back in Dec.2022. Mark French took over as head coach from 2005 to 2007. "The shootout added an exciting element to the end of the game that the crowd loved," said Hargrove. Tickets for the "ICT Ice Classic" will be available starting at less than $10. WuShock - Anthropomorphic wheat, mascot of the Wichita State Shockers; Y. And, during the 2015 NCAA college basketball tournament, Jimmy Fallon referred to Wu as a Muppet Gordon Ramsay. Your contribution is appreciated. Sounds like, well be going to another game! Helping hype the crowd is their mascot, Sonic Thunderdog. Learn more about Wichita State University. He currently serves as "Thunder Dog" for the Wichita Thunder and "Spinner," the . After the Thunder fired Bilodeau nine games into the 200910 season, Jason Duda was given the job on an interim basis while on injured reserve. The Oct. 7, 1948, Wichita Thunder vs Tulsa Oilers game. Teddy Bears Came Raining Down! A committee created by USD 259 determined the mascot was offensive to Native Americans. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) Students at Wichita North High School voted for a new mascot on Thursday, picking from four potential mascot names. The official website of the Wichita Thunder hockey team. Labeled as the most exciting play in hockey, each team will have 3 opportunities at a shootout attempt until a team is deemed the winner. The Oct. 7, 1948, issue of The Sunflower, the student newspaper, ran an advertisement urging students to submit names for the school's new mascot. After three seasons, and one playoff appearance, Cameron was not offered an extension. In the 199394 season, Doug Shedden won the Coach of the Year award, Robert Desjardins won the Regular Season Most Valuable Player award and Paul Jackson won the Scoring Champion award. Laxdal went on to coach the Thunder for two seasons to an 87588 record while securing two separate playoff places. Limited sizes available! football manager and student R.J. Kirk needed a name for the team in order to advertise Stalk my Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/coreybat_youtuber/Fly to my Twitter :https://twitter.com/CoreyBAT_YTAnd For any Old Gramps Go to my Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/CoreyBAT/ Jackson was replaced by Bryan Wells to become the Thunder's fourth head coach in franchise history. Until 1948, the university He's been WSU's mascot since There have been more than 700 players who have gone on to play in the NHL after starting their careers in the ECHL. View recent news, updates, buy tickets and more! The head is streaked with black, the . 101 From the introduction of the new mascot, Threshy to Bethel superfan Loren Reussers 90th birthday, to the creation of the Stone Zone student section, its clear to see this communitys love for Bethels athletics. You can help keep our site going with a simple one-time or recurring donation. He currently serves as "Thunder Dog" for the Wichita Thunder and "Spinner," the . East Office ", In 1998, WuShock, also referred to as "Wu," marked his 50th birthday by undergoing He went on to become the assistant coach of the AHL's Hershey Bears and the following season took them to a championship as head coach. . So, heres a brief WuShock history lesson for you. Storm - tiger mascot for Trine University Thunder, first introduced in 2010. In todays dollars, that equals about $175 small change compared to the $8,000 price tag of the current WuShock suit. WICHITA, Kan. - ProHoops Sports & Events announced today that Wichita will once again be host to a NHL Preseason Game on September . The students voted on them today and then theyre going to find ways that they can get alumni input also students who are in North Highs feeder pattern to provide input, Arensman told the Wichita Eagle. They loved the energy from the surrounding fans. Through it all, the people of Wichita have embraced WuShock as an endearing symbol of Wichita State University, and the city itself. Specialty jerseys are on sale for $90 (regularly $139.99). Your email address will not be published. The 1998 version was intended to make Wu, as he is affectionately known, look more buff and intimidating. The following lists the league awards which have been won by the Thunder team and its players. He finished the season with a 7435 record and became an assistant coach under the next head coach, Kevin McClelland. Blue Bombers: 1 : . The below table shows the number of times each mascot has been used at a High School in Kansas. The shocks are then put through a process called threshing, which separates the edible wheat kernels from the chaff. Hit the ice with the Wichita Thunder, a minor-league ECHL team that has been playing in Wichita since 1992 and at INTRUST Bank Arena since it opened in 2010. On May 2, 2001, Wells was dismissed as head coach. Local artist Wade Hampton and sculptor Connie Ematt worked with WSU Athletics and Mascot: Count : Mascot: Count : Mascot: Count : . List of Wichita Thunder alumni who played more than 25 games in Wichita and 25 or more games in the National Hockey League. - The Worcester Railers Hockey Club (@RailersHC), proud ECHL (@ECHL) affiliate of the New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) and Worcester Red Sox, team up on Sat., March 4th for the . Website for the Wichita Thunder, Wichita's professional hockey team. The school never officially adopted the name, but the term Wheatshockers was commonly used for years, until it was eventually shortened to "Shockers", which is what Wichita State is known by today. WORCESTER, Mass. From 1992 until December 2009, the Thunder played in the Britt Brown Arena located in the northern Wichita suburb of Park City. The Thunder was originally coached by Gary Fay, but after a 620 start, he was replaced by Doug Shedden. We expect an even bigger turnout this year.". The school never officially adopted the name, but the term Wheatshockers was commonly used for years, until it was eventually shortened to Shockers, which is what Wichita State is known by today. At the event, Threshy joined several local area mascots, including many from KCAC schools, such as the Friends University Falcon, the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote, the McPherson College Bulldog, and the Newman University Jets. There were several others, including Wichita State Universitys WuShock. A planned email and social media account is also expected to appear this year, for people to ask Threshy questions or request its presence at school events. Celebration Night Featuring Christian Okoye, Stay up-to-date on all Thunder news and deals, Learn about our flexible options for ticket packages, Learn about planning a group outing to a game, Learn about corporate partnership opportunities. Boleski, General Manager of INTRUST Bank Arena. Maybe it's because we know that there's another pro sports team just two hours north the Central Hockey League's. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Rare VTG 90s Wichita Thunder Defunct Minor League Hockey Promo Sweat Shirt XL at the best online prices at eBay! The team has been affiliated with the National Hockey Leagues San Jose Sharks and the American Hockey League's San Jose Barracuda since 2022. Submit. In the same season, the Thunder had its first sellout in team history when the crowd of 9,686 fans watched the Thunder defeat Oklahoma City 43. This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Big thanks again to the Wichita Thunder for having us out! Brent Bilodeau was hired during the 2008 off-season and led the team for two seasons and a record of 22480. They had some very successful seasons back then and most recently finished second in the conference of the ECHL last year. I love sports and have so much respect for those types of fans. The Wichita Thunder are a minor league hockey team based in Wichita, Kansas.