Lampton Lightning Girl, Crystal Lathrop has been participating on the Dance and Promotional team for three seasons of Thunder hockey.  Now, Lathrop takes on a new challenge as she becomes the youngest Co-Chair in the 21 year history of the Cattleman's Ball that benefits the American Cancer Society.  Lathrop was part of a featured article in this months addition of Splurge! Magazine.  Read more at Splurge! - Crystal Lathrop

Visit Splurg! at http://splurge.inspiredkoncepts.com/

Visit the Cattleman's Ball at http://gala.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=20252&pg=entry

from www.centralhockeyleague.com

TEMPE, AZ– Central Hockey League (CHL) Commissioner Duane Lewis announced Tuesday that the Evansville IceMen (Evansville, Indiana) will participate in the league beginning in the fall of 2010.

The IceMen will hit the ice in the CHL for the 2010-11 season becoming the 18th team in the league and will play their home games for the upcoming season in the Swonder Ice Arena in Evansville.  IceMen owner Ron Geary has finalized the transaction to purchase and transfer the Muskegon Lumberjack team to the Indiana city joining IHL teams Bloomington, Dayton, Fort Wayne and Quad City in the CHL after the two leagues affiliated on June 1, 2010.

"The chance to bring a storied team like Muskegon with its 50-year pro hockey history to Evansville was an opportunity that we could not pass up," said Mr. Geary.

“We are very excited to welcome the IceMen into the IHL/CHL collaboration,” said Lewis.  “Evansville is a great sports town with passionate fans and I know they will be a great fit for our league.  We are thrilled to have Mr. Geary as a new owner and governor in our league as we know he will provide great insight and strengthen our already strong base of leadership.”

The CHL and IHL announced earlier in June that they would affiliate for the upcoming season and play under the CHL moniker.

-Thunder-

BY KOLLEN LONG

The Wichita Eagle

If the Wichita Thunder faithful weren't already enamored with new coach Kevin McClelland based solely on his impressive resume, they will surely be won over by the description of how he expects his team to play.

The style would seemingly please the diehards, those who remember the glory days under the legendary Doug Shedden, and also the new, casual fan attracted by the team's fancy downtown home, Intrust Bank Arena.

"You want a team that can play any type of game," McClelland said. "If someone wants to get nasty or goofy with us, we'll be equipped to play those games. But games are won or lost on the scoreboard. So we want a team that's really creative offensively — I like guys to ad lib and use their skills — and sound defensively....

Struggling franchise hires Kevin McClelland, a proven winner in the CHL, as next coach.

The Wichita Eagle

Kevin McClelland has accepted the challenge of revitalizing the struggling Wichita Thunder hockey franchise.

In a move expected to excite the restless fan base and instantly improve the team's reputation, the Thunder has hired McClelland as its new coach, two sources close to the team confirmed.

McClelland, a proven winner as a coach and player, is expected to be introduced at a news conference on Monday at Intrust Bank Arena.

Continued...  Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2010/04/23/1282689/thunder-delivers-big-hire.html#Comments_Container#ixzz0lw2krQrL

BY KOLLEN LONG

The Wichita Eagle

In a move expected to excite a frustrated fan base, the Wichita Thunder has hired Kevin McClelland as its new coach, two sources close to the team confirmed today.

A news conference to introduce McClelland as coach has been tentatively scheduled for Monday at Intrust Bank Arena, a source said....

Article continued at: http://www.kansas.com/2010/04/22/1281849/thunder-hires-kevin-mcclelland.html#ixzz0lrNjGksU

Former CHL coach of the year Kevin McClelland has offer on table to be team's next coach.

The Wichita Eagle

The Wichita Thunder has been without a permanent coach since Brent Bilodeau was fired on Nov. 12. The wait will apparently continue a few more days.

General manager Joel Lomurno has offered Kevin McClelland a contract, but the former Central Hockey League coach of the year has yet to sign it.

"We talked today, and were very close," Lomurno said Tuesday afternoon. "It's a very good deal for Kevin, and I feel he's well worth the investment."

McClelland did not return a message on Tuesday.

McClelland has coached four straight CHL teams (Memphis, Mississippi and Colorado twice) to the playoffs and, after turning around Memphis in his second year there, he was named the CHL coach of the year in 2007.

McClelland guided league power Colorado to a 42-15-7 regular season record, but the Eagles were swept in the playoffs by Bossier-Shreveport and his contract was not renewed.