By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com
The NCDC will be previewing each of the 21 teams set to hit the ice during the 2024-25 season in a continuing series up to the Sept. 19 start of the new campaign.
Thunder Hockey Club
New England Division
Home Arena: The Rinks At Exeter
Head Coach: Dan Hodge
The storm center has moved slightly to the south and west, but the Thunder is still raging in its new home of Exeter, New Hampshire.
The former Twin City Thunder is moving forward as the Thunder Hockey Club and will play out of The Rinks at Exeter, where they have a built-in rival in the new Seacoast Spartans, who also play at The Rinks. The change in name and location matches many of the changes that have been seen across the organization since the last Thunder pucks dropped in March.
“I am very excited to get the 2024-25 season started and move the team back on track to where we are competing for the playoffs and ultimately a league championship,” said Hodge, who founded the Thunder organization in 2018, and the team entered NCDC competition in 2019. “I have been thrilled with our move to Exeter and how close we are to the rest of the division, which will help with every team’s travel and exposure to colleges.”
Hodge, the son of two-time Boston Bruins Stanley Cup Champion Ken Hodge, played his college hockey at Merrimack College before embarking on an 11-year professional career with stops in five pro leagues including the AHL with the Providence Bruins.
While still a player, he was also an assistant coach with the San Angelo Saints for a year and then was a full assistant following his retirement from playing with the CHL’s Tulsa Oilers. In 2013, he helped create and coach the former Cape Cod Islanders junior team before setting up the Thunder in 2018.
“I have been coaching the NCDC team for five years now and I have enjoyed the development of the players every season,” added Hodge. “This year, Brett Barrett will be my Assistant and Goalie Coach. Brett has a wealth of knowledge of the game of hockey and especially the goaltending position. His work with the netminders over the past four years has benefitted us greatly.”
The Thunder held their Main Camp at the end of August, and Hodge is especially positive about the direction the team can go in this year.
“I was able to see some excellent competition and some really talented players. The players definitely made it difficult to pick the players who would continue to training camp,” added Hodge. “So far, I have been encouraged by the play of forwards Stanley Bright and Roman Wainwright, both of whom were on my roster last season. It will be imperative to have leadership from within as we did not bring back a lot of players from last year.”
Additionally, the Thunder are bringing back ‘04 goalies Jeffrey Kreidler and Aaron Matthews, while ‘05 defensemen Cade Miner and Aaron Matthews are coming back.
Kreidler and Matthews will be in a tough fight for goaltending time, as the Thunder also have goalies Michael Calabret (‘05) – who saw NCDC time last year – as well as ‘04 Ryan Melanson and ‘06 Cody Arnold coming to camp.
The Thunder were also able to pick up some NCDC-experienced players such as ‘06 forward Eric Whitelaw and ‘04 defenseman Sean Connolly, who played for the former Boston Junior Bruins NCDC team. NCDC defenseman Patrick Poirier, an ‘04, was also acquired in a trade with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
“I am counting on these players to provide leadership and a strong physical presence on the ice and in the locker room,” added Hodge.
Several Thunder tenders and a draft pick all impressed Hodge enough to punch their ticket to the team’s upcoming training camp. This includes forward Evan Luxford, out of the USPHL Premier’s Hudson Havoc, as well as AAA forwards Max McKay (Twin City Ice Mavericks), Jack Oliver (New York Dynamo), Maxon Manderfield (Dallas Stars Elite), Ayze Aldron (Seacoast Performance Academy), Luke Goldberg (Chicago Fury) and defenseman Aidan Seegel (North Jersey Avalanche). Josh Reaska, an ‘06 from the Chicago Reapers and a 2023 NCDC Entry Draft pick by the Thunder, is also in the mix at the training camp to earn a roster spot.
The list of newcomers coming to training camp goes on with more exciting potential key Thunder players.
“Defenseman Sammy Ohannesian, an ‘05, was a top performer at main camp who showed why he was so highly regarded at the Boston Advantage 18U’s,” said Hodge. “Forwards Josh Itri (’06/Tabor Academy), Cooper Caby (’05/Rockets Hockey Club 18U) and Greg Johnson (’05/Chicago Mission 18U) are all new to the NCDC and are on course to do great things this season.”
The NCDC Entry Draft of 2024 was a new approach, as it was held in two phases – one focused on future prospects born in 2007 and 2008, and the other four-round phase for 2004-through 2006-born players.
“The Draft had a different flair this year. I was able to draft some very talented players in both phases, especially ’08 defenseman Reid Parker who will be playing with Carshield 16U AAA this season, but I am hoping to get him into some games this season to see him at the NCDC level,” added Hodge.
Hodge has seen what other teams have added this year in the New England Division, and he knows it will be a tough campaign, especially with the South Shore Kings working to defend their Dineen Cup title.
“I’m very excited for the 2024-25 season to start. Obviously, all eyes are on South Shore, but I am looking forward to competing against the Islanders, the Cyclones and Utica,” said Hodge. “I am also anticipating some great contests with the three new teams who I know will be out to prove something every game.
“This season is a new beginning for the Thunder Hockey Club, with our name change and new arena,” he added. “We will definitely be returning to our identity of being strong defensively with the ability to turn it up offensively. We will strive to be the hardest-working team both in practice and in games and return to the beliefs that have given us success. We are expecting the division to be hotly-contested from top to bottom and we are going in with the belief we will be competing for a division and league title this season.”
