The Stockton Thunder, the proud ECHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League, announced eight players have been tendered qualifying offers for the upcoming 2013-14 season.
Players who had already signed a contract by June 30 did not need to receive a qualifying offer. Each team was entitled to reserve the rights to a maximum of eight qualified players. Players issued a qualifying offer by the Thunder are:
- (LW) Matt Bergland
- (LW) Andrew Clark
- (D) Nathan Deck
- (D) Tony DeHart
- (RW) Ryan Hayes
- (C) Eric Hunter
- (D) Mike Little
- (C) Corey Trivino
Bergland, 23, was named Thunder “Rookie of the Year” for the 2012-13 season and ranked second on the team in scoring among rookies with 29 points (11g-18a) in 59 games, adding a +6 rating. He added six goals and ten points in 22 playoff games.
Clark, 25, was tied for third in ECHL playoff scoring with 21 points in 22 games and ranked third with 14 assists. He was signed by the Thunder as a free agent on Mar. 17 after skating in 111 career games with Acadia University (CIS) and produced five points (3g-2a) in four regular season games.
Deck, 23, skated in 28 games for the Thunder in 2012-13 and collected 22 points (7g-15a) and a +8 rating on the blueline. He earned a goal and three assists in eight postseason games and was signed to a two-way AHL contract with the Oklahoma City Barons on Feb. 19. He was originally signed by the Thunder as a free agent on Aug. 4, 2011 and has collected 48 points and a +18 rating in 88 career ECHL games.
DeHart, 23, was named Thunder “Defenseman of the Year” last season and earned 30 points (5g-25a) and a +1 rating in 62 regular season games. He added four assists in 23 postseason games and was signed by the Thunder as a free agent on Oct. 13, 2011. DeHart was originally selected in the fifth round (125th overall) by the New York Islanders in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Hayes, 24, led the Thunder and was second in ECHL playoff scoring with 24 points (9-15a) in 23 games, additionally tying for the league lead with 15 assists. The 5-foot-9 and 185 pound forward was acquired by the Thunder on Mar. 1 from the South Carolina Stingrays in exchange for future considerations and racked up 11 points and a +5 rating in 12 regular season games with Stockton. Hayes posted 14 goals and 27 points in 40 combined regular season games with Stockton, South Carolina and Trenton.
Hunter, 26, was named Thunder “Most Valuable Player” last season and finished fourth on the club with 17 goals while posting 39 points in 60 games. He ranked second with seven power play goals and added 12 points in 22 playoff games. The 6-foot-1 and 194 pound forward was signed by the Thunder as a free agent on Aug. 30, 2012 and signed an AHL contract with Oklahoma City on Nov. 6.
Little, 25, led all Thunder defensemen with 34 points (8g-26a) in 64 regular season games and added seven assists in 23 playoff games. He was selected to the ECHL All-Rookie Team and named Thunder “Defenseman of the Year” in 2011-12. Little has collected 77 points in 141 career ECHL games with Stockton and Reading.
Trivino’s contract rights were acquired by the Thunder on June 12 from the Florida Everblades, completing a transaction from Mar. 7 when Florida acquired goaltender Cody Reichard in exchange for future considerations. The 23-year old forward led Florida rookies last season with 51 points and 18 goals in 63 games, additionally ranking third on the club in scoring.
He also earned Florida’s “Unsung Hero” award, finished tied for third in team playoff scoring with 11 points (3g-8a) in 13 games and tied for their playoff lead with seven power play points. Trivino was selected in the second round (36th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Islanders.
Seven of the eight players tendered Qualifying Offers helped guide the Thunder to its first appearance in the Kelly Cup Finals last season.
INFORMATION ON QUALIFYING OFFERS, FREE AGENCY
Of the eight qualified players, no more than four could be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2013-14 season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded.
The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until Aug. 1 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.
A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player will retain the rights to that veteran until Aug. 1. After Aug. 1, if the veteran player is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player’s rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player’s rights and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association. The member with the player’s rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.
If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by Aug. 31, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.
Stockton opens the 2013-14 season on Oct. 19 at Stockton Arena, hosting the Colorado Eagles at 7:30 p.m.
The Thunder, defending Western Conference champion, led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew over 200,000 fans for the eighth consecutive season in 2012-13. Season Tickets for 2013-14 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at 209-373-1500 or visit www.StocktonThunder.com.