Stockton Thunder Promotional / Giveaway 2010/11 Schedule

Promotion, Giveaway Lineup for 10-11 is Here

06/11/2010 3:24 PM - The popular Thunder Goes Pink event, new skateboard decks and hockey sticks mark the highlights of promotions and giveaways for 2010-11

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STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Thunder, a two-time recipient of the ECHL "Award of Excellence," announced its promotional and giveaway calendar for the 2010-11 regular season with a lineup of popular, familiar and anticipated attractions for the 2010-11 season, the sixth in the San Joaquin Valley.

With the Thunder looking to reclaim the lead in ECHL attendance for the fifth time in six seasons the regular season launches on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 15-16 for Opening Night presented by AT&T against the Ontario Reign, starting the first weekend series with two 7:30 p.m. games at Stockton Arena.

"Promotional nights are just another piece to the puzzle in providing our fans with a greater experience when coming to see Thunder hockey," said Thunder president Dan Chapman. "We're proud of how the promotional lineup for the 2010-11 season is very diverse and is intended to appeal to fans young and old alike."

As a part of "Opening Night," the first 2,000 fans will receive a Thunder schedule poster at the Friday game and the first 1,000 kids (ages 12 and under) will receive a commemorative Thunder t-shirt on Saturday.

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All things pink - jerseys, ice, giveaways return Nov. 5-7 for Thunder Goes Pink V, continuing the cause for breast cancer awareness. (photo by George Steckler)

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Returning for the fifth season as the flagship fundraising event, the wildly popular "Thunder Goes Pink" is back as an expanded three-day event on Friday through Sunday, Nov. 5-7 against the Bakersfield Condors. Losing only once in regulation, the Thunder have carried a lifetime 5-1-2 record in the "Thunder Goes Pink" series that turns the games at Stockton Arena into a pink-themed spectacle for local breast cancer awareness and fundraising for the cause.

Both Friday and Saturday's games begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday's start is at 4:00 p.m. A tradition that headlines the annual event, newly designed special pink-accented jerseys will be worn by the Thunder during all three games and will be available for silent auction to all fans in attendance for the weekend, while a handful of the game-worn jerseys will be available for bidding during live auction immediately following the Saturday, Nov. 6 game. Proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society - Stockton Field Office and the St. Joseph's Foundation - Breast Cancer Services.

Last year, $32,480 in funds raised was split evenly between the event beneficiaries: American Cancer Society - Stockton Field Office and St. Joseph's Foundation - Breast Cancer Services. The Thunder has boosted its all-time, four-year total of funds raised through "Pink" to over $145,000 while over 16,000 fans were in attendance for the two games last year.

Free commemorative giveaway items for fans in attendance that weekend will include pink-colored headwear to female fans ages 13 and over in attendance. Additional "Thunder Goes Pink" details and giveaway items will be announced soon.

Additionally, the sixth annual "Teddy Bear Toss" is scheduled to return to Stockton Arena on Saturday, Jan. 22 against Ontario at 7:30 p.m. Fans are invited to bring and throw teddy bears or other stuffed animals onto the ice immediately following the Thunder's first goal of the game.

Last year's Teddy Bear Toss, played before a sellout crowd of 9,737, netted over 4,348 bears and other stuffed animals to donate to the United Way, who in turn distributed them to local children's charities. It brought the three-year total to over 19,800 animals distributed by the United Way of San Joaquin County to various children's charities, hospitals and police and fire departments throughout Stockton.

For fans looking to expand their cold weather items and show their Thunder pride, Thunder fleece blankets will be given away to fans (ages 13 and over) on Saturday, Dec. 11 when the Thunder host the Utah Grizzlies at 7:30 p.m.

Thunder replica jersey giveaways are scheduled for the upcoming season, including two games on Saturdays, Mar. 5 and Mar. 19 (against Alaska and Idaho respectively) where the first 2,000 kids (ages 12 and under) will take home a replica gold "third jersey," just like what the pros wear on the ice.

Also new to the giveaway lineup for the budding skateboard enthusiast is an exclusive Thunder skateboard deck, given away to the first 1,000 fans (ages 8-18) in attendance on Saturday, Feb. 5 against the Utah Grizzlies at 7:30 p.m. Replica wood hockey sticks, similar to what the pros use on the ice, will be given away to the first 1,000 kids (ages 12 and under) on both Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 29-30, when the Thunder host the Las Vegas Wranglers at 7:00 p.m.

The third annual Thunder's "Easy Being Green" event is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 25-26 at Stockton Arena against the Victoria Salmon Kings at 7:30 p.m. The two-day event, which drew over 13,500 fans last season, featured a pre-game "Green Fair" (before each game) featuring local eco-friendly businesses and organizations distributing information and green-themed giveaways.

Headlining the lineup of green-themed giveaways are eco-friendly Thunder "green" bags, free to the first 2,000 fans (ages 18 and over) in attendance, reusable for the home, grocery store, leisure trip, as well as school materials.

The Thunder will celebrate "Fan Appreciation Night" on Wednesday, Mar. 30 against the Las Vegas Wranglers at 7:00 p.m. for its final regular season home game.

The Thunder, a four-time leader in ECHL attendance, averaged over 6,000 fans per game and drew over 200,000 fans at the gate last season for the fifth straight year. Welcoming its one millionth fan through the turnstiles last season, the Thunder has drawn 14 sellouts in franchise history and had five crowds of 8,000 fans or more in 2009-10.

OPENING NIGHT AND TICKET INFORMATION
Opening Night is Friday, Oct. 15, when the Thunder opens the 2010-11 regular season at home against the Ontario Reign, starting at 7:30 p.m. at Stockton Arena.

The Thunder are freezing Season Ticket prices for the 2010-11 season, which are on sale now and can be purchased by calling (209) 373-1500 or by visiting www.stocktonthunder.com. Thunder Season Ticket Holders enjoy the highest-demanded seating locations in Stockton Arena, preferred parking options, benefits including admission to Season Ticket Holder-only events, discount opportunities on Thunder merchandise, a free e-newsletter, an exclusive gift, admission to the first two rounds of the Kelly Cup Playoffs and more. Information on individual tickets and mini-plans will be announced soon.

The proud ECHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League, the Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew over 200,000 fans for the fifth consecutive season in 2009-10. Season tickets for 2010-11 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/.


STOCKTON THUNDER 2010-11 PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE
(As of June 10)

DATE OPPONENT TIME PROMOTION/ GIVEAWAY
Fri. Oct. 15 Ontario 7:30 p.m. Opening Night Poster Giveaway
Sat. Oct. 16 Ontario 7:30 p.m. T-Shirt Giveaway
Fri. Oct. 22 Ontario 7:30 p.m. Poster Giveaway
Fri. Nov. 5 Bakersfield 7:30 p.m. "Thunder Goes Pink V"
Sat. Nov. 6 Bakersfield 7:30 p.m. "Thunder Goes Pink V"
Sun. Nov. 7 Bakersfield 4:00 p.m. "Thunder Goes Pink V"/ Family Day
Sat. Nov. 20 Idaho 7:30 p.m. Replica Jersey Giveaway
Sun. Nov. 21 Victoria 4:00 p.m. "Coats For Kids"/ Family Day
Wed. Nov. 24 Las Vegas 7:00 p.m. Family Night
Fri. Nov. 26 Utah 7:30 p.m. Poster Giveaway
Sat. Dec. 11 Utah 7:30 p.m. Fleece Blanket Giveaway
Wed. Dec. 29 Las Vegas 7:00 p.m. Hockey Stick Giveaway/ Family Night
Thur. Dec. 30 Las Vegas 7:00 p.m. Hockey Stick Giveaway/ Family Night
Wed. Jan. 12 Bakersfield 7:00 p.m. Family Night
Fri. Jan. 21 Ontario 7:30 p.m. Poster Giveaway
Sat. Jan. 22 Ontario 7:30 p.m. "Teddy Bear Toss"
Fri. Jan. 28 Idaho 7:30 p.m. Poster Giveaway
Sat. Jan. 29 Idaho 7:30 p.m. Adult Replica Jersey Giveaway
Sun. Jan. 30 Idaho 4:00 p.m. Family Day
Fri. Feb. 4 Utah 7:30 p.m. Poster Giveaway
Sat. Feb. 5 Utah 7:30 p.m. Skateboard Deck Giveaway
Fri. Feb. 18 Victoria 7:30 p.m. Equipment Bag Giveaway
Sat. Feb. 19 Victoria 7:30 p.m. Replica Jersey Giveaway
Sun. Feb. 20 Victoria 4:00 p.m. Family Day
Fri. Mar. 4 Alaska 7:30 p.m. Poster Giveaway
Sat. Mar. 5 Alaska 7:30 p.m. Adult Replica Jersey Giveaway
Sun. Mar. 6 Alaska 4:00 p.m. Family Day
Fri. Mar. 18 Idaho 7:30 p.m. Poster Giveaway
Sat. Mar. 19 Idaho 7:30 p.m. Replica Jersey Giveaway
Sun. Mar. 20 Idaho 4:00 p.m. Family Day
Fri. Mar. 25 Victoria 7:30 p.m. "Thunder's Easy Being Green"
Sat. Mar. 26 Victoria 7:30 p.m. "Thunder's Easy Being Green"
Sun. Mar. 27 Victoria 4:00 p.m. Family Day
Wed. Mar. 30 Las Vegas 7:00 p.m. Fan Appreciation Night/ Family Night

*Promotions and dates subject to change
**Giveaways subject to age restrictions

-Written by the StocktonThunder.com-

*Reprinted by Oilers Jambalaya with permission from Stockton Thunder Professional Hockey Club, ECHL. The Stockton Thunder are a proud 'AA' affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (NHL)*

The Stockton Thunder / A Season In Review DVD

The Stockton Thunder will have a DVD coming out soon portraying the 2009/10 season highlights. Here is the preview for the DVD. It looks great doesn't it?

Stay tuned to Oilers Jambalaya and OilFieldHockey.com for more great news on this DVD.

"A preview, coming soon to DVD, ThunderVision takes you on a thrill ride of the entire 2009-10 hockey season and Kelly Cup Playoffs - complete with highlights, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and more!"

*Reprinted by Oilers Jambalaya with permission from Stockton Thunder Professional Hockey Club, ECHL. The Stockton Thunder are a proud 'AA' affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (NHL)*

The Name Dropper / Everyone Knows One

Come on... everyone knows one. The name dropper is as common as a cold. I get a kick out of name droppers and you see/hear it all the time.

"My friends, friends neighbour is Joe Sakic's cousin."

Then it's, "I know Joe Sakic's cousin".

After awhile the person really starts to believe it. It's now, "I know Sakic. He's cool. We go way back."

I don't mind the people that actually know someone (for real). I know (knew) people, but I never bust it out like I need the attention (except for right now. lol).

Well I did once before when I lived  in Cranbrook, B.C. when I was 12 and it was a complete lie.

Every winter we played hockey at the fire hall -- the guys at the fire hall always made sure it was flooded for us kids. -- and there was this guy named Marvin who came there often. He was a little slow and was the local arena rink rat, so he was always around anywhere hockey was being played. Well this one day Marvin started kicking snow on the ice during a shinny game. We started yelling at him to bugger off and he starts piping off that you can't beat him up because his brother was Andre the Giant. So we laughed and I told him he better leave because my brother was Hulk Hogan and the last time I checked he could beat the crap out of Andre. A couple of the other kids vouched for me and Marvin went on his way all pissed off that Hogan was my brother. We laughed some more. I learned that day that name dropping could pay off. True or false. It works when you have a believer to believe.

As the years went on, I soon learned that everyone "knows" someone who is in the NHL. I say 80% are BS. So that leaves 20% that actually do know someone. Sure you might have stood behind him in the line at the movies or a famous NHL player came into the car dealership that you work at. But that doesn't mean you know him. Or for that fact, he doesn't know you.

My personal favorite is when someone busts out a name that no one knows, like a name like Jim Hiller and then they wait for a reaction but instead they get a who?

It always makes me laugh especially when the crickets come out.

Saying you know someone and actually knowing someone is totally different. Just because you met a guy in the autograph lineup doesn't mean that you know them. I talk to Georges Laraque quite often by email. A few years back someone posted it on the Oilers message board. I wrote it down before the mods could delete it. And you know what? He writes me back every time. Usually within an hour. Super classy guy. I wish he was still an Oiler (sort of). But does this mean that I know him? No. But he sent me a signed picture that says "All the best." I must know him right? Nope. This one of those example that make people believe that they actually know someone.

*true story

*When I was 13 (back in 1990) one of the local doctors opened up a hockey card shop across from the Kingsmen arena in Cranbrook. It was a cool little place. He had his two young sons work there during the summer when they came home from their respected hockey teams. The older boy was quiet and nice while the younger one was really quiet and didn't say much at all. I actually thought that he was a jerk until I realized he's just a shy guy.

I spent a lot of time in there looking at all the cards and reading the Beckett magazines and wishing I didn't poke holes in the Gretzky rookie card I had once had years before. The older boy would talk to me about hockey and he told me he played for the Kamloops Blazers. "Cool" I said. "So does my cousin Ryan".

One day after I had worn out my welcome (5 hours later) I had asked him if he had any hockey cards of his own yet. He said he did. So as he was giving it to me I asked him if he could please sign the card. He obliged but he felt weird about signing it for me. I'm sure he was a newbie at the whole autograph thing.

"I bet one day this will be worth something", I said to him. He laughed at me and said he hopes so too.

As the summer ended I wish him good luck and maybe we will see you again next summer. I knew that that summer I met and hung out with a pretty cool guy. I just really hoped that he could be a great player someday. He deserved it.

Well, that guy ended up winning everything that a hockey player could possibly win. Gold medals at the Junior tournament, gold medals at the Olympics, a couple of Stanley Cups, World Cup gold medals, even a Norris trophy. Figured it out yet?

That older kid was Scott Niedermayer and his little brother was Rob. And yes, I still have that card (see photo below). Maybe this is the 1st ever signed card or signature by Scott? I don't know for sure. When he goes to the Hall of Fame, I imagine that the value of this card goes up even more.

So I wouldn't say that I know Scott anymore, but I defiantly knew him then.

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Over the years I have known a few NHL players: Scott and Rob Niedermayer (see story above), Steve Yzerman (my wife knows the family quite well and we met him a few times. He signed a card for us one time, but he made it out to my wife. I was stunned. She not really even a hockey fan.), Dallas Drake (I learned a lot about hockey from him and his family when I lived in Rossland in the 80's. My whole style and work ethic in hockey is because of that family. We played a lot of hockey at his rink in his yard.), Brad Lukowich (we played together in Bantams and Midgets in Cranbrook), Pat Price (my Dad's good friend and a car salesman), Shawn Horcoff (played against him for years in minor hockey and kicked his ass doing it when I lived in Rossland), Jim Hiller (dated his sister), Jon Klemm (friends through association), Jarome Iginla (Friends by association. Iggy wanted to fight me one night at the bar during his rookie season because he thought that I threw ice at him. It turns out his BFF Mike and I were friends from Cranbrook and that saved my ass from being beat. What an arrogant prick Iggy was back then.), Stephan Peat (One minute we are kids playing hockey, the next minute he's fighting Don Brashear in the NHL. Lucky bastard he was. Also, his mom was so cool. She would crank Metallica on our way to games.)

Do you have a name dropper story you want to share with us? Add it to the comments below.

-Written by Smokin' Ray from Oilers Jambalaya-

Chicago Blackhawks 2010 Stanley Cup Champions

Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the NHL's Stanley Cup.

The Hawks were a special team who achieved greatness tonight. Good on them for showing the world that they could do it. They believed it... now so do we.

For this moment, you are the best in the world. Congrats!

Take notes here Edmonton Oilers. Learn some lessons from these boys. 2010/11, The year of the Oilers?

Barons STH Board Meeting

The 1st Season Ticket Holder Advisory Board meeting took place yesterday. And some interesting tidbits came out of the meeting, and were relayed to Oilfieldhockey.com. The one tidbit that was interesting was about who's going to the coach. It was told to one of the board members that a coach won't be announced until after the AHL finals are over. This news comes after a radio interview with Coach Rob Daum on Oilers Lunch on Team 1260. Daum has stated that he wants to coach the Barons, but has yet to speak to Steve Tambellini about the situation.The improvements to the Cox Center, were also talked about in the last nights meeting. That an Open House is planned for sometime in September, after the improvements are completed. Another major delay was a Point of Sale system, especially for the merchandise store. Also it was mentioned that the new ice machine will have it's first test on Aug 15th. Parking was another issue that was discussed at the meeting. Prodigal is working on getting parking available at the Courtyard, and at the Santa Fe Parking Garage. But there was a catch to parking at the Santa Fe Parking Garage. That fee for parking at the Santa Fe garage, would be more then at the Courtyard. Ice Girls dance team was also discussed, but no decision was made to them or not. But from what was told to OFH, that one board member was in favor for a dance team. Prodigal asked the AHL about scheduling the first game here in OKC, to be against the Texas Stars.