The San Jose Sharks announced that they have extended their affiliation with the Wichita Thunder for the 2023-24 season; it will be the second year the two teams have been affiliated. In their first season as affiliates, five players from the Sharks organization saw time with the Thunder, two of which are still with the organization; Dillon Hamaliuk and Mitchell Russell, an ECHL team can have 21 players on their roster and can dress 16 skaters and two goaltenders. “We’re happy to be back with San Jose for another season,” said Thunder GM Joel T. Lomurno in a press release by the team. “We had some good young prospects come through here last year, and with San Jose’s deep talent pool, we look forward to seeing some exciting new players in a Thunder uniform this season.”
San Jose has a few ties to ECHL as the Shark’s assistant coach Scott Gordan was the first ECHL graduate to make it to the NHL; Gordan also spent time as a head coach with the Roanoke Express from 1998-2000. Ryan Warsofsky, who is another one of the Shark’s assistant coaches, spent time as the head coach of the South Carolina Stingrays from 2016-2018. Ryan Speer, who’s the Shark’s Goaltending coach, spent time in the ECHL during the 2011-12 season with the Idaho Steelheads and Las Vegas Wranglers and was a goalie coach with the Allen Americans from 2014-2017 when they were the Shark’s ECHL Affiliate. “We’re looking forward to continuing to work with the Wichita Thunder, including Head Coach Bruce Ramsay and General Manager Joel T. Lomurno,” said Sharks Assistant General Manager and San Jose Barracuda (AHL) General Manager Joe Will in a press release by the team. “Having a solid affiliation in the ECHL is important to our player development plan, and the ECHL has a solid track record with preparing prospects for their NHL and AHL careers.”
