History
Defining moments in PrairieThunder history
Sept. 12, 1999 – Central Illinois Arena Management partners John Butler and Mike Nelson begin formulating plans to establish a professional minor league hockey franchise in Bloomington
Sept. 1, 2000 – Butler and Nelson contact the United Hockey League to express interest in forming a team
Aug. 18, 2004 – Ground broken to build 7,000-seat, $37 million multi-purpose U.S. Cellular Coliseum, which will house an ice rink and be home for a Bloomington-based professional hockey franchise
Sept. 20, 2005 – United Hockey League Board of Governors awards a membership to BMI Hockey, LLC, which is owned by Butler and Nelson and Muskegon businessman Tony Lisman
February 1, 2006 – Contest announced to name the hockey team
Feb. 23, 2006 – PrairieThunder becomes official name of the team. Winning entry submitted by Mike Matejka. Name, in part, comes from the name of a train that traveled through Bloomington in early history. Name also refers to the power of a train and the force of Central Illinois weather. Other final name options included 66ers, Bolts, Bullfrogs and Firestorm
April, 1, 2006 – Multi-purpose U.S. Cellular Coliseum, the home of the PrairieThunder, completed
June 1, 2006 - PrairieThunder select Derek Gustafson as its first pick of the PrairieThunder in the UHL dispersal draft
June 28, 2006 – Derek Booth named head coach of PrairieThunder. Booth was the head coach for two seasons for the Fayetteville FireAntz of Southern Professional League
July 20, 2006 – PrairieThunder officials unveil team logos. Primary logo features a charging bison crashing its front hooves into a sheet of ice. The word PrairieThunder covers the buffalo with the letters “P” and “T” in the forms of lightning bolts. Team colors are navy, silver, old gold and white
Aug. 1, 2006 – Trevor Baker becomes first player to sign contract with the PrairieThunder
Sept. 18, 2006 – “Chip” becomes official name of PrairieThunder’s mascot. Megan Fish, a 12-year-old sixth-grade student at Chiddix Junior High School, won the Pantagraph sponsored “Name the Mascot” contest
Oct. 13, 2006 – First game in franchise history is a 7-3 loss at Muskegon
Oct. 14, 2006 - First home game in franchise history against Fort Wayne results in 4-2 victory before 5,102 people; Andre Niec scores first goal at U.S. Cellular Coliseum 4:20 into first period off assists from Tyler Rennette and B.J. Gaustad
Jan. 12, 2007 – Alex Goupil and Andrew Lackner respresent PrairieThunder in league All-Star game at Fort Wayne
Feb. 17, 2007 - Trevor Baker records first hat trick in franchise history in 5-3 loss at Port Huron
Jan. 27, 2007 – Largest home crowd of season of 5,488 watches PrairieThunder suffer 3-2 loss to Chicago Hounds
April 7, 2007 – PrairieThunder ends inaugural season with 25-45-6 record following 4-2 loss at U.S. Cellular Coliseum against Flint
April 10, 2007 – Mike Zbriger named to the UHL “all-rookie team”
April 11, 2007 – Tyler Rennette named team Most Valuable Player. Other team honors are awarded to Sam Miller (best teammate); Steffan Braunlich (community service); Mike Zbriger (top rookie); Jarad Bourassa (top defender); Tyler Rennette (most points and most assists); Alex Goupil (most goals)
May 15, 2007 – Muskegon businessman Tony Lisman purchases full ownership of PrairieThunder from John Butler and Mike Nelson
June 20, 2007 – PrairieThunder, along with teams from Flint, Fort Wayne, Kalamazoo, Muskegon and Port Huron, revive International Hockey League after UHL dissolved
June 15, 2007 – Don Parsons of Quad Cities Mallards selected as PrairieThunder’s No. 1 pick in International Hockey League dispersal draft
Oct. 20, 2007 – PrairieThunder begins second season with 5-1 victory at Flint
Jan. 12, 2008 – Rookie goalie Loic Lacasse posts first shutout in franchise history in 2-0 win over Port Huron at U.S. Cellular Coliseum
April 5, 2008 - PrairieThunder establish a professional hockey league record at all levels by scoring four goals in a 35-second span during the first period in a 9-4 win at Flint. 1945. Scoring the goals were Jon Booras, John Nail, Neil Clark and Brett Holmberg.
April 12, 2008 – PrairieThunder finishes season with 31-38-3-4 record
April 13, 2008 – Don Parsons named to IHL “all-star” team and goaltender Loic Lacasse named to IHL “all-rookie” team
April 14, 2008 – Don Parsons named team Most Valuable Player. Other team honors are awarded to Sam Miller (best teammate); Jeff Ewasko (community service); Loic Lacasse (top rookie); Casey Handrahan (top defender); Don Parsons (most points, most goals and most assists)
April 18, 2008 - PrairieThunder makes Sports Illustrated magazine in the “Go Figure” section for scoring the professional hockey record four goals in 35 seconds.
April 28, 2008 – International Hockey League announces transfer of ownership of the PrairieThunder to Bloomington lawyer Tim Leighton, who is part of a local ownership group.
May 15, 2008 – PrairieThunder officials announce Derek Booth’s contract will not be renewed. Booth compiled a 56-83-13 record in two seasons.
June 19, 2008 – Jarrod Skalde introduced as new head coach of PrairieThunder. The former NHL player served as the team’s player/assistant coach for the first part of the 2007-08 season.
July 12, 2008 – PrairieThunder defenseman Rob Guinn fatally injured in car accident near Ames, Iowa
Oct. 17, 2008 – Jarrod Skalde coaching era and PrairieThunder begins with 6-2 victory over Flint at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
Dec. 20, 2008 - Don Parsons scores the 686th goal of his career to set all-time professional hockey league record for career goals by an American-born player.
March 3, 2009 – PrairieThunder hold news conference to announce that Jarrod Skalde will return as the team’s coach for the 2009-10 season
April 8, 2009 – Jon Booras becomes first player in franchise history to score 100 points
April 11, 2009 – PrairieThunder ends season in franchise-best fifth place with 29-40-2-5 record
April, 13, 2009 – Jon Booras named to IHL “all-star” team and goaltender Ryan Ludzik named to league’s “all-rookie” team
April 15, 2009 – Jon Booras named team Most Valuable Player. Other team honors are awarded to John Nail (Unsung Hero and Player’s Player as best teammate); Jason Lepine (community service); Billy Bagron (top rookie); Matt Frick (top defender); Brett Holmberg (Coach’s Award); Jon Booras (most points, most goals and most assists)
Oct. 17, 2009 – PrairieThunder opens season with 9-3 loss at Muskegon
Oct. 18, 2009 – PrairieThunder records first victory of season with 4-2 decision at Dayton, one of two new franchises in the league along with Quad City. Other league members are Fort Wayne, Muskegon, Flint and Port Huron.
Updated 1/9/2010
