Derric Trudeau, middle, of the Twin City Thunder fights for position with Jr. Bruins defenseman Zach Pendenza at Norway Savings Bank Arena in February. RAM SPORT

 

The Twin City Thunder’s first season of existence went well, but that doesn’t mean the organization is satisfied.

The Thunder went 21-17-6 in the regular season and were swept in the first round of the playoffs of the USPHL Premier League.

“I thought the games were great, all close — one-, two-goal games, overtime, shootouts,” Thunder owner Dan Hodge said. “I thought our games were really close. The division was very tight and the parity in the division was great. Again, we made the playoffs, I am not the type of guy that’s happy with a team that finished in sixth place and makes the playoffs. I want to finish at the top and I want to go to the final.

“We did make the playoffs in our first year, which we can hang our hat on, but we want to improve on that. We set the bar, we just need to keep getting better.”

Hodge thought the players the organization brought in got along well, but he felt the team was on the younger side.

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According to Eliteprospects.com, the average age of the Thunder’s roster is 19.35 years, which is the second-oldest in the New England Division behind the Northern Cyclones, who are first in the entire league at 19.90. The Thunder were 13 oldest out of 52 teams.

However, 17 Twin City players were in their first full season of junior hockey.

“We had a young team. I think the second half the year, when you have a veteran team, those kids know how to play after Christmas,” Hodge said. “Not having enough older players — Derric Trudeau had a great year and is a great leader but he was beat up and took a lot of big hits this year. He did the best he could. One kid I thought had a good second half was Jeromey Rancourt. I thought he turned it around, he started a little slow, but he found his he found his footing.”

Rancourt, a Lewiston native, had 16 goals and 26 assists in 40 games. Eleven of the 16 goals came after Jan. 1, when the team returned from its holiday break, as did 14 of his 26 assists.

With the first season on the ice in the books, the organization is looking forward to 2019-20 when it will have two teams: The current team, which plays at the Tier III level, and a new team in the USPHL’s Tier II league, the National Collegiate Development Conference.

The NCDC is in its second year of operation. It currently has 12 teams — the Thunder’s addition making 13 — from New Hampshire, down to New Jersey and out to western New York.

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Currently, there are 28 players with NCAA Division-I commitments who played in the league this season. Future University of Maine player Jack Moran plays for the NCDC’s Islanders Hockey Club.

The Black Bears currently have six USPHL Premier alums on their current roster, from when the Premier League was the USPHL’s top junior league.

Later this month, the team will start building its roster for both teams. They are holding a goalie tryout April 13-14 at Norway Savings Bank Arena and a general tryout April 26-28. The NCDC Entry Draft will be in May.

The Thunder also will have tryouts in Wisconsin (May 31-June 2) and in Colorado (June 14-16). They will have a final tryout at Norway Savings Bank Arena from August 16-18, which will be by invitation only.

“One of the things we got going for us is kids want to play Tier II hockey and they want to earn those spots,” Hodge said. “They are very hard to get because there’s only 23 spots on a Tier II roster — it’s not like there’s 50 spots — and you will have a lot of kids vying for those spots. If they aren’t ready this year, they are willing to take the year and stay in the organization and grow in the organization.”

Hodge said NCDC coach Doug Friedman or himself will also be going to a showcase in Lithuania in early May. The organization also will have a team in the USPHL’s spring (May 10-12) and summer (July 12-14) showcases.

Hodge said the team will be announcing its Premier League team coach and other coaching hires Thursday. He said some of the hires have NHL experience and their names are on the Stanley Cup.

The Thunder will also announce more tender signings next week.


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