The Twin City Thunder are leaving the twin cities.

The United States Premier Hockey League announced Thursday on its website that the Thunder are relocating from Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn to The Rinks At Exeter in Exeter, New Hampshire. The organization is also changing its name to Thunder Hockey Club.

“Auburn, Maine, has been awesome for six years and I have nothing but good things to say about the Lewiston Auburn area,” Thunder owner and coach Dan Hodge said in the media release on the USPHL website. “It was not an easy decision to depart at all. There are great people in Auburn, and in our former facility, and we wish them the best.

“The contract with our rink in Auburn was up this year, and we took advantage of that situation to move closer to our division, which will cut down on travel time and at the same time increase development time on and off the ice for our players. It was just the right opportunity at the right time to help our franchise, as well as our USPHL and NCDC partner franchises, with travel and expenses.”

The media release noted that the Thunder’s new home is 35 miles away from the home rinks of both the North Cyclones and Islanders Hockey Club.

Hodge said he was excited to be moving the organization to The Rinks At Exeter, which like Norway Savings Bank Arena is a two-rink facility.

“We have the advantage of having terrific feeder programs in the building, from our own Thunder Premier team to the Seacoast Spartans organization, to help make the Thunder one of the leaders in our league,” Hodge said.

The Thunder will field teams in both the USPHL’s National Collegiate Development Conference and the Premier Conference for the 2024-25 season, according to the release.

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