Thunderbolts Announce Jackson Stotts as Head Equipment Manager

Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce the hiring of Jackson Stotts as Head Equipment Manager for the 2025-26 season. The Thunderbolts will raise their President’s Cup Championship banner prior to their 2025-26 home opener at Ford Center on Saturday, October 25th against the Quad City Storm.

Stotts previously served as Head Equipment Manager of the Thunderbolts during the 2022-23 season before joining the Philadelphia Rebels of the NAHL in the same role for the 2024-25 season. Stotts also served as Head Equipment Manager for the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers in the 2021-22 season. The Huntsville, Alabama native learned much of his skills while assisting the equipment staff of the Huntsville Havoc for many of his teenage years before beginning his career in earnest with Des Moines. In response to the hiring of Stotts, Head Coach Jeff Bes commented: “We’re happy to have Jackson back, and looking forward to having a great season with him as our equipment manager.”

Season tickets and single game tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now. Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL. The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com

Thunderbolts Announce Training Camp Roster

Here is your official 2025-26 Training Camp Roster:

Kristian Stead G
Brendahn Brawley G
Cameron MacPhee D
Joey Berkopec D
John Woernle D
Max Thiessen D
Colin Tracy D
Conner Federkow D
Jake Jurgeneit D
Cade Hanley D
Eelis Laaksonen C
Evan Benwell RW
Myles Abbate LW
Matthew Hobbs C
Connor Tait RW
Aidan Litke LW
Derek Contessa RW
Brennan McFarland RW
Damon Zimmer LW
Nolan Dawson C
Issac Chapman RW
Zev Podolski C
Scott Kirton LW

Thunderbolts Re-Sign Forward Derek Contessa

Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce the re-signing of forward Derek Contessa for the 2025-26 season. The Thunderbolts will raise their President’s Cup Championship banner prior to their 2025-26 home opener at Ford Center on Saturday, October 25th against the Quad City Storm.

Contessa returns for his second season with the Thunderbolts after joining Evansville as a free agent in the Summer of 2024, after playing his first professional season with the Macon Mayhem in 2023-24. In the 2024-25 regular season, Contessa scored 5 goals and 12 points in 45 games, bringing his SPHL regular season career total to 13 goals and 33 points in 93 games. The Freehold, New Jersey native elevated his play in the President’s Cup Playoffs, scoring two goals, including the double overtime game-winning goal in Game One of the final series in Knoxville, and three points in Evansville’s 7 games en route to the President’s Cup. Prior to 2023-24, Contessa played division one college hockey at Sacred Heart University from 2019-2021 and division three at Endicott College from 2021-2023. In juniors, Contessa played one season in the NAHL with the Shreveport Mud Bugs in 2017-18, where he won a Robertson Cup Championship, and the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL in 2018-19.

Reflecting on 2024-25, Contessa commented: “Joining the team last year, I was ecstatic to come to Evansville and play at Ford Center. I knew how great the town was and how professional of a building the Ford Center is. Once I got to Evansville and met the team, I knew we had something special. Winning any championship at any level is a feat to accomplish, and every team goes through ups and downs. We were really close, and we meshed so well together that we were unstoppable during the playoffs. We put all the pieces together, with the President’s Cup being the result, and winning the Cup is a memory that I will never forget.” Transitioning into 2025-26, Contessa continued: “(Winning the Cup) it’s something I want to replicate this year, and this year I want to finish in the top four of the standings going into the playoffs, giving ourselves more breathing room later in the regular season. I want to be unstoppable as a power forward and contribute more consistently in scoring, my training this Summer has been focused on that, and I am excited to see how it plays out during the season.” In closing, Contessa finished by saying: “My excitement level for this coming season is through the roof. I can’t wait to be with the team and see our fans again. The season is around the corner, and I can’t wait!”

On re-signing Contessa, Head Coach Jeff Bes commented: “Contessa really stepped up last season and especially in the postseason. He’s a big body who wins a lot of battles at the net-front and along the boards. He was a dominant force in the playoffs, and we are confident he will bring that consistency throughout the coming season.”

Season tickets and single game tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now. Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL. The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com

Thunderbolts Re-Sign Forward Isaac Chapman

Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce the re-signing of forward Isaac Chapman for the 2025-26 season. The Thunderbolts will raise their President’s Cup Championship banner prior to their 2025-26 home opener at Ford Center on Saturday, October 25th against the Quad City Storm.

Chapman joined the Thunderbolts from Alvernia University just after the mid-way point of the 2024-25 season and made an immediate impact in his jump to the professional ranks, scoring 8 goals and 13 points in 24 regular season games, before adding a goal and 4 points in the President’s Cup Playoffs. The native of Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia played three seasons of junior hockey in the MJAHL with the Pictou County Crushers in 2018-19 and Edmundston Blizzard between 2019-2021, scoring 58 goals and 105 points in 119 games. Chapman enrolled at Norwich University in 2021-22, where he played one season before transferring to Alvernia University. In 75 total collegiate games between 2021-2025, Chapman scored 27 goals and 58 points in 75 games.

Looking back at joining the Thunderbolts during the 2024-25 season, Chapman commented: “The experience was awesome, I just wanted to come in here and do what the team needed, and I was treated like a professional from the moment I walked in. Between the other players, the staff, and the fans, I saw how great the organization is. Winning a championship is always special, but there was something sweeter about doing it as an underdog. Being such a close group and being treated so well played a huge part in bringing the championship to Evansville.” On preparing for his first full professional season, Chapman kept his focus simple, saying: “I think I just need to stick to my process, don’t get too far ahead, focus on one day at a time. I want to be a player who is trusted to play in any situation.” Entering training camp, Chapman concluded by saying: “I’m super excited for this season, there is going to be a huge buzz in the city coming off last season’s championship. I think it’ll be huge for us to ride that momentum into the season and come out swinging.”

On re-signing Chapman, Head Coach Jeff Bes commented: “Isaac came in last year and gave us the adrenaline boost we needed. He is just a top notch guy that gelled instantly with our group. He can score goals and make plays, but it’s also what you don’t see that he does well; getting pucks out, backchecking, blocking shots, and the great energy he provides on the bench. We know he will build and grow his game even more this season.”

Season tickets and single game tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now. Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL. The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com

Thunderbolts Sign Goaltender Kristian Stead

Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce the signing of goaltender Kristian Stead for the 2025-26 season. The Thunderbolts will raise their President’s Cup Championship banner prior to their 2025-26 home opener at Ford Center on Saturday, October 25th against the Quad City Storm.

Stead, now entering his fifth professional season, joins the Thunderbolts after playing the entirety of the 2024-25 season with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals, compiling a 6-11 record in 17 games played. Stead has spent time in the ECHL in all four previous seasons, with the South Carolina Stingrays in 2021-22, Cincinnati Cyclones in 2022-23, Tulsa Oilers in 2023-24 and the Admirals in 2023-24 and 2024-25, putting together a total record of 13-16-2 and an .889% save percentage in 32 games played. In the SPHL, Stead was a main component of the Knoxville Ice Bears goaltending tandem between 2021-2024, with whom Stead posted a 40-19-1 record and .912% save percentage in 71 regular season games. The Merritt, British Columbia native was a standout in junior hockey, particularly with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Nipawin Hawks between 2015-2017, amassing a 56-24-5 record and .925% save percentage, and in 2016-17 was named the SJHL’s Goaltender of the Year and Most Valuable Player, also earning Top Goaltender honors in the same season for the CJHL, of which the SJHL is a branch of. Following junior hockey, Stead attended the University of Alaska-Anchorage between 2017-2021, playing in 23 total games of Division 1 NCAA hockey before turning professional. Stead also played in the Australia Ice Hockey League in the Summer of 2023 with the Perth Thunder, posting a 12-4 record in 16 games played.

“I remember the atmosphere being great whenever I played in Evansville, the rink is top notch, the fans are passionate, and the Bolts always played a hard-nosed, honest game mixed with skill,” commented Stead when discussing previous trips to Evansville with the Ice Bears. “The city and organization seem great, I’ve heard and seen nothing but great things about this organization.” Highlighting the ECHL experience he brings to the Thunderbolts, Stead commented: “I’ve been fortunate enough to play for several ECHL organizations, which both improved my game and allowed me to meet some great people.” With the arrival of training camp, Stead closed by saying: “I’m really excited to be a Bolt, meet all the locals, and get to work with the guys. I know the team is looking to have another successful season and I’m happy to be a part of it!”

On the addition of Stead, Head Coach Jeff Bes commented: “When the opportunity to sign Kristian became available, it was a no-brainer for us to get him to Evansville. He is an experienced goalie who has played and had success in both the ECHL and SPHL. Steader is a big, calm goalie, competes on every shot and hates to get scored on. Having that experience in the net and the locker room will be a tremendous asset to our club.”

Season tickets and single game tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now. Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL. The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com