Evansville's Professional Hockey Team
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Upcoming Games |
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Knoxville Ice Bears | Ford Center Opening Weekend | ||
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Knoxville Ice Bears | Ford Center Opening Weekend/Wizard's Night | ||
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Birmingham Bulls | Pelham Civic Center Click to watch live | ||
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Huntsville Havoc | Ford Center Hockey Horrors Night |
Latest News
Thunderbolts Sign Forward Adam Keyes
Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce the signing of forward Adam Keyes for the 2024-25 season. The Thunderbolts begin the 2024-25 season at Ford Center on Friday, October 18th as they host the Knoxville Ice Bears.
Keyes joins the Thunderbolts after splitting his first professional season with four teams in 2023-24, beginning with EG Diez-Limburg of the BeNeLiga in Germany. After scoring 5 goals and 18 points in 11 games, Keyes joined the Peoria Rivermen, scoring two goals in 12 games. Keyes was then involved in the midseason blockbuster trade from the Rivermen to the Pensacola Ice Flyers, with whom Keyes scored 3 goals and 6 points in 15 games. Keyes finished the year with the Fayetteville Marksmen, scoring a goal and 2 points in 2 games. The London, Ontario native played the bulk of his junior career with the St. Thomas Stars of the GOJHL between 2015-2019, scoring 66 goals and 168 points in 165 total games of GOJHL play. Keyes played alongside recent Thunderbolts addition Kevin Hu in 2016-17 and 2017-18, with Hu and Keyes finishing 1-2 respectively in team scoring for both seasons. Keyes then embarked on a four-season collegiate career at Aurora University, scoring 40 goals and 114 points in 92 games between 2019-2023, was a member of the NCAA NCHA All-Freshman Team in 2019-20, and was a member of the All-Conference teams in 2020-21 and 2022-23.
“I would describe myself as a playmaker, I like to create scoring opportunities for myself and my linemates, as well as being reliable defensively and in any other situations,” replied Keyes when asked about his playing style. Reflecting on facing the Thunderbolts in 2023-24 while with Peoria, Keyes continued: “Playing against Evansville was a tough battle every night. They were well-structured defensively and relentless offensively.” Keyes further commented on his decision to join Evansville and his excitement for the coming season: “The conversations I had with Coach Bes, the opportunity to play for the Thunderbolts organization in front of the fans at Ford Center and the opportunity to play again with my close friend Kevin Hu factored into my decision to sign here. I’m very excited to join this group and build on the success they had last season. It’s been a long summer, and I can't wait to get back on the ice!”
Keyes joins previously announced forwards Matthew Hobbs, Derek Contessa, Logan vande Meerakker and Kevin Hu, along with defensemen Dillon Hill, Joey Berkopec, Benjamin Lindberg, and Gehrig Lindberg on the roster heading into training camp.
Individual game tickets, group packages, and season tickets are on sale for the upcoming 2024-25 season. 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
Latest News
Defenseman Dillon Hill Returns to Thunderbolts
Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce the signing of defenseman Dillon Hill for the 2024-25 season. The Thunderbolts begin the 2024-25 season at Ford Center on Friday, October 18th as they host the Knoxville Ice Bears.
Hill initially joined the Thunderbolts late in the 2021-22 season following a 20-game stint with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs, recording 1 goal and 6 points with Roanoke. After skating in three games with Evansville to round out 2021-22, Hill played in 34 contests with the Thunderbolts in 2022-23, scoring 1 goal and 11 points. Hill also played in 25 ECHL games between 2021-2023 with the Fort Wayne Komets and Trois-Rivières Lions. In 2023-24, Hill played overseas in Hungary with DVTK Jegesmedvèk of the Erste Liga, scoring 1 goal and 4 points in 30 games. Prior to playing professionally, Hill played 5 seasons of junior hockey in his hometown of Niagara Falls, Ontario, with the Niagara Falls Canucks of GOJHL between 2015-2019 and the Niagara Whalers of the GMHL in 2019-20, before joining the Watertown Wolves of the FPHL for three games late in the season.
In returning to the Thunderbolts, Hill commented: “It wasn’t a hard decision to come back to Evansville, it’s a great city and I love the fans, and the team has a great leader in “Hobbsie” (captain Matthew Hobbs). I am excited to be coming back to Evansville, and to get Ford Center rocking again when the season begins!”
Hill joins previously announced defensemen Joey Berkopec, Benjamin Lindberg, and Gehrig Lindberg, along with forwards Matthew Hobbs, Derek Contessa, Logan vandeMeerakker and Kevin Hu on the roster heading into training camp.
Individual game tickets, group packages, and season tickets are on sale for the upcoming 2024-25 season. 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
Latest News
Thunderbolts Sign Defenseman Joey Berkopec
Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce the signing of defenseman Joey Berkopec for the 2024-25 season. The Thunderbolts begin the 2024-25 season at Ford Center on Friday, October 18th as they host the Knoxville Ice Bears.
Berkopec comes to Evansville following his rookie professional season with the Macon Mayhem, playing alongside another recent Thunderbolts’ signing, forward Derek Contessa. In 42 games with the Mayhem, Berkopec scored 2 goals and 5 points along with a -7 rating, which was second-best amongst all Macon players, and best amongst all defensemen, who played 20 or more games for the Mayhem in 2023-24. The native of Oakville, Ontario played a full season of junior hockey in his home province in 2016-17 with the OJHL’s Burlington Cougars, before taking his junior career out West to British Columbia’s BCHL between 2017-2020, mostly with the Merritt Centennials before finishing 2020 with the Coquitlam Express. Berkopeclater played three seasons of college hockey at Utica College between 2020-2023, winning the NCAA UCHC Championship in 2021-22, before turning pro with Macon in 2023-24.
“I’d describe my playing style as a two-way puck-moving defenseman. I focus on defending and skating well, but I have also worked hard to improve my offensive zone ability,” replied Berkopec when asked about his playing approach. On his decision to join the Thunderbolts, Berkopec continued: “It felt like Evansville was a perfect fit for me, I was drawn to the enthusiastic fanbase, the high-level facilities, and the opportunity to play under Coach Bes alongside the talented group of players. There’s always a unique kind of energy in the air at this time of year, it’s a fresh start for me, and I’m really fired up to hit the ground running and start gelling with my new teammates, and work to bring a championship to Evansville!”
Berkopec joins previously announced defensemen Benjamin Lindberg and Gehrig Lindberg, along with forwards Matthew Hobbs, Derek Contessa, Logan vande Meerakker and Kevin Hu on the roster heading into training camp.
Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now. Call 812-422-BOLT 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
Latest News
Thunderbolts Sign Forward Kevin Hu
Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce the signing of forward Kevin Hu for the 2024-25 season. The Thunderbolts begin the 2024-25 season at Ford Center on Friday, October 18th as they host the Knoxville Ice Bears.
Hu joins the Thunderbolts following two dominant seasons of senior hockey with the Plattsville/Woodstock Lakers of the WOSHL between 2022-2024, in which Hu won league MVP honors in back-to-back years by scoring a whopping 72 goals and 113 points in 44 regular season games. The Mississauga, Ontario native previously played junior hockey for the London Lakers of the GMHL in 2015-16 and 2018-19, along with the St. Thomas Stars of the GOJHL between 2016-2018. Following his final season of junior hockey, Hu began playing senior hockey with the Tillsonburg Thunder of the WOAA in 2019-20 before the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, at which point Hu had finished with 3 goals and 9 points in 6 games with Tillsonburg.
“I feel that I am a well-rounded forward with strong offensive awareness but can also be relied upon in key defensive situations,” replied Hu when asked about his style of play. “Looking into playing in the SPHL, the Thunderbolts organization popped out to me as a tough team to play against while also having a great team environment to be a part of, and I have heard nothing but great things about Ford Center and the other facilities in Evansville. I’m very excited to get started and to contribute as much as I can for the team!” In adding Hu to the roster, Coach Bes commented: “Kevin has proven at every level that he can score goals and can be counted on in every situation. With his offensive instincts and creativity, we are excited to add him to our lineup this season.”
Hu joins previously announced forwards Matthew Hobbs, Derek Contessa and Logan vande Meerakker, along with defensemen Benjamin Lindberg and Gehrig Lindberg on the roster heading into training camp.
Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now. Call 812-422-BOLT 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
Latest News
Thunderbolts Re-Sign Logan vande Meerakker
Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce the re-signing of forward Logan vande Meerakker for the 2024-25 season. The Thunderbolts begin the 2024-25 season at Ford Center on Friday, October 18th as they host the Knoxville Ice Bears.
Following a 4 game stint in Fayetteville to begin his professional career, vande Meerakker was claimed off waivers by the Thunderbolts late in the 2023-24 season. Although he went pointless in 3 regular season games with Evansville, vande Meerakker’s play spiked in the postseason, scoring two goals and adding an assist in Evansville’s 5 playoff games. The native of Dieppe, New Brunswick played three seasons of junior hockey in Nova Scotia with the Pictou County Scotians and Crushers between 2017-2020 before beginning his collegiate career with Norwich University between 2020-2022 and Alvernia University between 2022-2024, scoring 24 goals and 69 points in 69 total games of collegiate play, and was named to the NCAA UCHC First All-Conference Team in his final college season.
Reflecting on his tenure with the Thunderbolts to this point, vande Meerakker commented: “I’ve loved my time in Evansville so far, the boys were awesome and made the experience better than I could have imagined. Obviously, last season did not end as we wanted it to, but we got a taste of what it takes to win in the playoffs, and that experience will be great for us as a team going into this season.” Vande Meerakker was clear in his response to what his goal is for the coming season: “I have one goal in mind for this season, and that is helping to bring a championship to Evansville.”
Vande Meerakker joins previously announced forwards Matthew Hobbs and Derek Contessa, along with defensemen Benjamin Lindberg and Gehrig Lindberg on the roster heading into training camp.
Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now. Call 812-422-BOLT 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
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Fan Experiences