The Evansville Thunderbolts have announced its list of protected players for the 2017-18 season.  Whereas the team had to start from square one at the beginning of its inaugural season in 2016-17, the Thunderbolts have retained rights to several playmakers who hope to make a splash when the upcoming season kicks off this October.

“We’re excited with the core group we have for next season and although we may lose a couple of them to the ECHL we have a solid foundation to build a great team,” said Head Coach and Director of Hockey Ops Jeff Pyle. “To have a group coming back that knows the systems and can send the message from day one gives us a chance to be competitive and make a run at the playoffs.  The players returning are excited and want to build a winner in Evansville.”

•Tanner Milliron (Goalie) — Milliron played 38 games with the Thunderbolts last year.  He earned 11 wins and had 1,033 saves.

•Dan Cornell (Defense) — Cornell’s season was cut short due to injuries.  In his 29 games played, he scored 1 goal and 6 assists.

•Cory Melkert (Defense) — Melkert played 31 games with the Thunderbolts last year, earning 2 goals, 8 assists and 55 PIM.

•Nick D’Avolio (Center) — D’Volio made a big impact on the ice when he joined the Thunderbolts near the end of the regular season.  In just 5 games, he earned 2 goals and 2 assists and instantly put himself in the role of playmaker for the team.

•Chase Nieuwendyk (Forward) — Nieuwendyk joined the Thunderbolts later in the season.  In 13 games, he racked up 3 goals and 3 assists.

•Austin McKay (Forward) — McKay had a strong presence on the ice during his 13 games.  He earned 6 goals and 5 assists.

•Mark Petaccio (Forward) — In his 16 games with the Thunderbolts, Petaccio earned 5 goals and 7 assists, as well as 1 GWG.

•Al Graves (Right Wing) — A fan favorite for his 49 PIM, Graves had 4 goals and 4 assists in 23 games.

•Dave Williams (Left Wing) — Williams was the Thunderbolts’ top scorer last season.  In 54

games, Williams racked up 21 goals, 17 assists and 2 GWG.

•John Scorcia (Center) — Scorcia made a name for himself as a playmaker in front of the net early on in the season.  Despite an injury that put him on the IR for several weeks, he was still able to earn 13 goals and 19 assists in 36 games. 

•Tommy Fiorentino (Right Wing) — Fiorentino played 47 games for the Thunderbolts, earning 5 goals and 19 assists.

•Frank Schumacher (Defense) — During his 41 games with the Thunderbolts last season, he scored 2 goals and 9 assists.

•Josh Elmes (Defense) — Elmes played 35 games last season for the Thunderbolts, earning 5 goals, 11 assists and 1 GWG.

Season tickets are as low as $11 per game.  To order your tickets for next season, call 812-422-8000.

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