Thunder sign three new players

Tim Graham

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 1998 | 6:24 a.m.

The youth movement hasn't been smooth, but the Las Vegas Thunder is happy with its direction.

"Our team has played with a certain type of reckless abandon," Thunder head coach Chris McSorley said. "It's obvious our fans are enjoying the type of hockey these kids are bringing to the ice each night."

The Thunder on Monday signed three more young players to 25-game tryout contracts: forwards Brett Punchard and Chad Wagner and defenseman Andrei Srubko. All are 23 years old and will be available for tonight's 7:05 game against the Manitoba Moose at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The acquisitions give Las Vegas a total of 11 players who are 25 or younger. Most have only one or two years of IHL experience.

Punchard was released by Manitoba on Sunday. The rookie from Bowling Green recorded eight goals and 14 assists with 31 penalty minutes in 41 games with the Moose.

Wagner played in the Thunder's games against the San Antonio Dragons last weekend, registering 31 penalty minutes. He was returned to the San Diego Gulls of the West Coast Hockey League for a game Sunday.

Srubko was brought in from Toledo of the East Coast Hockey League, where he also spent last season after failing to make the Thunder in training camp. In 43 games this season Srubko had one goal, six assists and 135 penalty minutes.

"This is the kind of team that our fans love," general manager Bob Strumm said.

The Thunder has struggled of late and has needed to rely on its less experienced players. Injuries to key players like Jesse Belanger, Rob Pattison, Jeff Christian and goalie Manny Legace have forced Strumm and McSorley to implement many new faces.

"We have a different kind of team than we've had in the past," Strumm said. "We've always had a lot of veterans, but I'm excited about the youth of this team and the enthusiasm. I can see this team getting better and better and better from here on in.

"I think we're close to ringing off a bit of a stretch."

McSorley claimed coaching such a young team has been refreshing.

"It's a pleasure to see the eager eyes on the bench," McSorley said. "Maybe they play without the patience the veteran players would, but they bring other qualities to the table, and that is their forechecking and their level of contact.

"There seems to be more consistency coaching the younger players. The effort is going to be there each evening."

The Thunder still is searching for another veteran defenseman, especially with the loss of Sergei Yerkovich for at least another 10 days. Yerkovich left Sunday to play for his home country of Belarus in the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

Strumm was asked if the continued acquiring of such inexperienced and unheralded players is a sign his team is content just to make the playoffs.

"That question insults me," Strumm said. "Our objective has not changed. "We never do anything here but try to win.

"We're bringing in the best players available. Our team has played with a great deal of excitement. I think our best players right now just happen to be young guys."

Thunderbolts

* HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: For the entire month, fans can vote for the Thunder's Fifth Anniversary Team. Ballots will be available at all 10 home games, starting with tonight's 7:05 meeting with the Manitoba Moose. The anniversary team will be announced with a commemorative poster to be given out at a home game sometime in March.

* LOOSE PUCKS: Defenseman Ilya Byakin has not recorded a minus rating in his last 15 games. Byakin also has two goals and three assists in his last nine games. ... Rookie center Tyler Prosofsky, acquired in the Darcy Loewen trade, is enjoying a three-game scoring streak. ... Former Thunder defenseman Kent Fearns has only four goals for the Moose this season. In those games, however, Manitoba is 4-0-0. ... The Moose possesses five players with at least 100 penalty minutes, the most in the IHL.