This Saturday is the last game ever for the Stockton Thunder. It was 10 years ago the Thunder started play at the new arena in downtown Stockton.
The first game I went to, I said, "You gotta be kidding me. This is a fantastic arena and it's in Stockton?"
I'm in !
Lots of things have gone badly or gone away from the city of Stockton the past few years, but the Thunder played on and thrived in a horrible economy.
there is some good news: Hockey isn't leaving Stockton. The Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League upgrading Stockton to the American Hockey League, professional hockey's triple A league and the team will be called the "Stockton Heat".
My family loves to go to see the Thunder play, especially team captain Garet Hunt, a fighting spirit in his own right.
We're all happy hockey stays in Stockton, but nostalgically sad to see the Thunder go and all the name has meant to the city.
Twenty-four Thunder players have made it to the NHL. The 2008 ECHL All-Star game was in Stockton.
Your last chance to see the Thunder uniform is this Saturday night.
Next season, the Thunder nickname moves to Adirondack, New York.
