The 1993–94 Wichita Thunder season was the second season of the CHL franchise in Wichita, Kansas. The season was pivotal for the Wichita Thunder, which went "from worst to first" in the league, winning both the regular season and post-season titles.[1][2] It was the first CHL club to do so since the Indianapolis Checkers in 1982–1983.[2] The team swept the championship series, winning all 4 games against the Tulsa Oilers.[2] Paul Jackson finished as the league's leading scorer; Ron Handy was the play-off MVP; and goaltender Bobby Desjardins was MVP for the league.[1]
| 1993–94 Wichita Thunder | |
|---|---|
William Levins Memorial Cup champions | |
| League | 1st CHL |
| 1993–94 record | 40-18-6 |
| Goals for | 309 |
| Goals against | 275 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Bill Shuck |
| Coach | Doug Shedden |
| Arena | Britt Brown Arena |
| Average attendance | 6032 |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Paul Jackson (71) |
| Assists | Ron Handy (80) |
| Points | Paul Jackson (135) |
| Penalty minutes | Greg Neish (325) |
| Wins | Robert Desjardins (38) |
| Goals against average | Robert Desjardins (4.00) |
Regular season
editLeague standings
edit| Central Hockey League | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Wichita Thunder | 64 | 40 | 18 | 6 | 309 | 275 | 86 |
| x-Tulsa Oilers | 64 | 36 | 24 | 4 | 347 | 281 | 76 |
| x-Oklahoma City Blazers | 64 | 35 | 23 | 6 | 260 | 246 | 76 |
| x-Dallas Freeze | 64 | 31 | 25 | 8 | 304 | 309 | 70 |
| e-Memphis RiverKings | 64 | 25 | 34 | 5 | 243 | 294 | 55 |
| e-Fort Worth Fire | 64 | 25 | 37 | 2 | 253 | 311 | 52 |
Note: y - clinched league title; x - clinched playoff spot; e - eliminated from playoff contention
Awards
edit| Regular Season | |||||||||
| Player | Award | ||||||||
| Doug Shedden | CHL Coach of the Year | ||||||||
| Paul Jackson | Ken McKenzie Trophy | ||||||||
| Robert Desjardins | CHL Most Valuable Player | ||||||||
| Playoffs | |||||||||
| Player | Award | ||||||||
| Ron Handy | CHL Playoff Most Valuable Player | ||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 Tobias, Suzanne Perez (April 17, 1994). "Hockey fans don't skate around issue at championship rally". Wichita Eagle. pp. 1B, 5B. Retrieved November 6, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 "Wichita Sweeps Tulsa in CHL Finals". The Daily Oklahoman. April 15, 1994. Retrieved November 5, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.