Thomas Re-Signs With Junior Thunder

At 6’0, 170 pounds, Braeden Thomas was the Wichita Junior Thunders’ leading scorer during the 2017-18 season, posting a team high 14 goals and added 11 assists for 25 points in 44 games. 

“We are very excited Braeden is back this year, he shoots the puck well and is a student of the game. He is very good defensively and I wouldn’t be surprised if he more than doubles his production on offense from last season. I think if he puts in a strong effort this summer to try and gain weight and get stronger, he will see the results on the ice, commented coach Weingartner. 

When asked why he decided to return to the Junior Thunder, Braeden had this to say, “The development and opportunity I got last year was very good and the coaches really focused on developing each of their players and trying to get them to the next level. Even though last year was a difficult one , the coaching staff has proven they can turn a 4 win season into a Championship in just a few years. We all need to buy into the systems and work together for us to be successful. The direction the team is going is something I wanted to be a part of moving forward.” 

Wichita has had a history of bringing players back and making them better along with getting better results as a team. In 2017 when Wichita won the Thorne Cup, they returned 16 players from the year prior, having 2 players that had been with the team for 5 years, 1 for 4 years, 4 players with 3 years and 9 players that had at least 2 years with the Junior Thunder. 

“When players come back, especially after a difficult season I know we are doing something right, players today have so many choices on where they can play so it’s nice to see guys re-signing”, stated coach Weingartner.