Bob Strumm remembers the crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center. Thousands of fans showed up in the mid-1990s for hockey — many wore NHL jerseys; many more had institutional knowledge of the sport.
Long before the Golden Knights became the hottest ticket on the Las Vegas Strip, a minor league hockey team also made a splash in Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas Thunder arrived in 1993 and instantly became a hit with some locals. The team folded in 1999, but not after showing that Southern Nevada loves its hockey.
The Thunder will be one of six inductees tonight into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame. The ceremony is at 6 p.m. at the Orleans Arena.
Strumm isn’t surprised the Golden Knights are thriving in the desert. After all, his Thunder did, too.
“We got the ball rolling. We kicked the door open,” said Strumm, the team’s general manager who still calls Las Vegas home.
In two of their initial three seasons, the Thunder led the International Hockey League in points, using their fast-paced style of play and a roster of many would-be NHL players to post a 52-18-11 record in their inaugural season.
The show included players taking the ice by skating through pyrotechnics and a laser show with AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” blasting on the speakers.
“It was a terrific product. We had an identity of being very offense-oriented, and we led the league in scoring,” Strumm said. “We also picked up plenty of penalty minutes along the way.”
NHL notables who played for the Thunder included Clint Malarchuk, Curtis Joseph, Petr Nedved, Alexei Yashin, Rod Buskas and Brent Gretzky. They also had up-and-coming stars such as 17-year-old Radek Bonk and 20-year-old Ruslan Salei, who both became top 10 overall draft picks into the NHL.
Former players Patrice Lefebvre, Ken Quinney and coach Chris McSorley are scheduled to attend the induction. Lefebvre is a fan-favorite and holds the franchise record for games played.
Other inductees include boxing announcer Al Bernstein, UNLV basketball great Armen Gilliam, UFC pioneer Forrest Griffin, Rossi Ralenkotter from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and longtime UNLV swimming coach Jim Reitz.
Strumm is thrilled the Thunder are part of the list, realizing the team’s impact on the community. He gives credit to owners Hank and Ken Stickney for having confidence to launch a franchise in an area not familiar with the sport.
“They rolled the dice — pardon the pun — with this market,” Strumm said.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21
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