The Rolling Thunder Podcast: Recent Episodes
Field Pass Hockey
In a bi-weekly podcast, hosts Matthew Harding and the voice of the Thunder, Jason Mals, discuss the 2022-23 Wichita Thunder. They’ll be joined by present-day players and coaches, as well as former Thunder players and coaches.
Welcome to episode #10 of the Rolling Thunder Podcast, a podcast dedicated to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder!
In this episode, recorded on Thursday, May 25, hosts Matthew Hardingand Jason Malsbreak down recent news surrounding the Wichita Thunder and more, including:
- Recapping the 2022-23 season
- Breaking down the 2023-24 Wichita Thunder schedule
- A wide-ranging conversation with head coach Bruce Ramsay
- Discuss the NHL’s Stanley Cup and ECHL’s Kelly Cup Playoffs
Follow Matthew (@FPHThunder) and Jason on Twitter (@jmals24) to share your thoughts on the podcast and who you’d like to have on in future episodes!
Stay with Field Pass Hockey through the summer for complete news on the Wichita Thunder, as well as your favorite minor league hockey team!
Welcome to episode #9 of the Rolling Thunder Podcast, a podcast dedicated to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder!
In this episode, recorded on Monday, April 9, hosts Matthew Harding and Jason Mals break down the playoff push for the Wichita Thunder and more, including:
- Recapping the week of home games against Tulsa and Rapid City
- What the Thunder need to do this week to ensure a playoff berth
- A chat with Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now and NBC Sports California
- Where does the Thunder fit in with San Jose’s plan to fill the affiliate pipeline?
- What are some of the biggest items for San Jose to tackle this offseason?
- A conversation with head coach Bruce Ramsay
- Harding offers his picks for the season-ending team awards (Unsung Hero, Most Improved Player, Defenseman of the Year, Glassrattler of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Fan’s Choice, Team MVP)
- Harding breaks down why Ramsay should remain the Thunder head coach regardless of how the season finishes
Follow Matthew (@FPHThunder) and Jason on Twitter (@jmals24) to share your thoughts on the podcast and who you’d like to have on in future episodes!
You can listen to every Wichita Thunder game during the 2022-23 season here on FieldPassHockey.com or by downloading the Field Pass Hockey app!
Welcome to episode #8 of the Rolling Thunder Podcast, a podcast dedicated to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder!
In this episode, recorded on Tuesday, March 7, hosts Matthew Harding and Jason Mals break down the continued tough times for the Wichita Thunder and more, including:
- Harding’s love of hurricanes
- A recap of the NHL trade deadline
- Preview the upcoming AHL trade deadline (Friday 3/10), discuss the San Jose rebuild and AHL unique playoff format with Patrick Williams
- Preview the upcoming three-game series between Wichita and Rapid City with the voice of the Rush, Brian Gardner
- The incredible need for Wichita to generate some positive momentum heading down the stretch
- How the Barracuda’s playoff push could impact Wichita
- Wichita’s greatest needs heading into the ECHL Trade Deadline (Thursday 3/16)
- Keys for Wichita to have a successful trip to South Dakota
Follow Matthew (@FPHThunder) and Jason on Twitter (@jmals24) to share your thoughts on the podcast and who you’d like to have on in future episodes!
You can listen to every Wichita Thunder game during the 2022-23 season here on FieldPassHockey.com or by downloading the Field Pass Hockey app!
After some technical snafus…we welcome you to episode #7 of the Rolling Thunder Podcast, a podcast dedicated to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder!
In this episode, recorded on Wednesday, February 22, hosts Matthew Harding and Jason Mals break down the Thunder’s continued topsy-turvy run and more, including:
- Malsy calling his 1000th game last Saturday night
- More ups and downs for Wichita & how it impacts the race for the Mountain Division playoffs
- A breakdown of a pair of roster moves (does not include the addition of goaltender Dylan Ferguson)
- Does Thunder head coach Bruce Ramsay go “all-in” and make moves at the trade deadline
- A chat with Thunder legend Jason Duda
- We start the conversation of a Mount Rushmore for the Thunder
- Breaking down the upcoming four-game road trip that starts in Cincinnati Friday night
Follow Matthew (@FPHThunder) and Jason on Twitter (@jmals24) to share your thoughts on the podcast and who you’d like to have on in future episodes!
You can listen to every Wichita Thunder game during the 2022-23 season here on FieldPassHockey.com or by downloading the Field Pass Hockey app!
Welcome to episode #6 of the Rolling Thunder Podcast, a podcast dedicated to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder!
In this episode, recorded on Tuesday, January 3, hosts Matthew Harding and Jason Mals break down the pre-Christmas sweep of the Rapid City Rush, and the series win over the Allen Americans after the holiday break. They also discuss:
- Malsy’s return to a visiting arena for the first time since the 2020 season
- Breakdown of the “kid” line’s dominance in December
- Upcoming ECHL All-Star Classic in Norfolk
- Their memories from the last time the ECHL’s premiere mid-season event was held (hint: it was in Wichita)
- Chat with Thunder forward Brayden Watts
- A breakdown of the upcoming three-game set against Idaho
- The recipe for success in the ECHL, according to Harding
- How San Jose’s “let them marinate” development strategy could benefit the Thunder
EDITOR’S NOTE: We were planning on having Bryan Wells on this episode of the podcast, but technological issues got in the way. We will have him on the show soon!
Follow Matthew (@FPHThunder) and Jason on Twitter (@jmals24) to share your thoughts on the podcast and who you’d like to have on in future episodes!
You can listen to every Wichita Thunder game during the 2022-23 season here on FieldPassHockey.com or by downloading the Field Pass Hockey app!
Welcome to episode #5 of the Rolling Thunder Podcast, a podcast dedicated to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder!
In this episode, recorded on Tuesday, December 20, hosts Matthew Hardingand Jason Malsbreak down the recent five-game road trip to Rapid City and Allen. They also discuss:
- Their Christmas preparations
- Recap five-game road trip
- Chat with Thunder head coach Bruce Ramsay
- Roster moves
- Are a lack of vets a good thing?
- Harding’s Christmas list for the Thunder
- The biggest story of the 2022 calendar year for Wichita
- Preview the big pre-Christmas three-game set against Rapid City
….and more!
Follow Matthew (@FPHThunder) and Jason on Twitter (@jmals24) to share your thoughts on the podcast and who you’d like to have on in future episodes!
You can listen to every Wichita Thunder game during the 2022-23 season here on FieldPassHockey.com or by downloading the Field Pass Hockey app!
WICHITA, Kan. – Welcome to episode #4 of the Rolling Thunder Podcast, a podcast dedicated to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder!
In this episode, recorded on Monday, December 5, hosts Matthew Harding and Jason Mals break down the recent three-game sweep of the Kansas City Mavericks and the Tulsa series spanning Thanksgiving. They also discuss:
- The success of the “kid” line – Brayden Watts/Quinn Preston/Michal Stinil
- Slow starts continuing for the team
- Shutdown defense for the Thunder in the final 8 periods & overtime of the Kansas City series
- Solid goaltending
- Why has Wichita had success against Kansas City and not Tulsa?
- Is Brayden Watts a candidate for ECHL MVP?
….and more!
They are also joined by former Wichita Thunder forward Rob Weingartner, who talks about what drew him to Wichita, winning two championships, coaching the Thunder, building the Junior Thunder program in Wichita, and more.
Finally, the guys break down a big five-game road trip that begins Thursday night when the Thunder play the Rapid City Rush.
Follow Matthew (@FPHThunder) and Jason on Twitter (@jmals24) to share your thoughts on the podcast and who you’d like to have on in future episodes!
You can listen to every Wichita Thunder game during the 2022-23 season here on FieldPassHockey.com or by downloading the Field Pass Hockey app!
WICHITA, Kan. – Welcome to episode #3 of the Rolling Thunder Podcast, a podcast dedicated to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder!
On this episode, recorded on Monday, November 21, hosts Matthew Harding and Jason Mals break down the first ten-plus games of the 2022-23 Wichita Thunder season. They discuss:
- The depth of the club
- Impact of the affiliation so far
- Areas for improvement
- Grade the first ten-plus games
- Are the Thunder a playoff team?
They are also joined by former Wichita Thunder defenseman Paul Esdale, who talks about what drew him to Wichita, coaching and building the youth hockey program in Jacksonville, and more.
Finally, the guys break down the four-game in five-night stretch that Wichita begins tonight against the Tulsa Oilers.
Follow Matthew (@FPHThunder) and Jason on Twitter (@jmals24) to share your thoughts on the podcast and who you’d like to have on in future episodes!
You can listen to every Wichita Thunder game during the 2022-23 season here on FieldPassHockey.com or by downloading the Field Pass Hockey app!
WICHITA, Kan. – Welcome to episode #2 of the Rolling Thunder Podcast, a podcast dedicated to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder!
On this episode, recorded on Thursday, November 3, hosts Matthew Harding and Jason Mals break down the first two weeks of the 2022-23 Wichita Thunder season. They discuss:
- Slow starts in the first two games
- Strong play on special teams
- Signficant contributions from the San Jose prospects
- Veteran players also carrying the water
They are also joined by former Wichita Thunder defenseman Sean O’Reilly, who talks about what drew him to Wichita, running the Wichita Ice Center, and how he’s paying it forward to the next group of hockey players.
Finally, the guys break down the month of November for Wichita, which is filled with a lot of home cooking — eight home games in all, with the furthest road trip to Tulsa (175 miles).
Follow Matthew (@FPHThunder) and Jason on Twitter (@jmals24) to share your thoughts on the podcast and who you’d like to have on in future episodes!
You can listen to every Wichita Thunder game during the 2022-23 season here on FieldPassHockey.com or by downloading the Field Pass Hockey app!
WICHITA, Kan. – Welcome to the premiere episode of the Rolling Thunder Podcast, a podcast dedicated to the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder!
In episode #1, recorded on Monday, October 18, hosts Matthew Harding and Jason Mals discuss:
- Rules changes in the ECHL
- Each home team will have nine home games where two referees are used (25% of the league schedule) https://www.echl.com/en/news/2022/6/annual-echl-board-of-governors-meeting-concludes
- Game lineups will now have 17 skaters and two goaltenders, up one position player from last season. https://www.echl.com/en/news/2022/9/preseason-echl-board-of-governors-meeting-recap
- Coaches from each team and officials meet one hour before the game to enhance relationship between the two sides: (https://twitter.com/JeffMarek/status/1581618335657373699?s=20&t=xGbjfwLB4r7JIsTO7l5vvw)
- The new affiliate for Wichita, the NHL’s San Jose Sharks
- Breakdown training camp and more with head coach Bruce Ramsay
- Previewing the upcoming campaign for the Thunder
- Looking around the ECHL’s Mountain Division
Follow Matthew (@FPHThunder) and Jason on Twitter (@jmals24) to share your thoughts on the podcast and who you’d like to have on in future episodes!
You can listen to every Wichita Thunder game during the 2022-23 season by downloading the Field Pass Hockey app!