Some players and coaches familiar with each other before Twin City Thunder open main camp sunjournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sunjournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The Twin City Thunder’s goal at the United States Premier Hockey League’s Summer Showcase was to start building chemistry for the upcoming season.
Co-owner and head coach Dan Hodge entered two teams into the showcase, which was played at multiple locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire over the weekend. Both Thunder teams went 2-1.
“You are trying to get some looks at players, with our main camp coming in August,” Hodge said. “We had a good bunch of our draft picks and tenders (playing). We had (forwards) Nate Chickering, (Lewiston native) Dominic Chasse and (goalie) Devon Bobak returning from last year out there. We just wanted to see where we stack up and where we need to get to.”
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Twin City Thunder head coach Doug Friedman, center, is flanked by team owner & general manager, Ben Gray, left, and owner and director of hockey operation, Dan Hodge, right, during a press conference in March 2018 at the Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn.
Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal file photo
There has been a change at the ownership level with the Twin City Thunder.
Ben Gray sold his 50% share to Dan Hodge, who becomes the sole owner of the organization after a three-year partnership between the two men.
Gray also owns the Maine Moose youth hockey organization, based out of Camden National Bank Ice Vault in Hallowell, as well as the owner of Merit Pools & Spas in Augusta.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Northern Division the four Massachusetts team are playing in a more normal playoff format. The top-seeded Junior Bruins defeated the No. 4 Boston Advantage in three games, while the third-seeded Islanders Hockey Club beat the No. 2 South Shore Kings, also in three games.
The Jr. Bruins and Islanders HC will meet in the second-round playoff series for the chance to go to the final four.
Hodge said that the reason for the separate formats in the North Division is to keep teams as close as possible.
“It helps on travel and (keeps teams regionalized),” Hodge said. “We play the New Hampshire teams and the Mass. teams (will play against each other).”
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The Thunder defeated the Utica Jr. Comets 5-1 on Tuesday morning in a USPHL National Collegiate Development Conference game at the Advent Health Center in Wesley Chapel, Florida.
The win snaps a two-game losing streak for Twin City, which lost 9-2 to the Rockets Hockey Club on Thursday and dropped a 2-1 decision to the Connecticut Jr. Rangers on Sunday. Overall, the Thunder went 7-13 during their six-week stay in Florida.
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“It was a good way to end the Florida experience,” Thunder assistant coach Cam Robichaud said. “We started with a big win over the Islanders (Hockey Club) in overtime and finish with a big win over Utica it was a good way to start and a good way to finish. We had some success in the middle frame and some learning experiences as well. Hopefully it makes us a tighter group coming back to Maine, gearing up for the rest of the season.”