The strange and unusual circumstances to start the Wichita Thunder’s ECHL playoff run
A bizarre set of circumstances stemming from the coronavirus pandemic will make for a unique challenge for the Wichita Thunder in the ECHL Western Conference semifinals.
Due to a decision made by the ECHL before the start of the season, the higher-seeded playoff teams were given the decision to either host the first two games of the series and go on the road for the final three, or they could start the series on the road and host the final three games.
So despite the Thunder finishing with 27 more points than their first-round opponent, the Fort Wayne Komets, in the regular season, Wichita could host fewer playoff games than Fort Wayne if the series goes to a decisive fifth game.
“We’re going to get the first two at home, so we’re going to have to take advantage of that,” Thunder coach Bruce Ramsay said. “We’ve had success with Fort Wayne on the road, so we’re not worried about going there. Circumstances dictated what we had to do and at the end of the day, it’s just a sheet of ice and we’re going to out there and play the game of hockey the best we can.”
That’s not the end of it. The Thunder’s two home games won’t be played on their home rink at Intrust Bank Arena due to a scheduling conflict stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, which canceled entertainment shows last summer.
So the Thunder will play the Komets at the Wichita Ice Center on Tuesday and Wednesday night in front of a little more than 700 fans, while Disney on Ice has rented Intrust Bank Arena this week with shows running from Thursday to Sunday. Tickets are still available for Thunder playoff games on the team’s website.
While the rink at Intrust Bank Arena is a traditional NHL-sized rink, the rink at Wichita Ice Center is Olympic-sized.
“I’ve got to admit it’s a little bit disappointing because you work hard all year to put yourself in position to have home-ice advantage and then we don’t get to play on our home ice,” Ramsay said. “But it is what it is. We can’t change it. We can’t do anything about it, so we’re just making the best of it.”
Instead of playing in front of potentially more than a thousand fans at Intrust Bank Arena in the opening round, Ramsay said the Thunder should retain their advantage in the stands. Because of a smaller venue, he believes the Thunder fans can still have an impact on the game.
“I think it’s going to be electric,” Ramsay said. “We’ve played exhibition games there in the past in front of very good crowds. It was loud. It was exciting. They’re right on top of you, so you can’t ask for much more. We’ll have our dedicated, loyal fans of the Thunder that will be there and support us to the end.”
The Thunder lost three of their final four games with the possibility of clinching the Western Conference championship, but Ramsay pointed out that Wichita has had a playoff spot clinched for nearly a month and he was rotating players in and out of the lineup and the team was dealing with some ill-timed injuries.
But Wichita took two of three on the road from Fort Wayne during the regular season and the Thunder are confident that this is just the start of a playoff run. If Wichita wins this series, it would return to Intrust Bank Arena for the Western Conference championship series.
“The big thing for us is going to be special teams, that’s important for every team during playoff time,” Ramsay said. “I think Fort Wayne has the best power play in the league and maybe the best penalty kill. So our special teams is going to decide a lot of games, especially those low-scoring games you get in the playoffs. And we’re just going to have to manage the puck better and play smart like we have been all season.”
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