Wichita Thunder, coach Bruce Ramsay agree to part ways after seven seasons
The Wichita Thunder are moving on from head coach Bruce Ramsay after the two sides “mutually agreed to part ways,” the team announced Monday.
Ramsay leaves as the longest-tenured coach in franchise history after spending seven seasons behind the Thunder bench. He compiled a 218-214-61 record during that span and was named the ECHL Coach of the Year in 2021 after leading Wichita to a 41-win season.
That 2021 campaign marked the high point of Ramsay’s tenure. The Thunder reached the semifinals before suffering a heartbreaking overtime loss in Game 5 to the eventual Kelly Cup champion Fort Wayne Komets.
“I’m so thankful to Bruce for all his contributions to the Thunder,” general manager Joel T. Lomurno said in a statement. “Bruce is not just a knowledgeable head coach but a great person who we all enjoyed working with. I wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors. He will always be a respected member of this organization.”
Ramsay, who also played for the Thunder during the 2000-01 season, recorded his 600th career professional coaching victory earlier this season in a win over Trois-Rivieres.
But Wichita struggled to build sustained success late in his tenure. The Thunder missed the playoffs in four of Ramsay’s final six seasons and Wichita closed this season with a 25-35-8-4 record and 62 points, second-lowest in the Western Conference of the ECHL and both the lowest point total and worst winning percentage of his seven years as head coach.
“First, I’d like to thank the players who I’ve coached here for the past seven years. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some very talented people,” Ramsay said in a statement. “I’d like to thank ownership, Joel and Jason Mals as well as the great fans. There are a ton of die-hard Thunder fans who support the team and I appreciate you. Wichita will always have a special place for me as a player and a coach.”
This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 11:59 AM.
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