Thunder’s Michael Neal has seen it all this struggling season

A lot of players have played a lot of hockey games for the Thunder this season, but Michael Neal’s situation is unique.

In a season full of roster turnover, Neal has survived all of it. He and Ian Lowe are the only players to play all 65 games and Neal is the only one of the Thunder’s offseason additions to play more than 58.

Neal and fellow forwards Andy Huff and Paxton Leroux are the only skaters acquired by the Thunder last summer who remain with the team. Neal has endured every second of a difficult season that has seen Wichita lose 49 times with seven games remaining.

“You can’t kind of look back and say you should have done this or you should have done that,” Neal said. “I made the decision to come here, and it just kind of sucks that it didn’t work out.”

If Miles Koules plays against Quad City on Saturday night, he’ll be the 29th player to appear in at least 10 games for the Thunder this year. Many of the players who have played more than 10 either didn’t last long after the start of the season or are recent acquisitions.

Neal is one of a handful who have survived the upheaval, one of eight remaining players who have played at least 50 games. The Thunder’s core has been kept intact while support has been in flux, and Neal has been a steady voice in the locker room.

“There’s for sure talk in and around the room,” Neal said. “We have a good group of guys on this team, which makes it really tough that we can’t push beyond two (more) weeks. That’s unfortunate. It’s always fun, for the guys who haven’t played in the playoffs, to get the chance.”

The Thunder was virtually eliminated from that possibility after the first two months, as multiple losing streaks wrecked Wichita’s chances.

The season has been doubly taxing for many players, including Neal, who have fallen short of past production. Neal has 22 points, well short of the 39 he reached last year in five fewer games.

With postseason hope lost, Thunder players attempted to balance the desire for an improved team and the attempts to extend their careers. The Thunder may be in line for an organizational shakeup following three straight seasons with no playoffs.

“When you throw on a jersey, you still want to do the city proud – the guy who sits beside you and the fans that have been there all year for you,” Neal said. “You don’t want to let them down, obviously.

“… Putting up points and playing for a job next year, that’s always on a few guys’ minds, for sure. Whether that’s in Wichita or somewhere else, you want to finish strong to give the impression that you do want to win and you can be on that kind of team.”

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Thunder’s Michael Neal has seen it all this struggling season."