The Edmonton Oilers and the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder have reached a multi-year agreement to continue working together.

The Oilers will continue to use the Thunder as a development route for players with the Wichita club being composed of players signed to NHL and AHL contracts in addition to ECHL deals signed by them.

“On behalf of the Edmonton Oilers, we are thrilled to announce a multi-year extension with the Wichita Thunder,” said Oilers director of salary cap management and assistant to the president of hockey ops Bill Scott. “The Thunder have been first-class partners over the past three seasons and we are very confident in Coach Ramsay and the Thunder organization to develop future players for the Condors and Oilers. Furthermore, we understand the importance of having a winning environment at all levels in our organization and so we want to re-affirm our commitment to the Thunder and their fans that we will work towards achieving that success together.”

This is the fourth year the two clubs have been affiliated. Eight players from last year’s Thunder earned callups to the AHL, seven of which were to the Condors.

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