Perth Thunder mid-season report card – Current rating: A real contender, the litmus test awaits.

The Thunder have made no secret that they are chasing a cup in 2024, and chasing it hard. With key local additions to the lineup in John Kennedy Jnr and Zane Jones, as well as a strong set of imports again – they are a bona-fide contender.

Is the best Thunder team we’ve seen good enough?

At this point of the season, having won three quarters of their games they are sitting comfortably in third place in both the Hellyer Conference and the overall league – behind only front-runners Melbourne Ice and Sydney Bears. This might be the best Thunder team to take the ice, but the question remains whether some other teams might just be better.

Despite (mostly) losing long-time stalwart Andrew Cox to the club front office, the additions to the team, along with continued depth, especially at the blue line means Perth have improved from a semi final showing last year. With the finals weekend wholly in Melbourne this year, is it time for the Thunder to break their Finals duck at the O’Brien Icehouse?

Room for improvement

We are really splitting hairs here a bit, but one area the Thunder haven’t been as good as 2023 is in their scoring – putting almost one goal per game less on the board. With the arrival of Benjamin Berard, complementing Jeremiah Addison, Ben Breault, Jones and a higher-producing Ville Tenosalmi (who has already eclipsed his 2023 point total), this shows signs of heading in the right direction.

However, it will be something to watch – especially while Addison and Jones are unavailable. The addition of Yu Hikosaka has certainly helped on that regard – and it’s helping to give more options for highlight reel goals of the week!

Someone who has already stepped up this season and should be mentioned is Tenosalmi – whose 21 points in 16 games has already covered the 18 he managed across 24 games in 2023. His greater production has been an increased strength for the Thunder this year.

Current Standings

The Thunder are 3^rd in both the Hellyer Conference and the league overall – with a better record than any team in the opposing conference, but coming up against the two strongest teams in the league in the Ice and Bears.

Key performers

Zane Jones

Making the move west, Jones picked up where he left off in 2023 with Newcastle – putting numbers on the scoreboard. His combination with Addison in particular has been lethal, putting him into the top 5 local scorers to this point of the season. His big body has been an important net-front presence, while his shooting continues to be a bit underrated across the AIHL.

Jeremiah Addison

Even with missing the games on the weekend, Addison has a point on almost 48% of Perth goals this season – and he has been the star up front for the Thunder. The former Canadiens prospect is the equal third-highest point-scorer against the league-leading Melbourne Ice (shared with teammate Zane Jones), showing his ability to deliver against the best the AIHL has to offer.

Léo Bertein

With statistically the second-best record amongst goalies with more than 2 games played this season, Bertein joins a long list of high-quality import netminders for the Thunder. Along with arguably the strongest local D-corp in the AIHL, he has allowed the Thunder to attack relentlessly, knowing their net is well protected, conceding 0.4 goals per game less than 2023.  

Best win

Against the Melbourne Ice 6-5 on the 19^th of May.  

Heading into this game, the Ice were undefeated and had shut-out the Thunder 4-0 on the Saturday. The Sandgropers became the first team in 2024 to lower the Ice’s colours on the back of three-point nights from several of their stars in Addison, Breault, Jones, Berard and Tenosalmi and a 38-save performance from Leo Bertein in net.

Expectations for rest of the season

It’s been mentioned a bit above, but Perth are all-in for a Cup this year – and that is the expectation for the rest of the season. In a tough conference, they’ll likely have to do it the hard way come Finals weekend, but with the deep lineup they possess, it’s definitely on the table.

Important games for them will be the second and final trip to Melbourne – taking on the Ice and the chasing Mustangs on the 27^th and 28^th of July, which should give them a good chance to lock in a Finals spot, and to test themselves against the Ice again. The following weekend, the Bears visit Perth – and that could end up being a critical back-to-back in the scheme of who finishes where in the Hellyer Conference.

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