2025-26 Theme Nights

The Thunderbolts announce the official theme nights for the upcoming 2025-26 season! All games are played at the Ford Center. Opponents & Times are TBA.

To purchase season tickets or bring a group of 10+ to any of these nights, please give us a call at 812-422-BOLT or visit our website at evansvillethunderbolts.com!

Sat. Oct 25 - Champions Night (Specialty Jersey Auction Post-Game)
Tues. Oct 28 - Education Day
Fri. Oct 31 - Halloween
Sat. Nov 1 - Disco Night
Fri. Nov 7 - Military Appreciation Night (Specialty Jersey Auction Post-Game)
Fri. Nov 14 - Free Kids Friday/Mascot Night
Fri. Nov 21 - First Responders Night
Sat. Nov 22 - Toy Story Night (Specialty Jersey Auction Post-Game)
Fri. Dec 5 - Teddy Bear Toss
Sat. Dec 6 - A Mickey Mouse Christmas (Specialty Jersey Auction Post-Game)
Sat. Dec 20 - Hockey Holidays
Wed. Dec 31 - New Year's Eve (Jersey Auction Post-Game)
Fri. Jan 2 - Rebrand Weekend
Sat. Jan 3 - Rebrand Weekend (Specialty Jersey Auction Post-Game)
Wed. Jan 14 - White Out Wednesday
Fri. Jan 23 - Faith Night
Sat. Jan 24 - Star Wars Night (Specialty Jersey Auction Post-Game)
Wed. Feb 4 - White Out Wednesday
Fri. Feb 13 - Jurassic Night
Sat. Feb 21 - Hockey Fights Cancer (Specialty Jersey Auction Post-Game)
Sun. Feb 22 - Sunday Funday
Fri. Feb 27 - $3 Tallboys
Sun. Mar 8 - Princess & Pirates
Fri. Mar 13 - Lilo & Stitch (Specialty Jersey Auction Post-Game)
Sun. Mar 15 - Sunday Funday
Sat. Mar 21 - Pucks & Paws
Fri. Mar 27 - Superhero Night
Fri. Apr 3 - Country Night
Sat. Apr 4 - Fan Appreciation Night (Jersey Auction Post-Game)

2025-26 Home Dates

The Thunderbolts announce the official home dates for the upcoming 2025-26 season! All games are played at the Ford Center. Opponents, Times & Theme Nights are TBA.

To purchase season tickets or bring a group of 10+ to any of these nights, please give us a call at 812-422-BOLT or visit our website at evansvillethunderbolts.com!

Sat. Oct 25
Tues. Oct 28
Fri. Oct 31
Sat. Nov 1
Fri. Nov 7
Fri. Nov 14
Fri. Nov 21
Sat. Nov 22
Fri. Dec 5
Sat. Dec 6
Sat. Dec 20
Wed. Dec 31
Fri. Jan 2
Sat. Jan 3
Wed. Jan 14
Fri. Jan 23
Sat. Jan 24
Wed. Feb 4
Fri. Feb 13
Sat. Feb 21
Sun. Feb 22
Fri. Feb 27
Sun. Mar 8
Fri. Mar 13
Sun. Mar 15
Sat. Mar 21
Fri. Mar 27
Fri. Apr 3
Sat. Apr 4

2025 Evansville Thunderbolts Protected List

Evansville, In.: Nearly two weeks after winning the first President’s Cup Championship in franchise history, preparation for the Thunderbolts’ 2025-26 title defense season officially got underway on Tuesday as the protected players list was unveiled.

Eight forwards were included on the protected list, Scott Kirton, Tyson Gilmour, Logan vande Meerakker, Myles Abbate, Isaac Chapman, Aidan Litke, Jordan Simoneau, and Derek Contessa. Four defensemen were protected, Cameron MacPhee, Bronson Adams, Will van der Veen, and Anthony Hora. Goaltender Cole Ceci holds the final spot on the protected list. The Thunderbolts will hold exclusive SPHL signing rights to the protected players through the entirety of the 2025-26 season. Players who were not protected are still able to re-sign with the Thunderbolts, as several unprotected players did going into the 2024-25 season.

Season tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now. Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL. The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com

It's Ours! Thunderbolts Defeat Knoxville in Overtime to Win the President's Cup

Evansville, In.: The Thunderbolts’ incredible run through the President’s Cup Playoffs came to a victorious end on Thursday night at Ford Center, with Aidan Litke’s overtime goal completing the sweep of the Knoxville Ice Bears in the final series, as the Thunderbolts captured their first-ever President’s Cup Championship.

Late in the first period, the Thunderbolts grabbed the game’s first lead as Logan vande Meerakker scored on the rush on a power play at 19:14 from Nolan McElhaney.  Following a relatively low-event second period, the Ice Bears tied the game 1-1 as Brendan Dowler scored 2:25 into the third period of play.  In overtime, unlike Wednesday night’s Game One in Knoxville which required double overtime, it took only 1:30 for Litke to score the golden goal, as Ethan Price fed Litke with a pass from the near corner to the net-front, where Litke sniped the puck over Knoxville goaltender Stephen Mundinger to finish the climb to the top of the mountain, with captain Matthew Hobbs fittingly earning a secondary assist on the goal as well.  After losing Game One of the first round of the playoffs at Huntsville in overtime, the Thunderbolts did not lose again, finishing the postseason with an astounding 6-0-1 record, the 6-game win streak also being their first since 2019-20, coming in the best possible time of the year.  In goal for every game of the playoffs and finishing with an astronomical .962% save percentage, Cole Ceci was awarded Playoff MVP Honors. 

Vande Meerakker and Litke finished with one goal each, while Ceci finished with 29 saves on 30 shots.  There will be a special rally on the Ford Center Plaza on Tuesday, April 29th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm to celebrate the Thunderbolts’ President’s Cup Championship.

Season tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL.  The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com

Contessa’s Double OT Goal leads Thunderbolts Over Ice Bears in Finals Opener

Knoxville, Tn.:  Coming back from a 3-2 deficit late in regulation, Scott Kirton scored to force overtime, where Derek Contessa scored 7:07 into the second overtime to win Game One of the President’s Cup Final for Evansville on Wednesday night at Knoxville Civic Coliseum.  The Thunderbolts and Ice Bears will play Game Two at Ford Center on Thursday night at 7:00pm CT.

In the first period, the Thunderbolts opened the scoring at 6:27, as Tyson Gilmour scored on a rebound from Logan vande Meerakker and Kirton to give Evansville a 1-0 lead.  The Ice Bears came back minutes later to tie, as Dawson McKinney scored on a power play at 9:15.  The Thunderbolts got the lead back at 13:16, as Myles Abbate scored off a deflection of a Benjamin Lindberg shot to give Evansville the lead once again 2-1, also assisted by Isaac Chapman.  However, Knoxville again tied the game as Derek Raposo scored at 15:04 off a face-off, with the game tied 2-2 going into the first intermission.  Knoxville scored the lone goal of the second period despite being outshot 19-4, with McKinney scoring once again off a back-door pass at 4:28, giving the Ice Bears their first lead of the night.  The score remained the same through the second period and for most of the third period, before Scott Kirton scored on a turnaround shot from around the net on a power play with 5:06 remaining in regulation to tie the game 3-3, assisted by Matthew Hobbs and Vande Meerakker.  The Thunderbolts faced danger early in the first overtime, facing two penalties, which they successfully killed to get back to 5-on-5.  Finally, at 7:07 of the second overtime, Contessa scored on a rebound from Chapman and Abbate to win the game for Evansville 4-3, giving Evansville a 1-0 series lead going back to Ford Center on Thursday.

Kirton and Abbate each finished with a goal and assist, Gilmour and Contessa each scored one goal, while Chapman and Vande Meerakker each tallied a pair of assists.  In goal, Cole Ceci finished with 33 saves on 36 shots.  Game Two will be at Ford Center on Thursday at 7:00pm CT, and  Game Three, if necessary, will be played at Knoxville Civic Coliseum on Sunday afternoon, face-off at 2:00pm CT.

Individual game tickets and group packages are on sale for the 2024-25 season.  Season tickets for the 2025-26 season are on sale now.  Call 812-422-BOLT(2658) or visit our website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the SPHL.  The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com