Wichita Thunder’s Peter Bates named ECHL All-Star. What forward credits to breakout year

In his second year playing for the Wichita Thunder, forward Peter Bates is in the midst of his best season as a professional hockey player.

The 27-year-old who ranks third in the ECHL in points (38) was recognized for his stellar start on Wednesday by being chosen to represent Wichita in the 2024 ECHL All-Star Classic to be played on Monday, Jan. 15 at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Ga.

Bates said he credits the familiarity with the franchise for his breakout season.

“It’s been nice to be comfortable in Wichita and know what’s going on and know what to expect,” Bates said. “You come in and know some of your teammates, so it’s been a lot easier to feel comfortable from the beginning of the year, not just partway through the year.”

Bates has registered team-high 17 goals and a career-high 21 assists already this season, which is just three points off his totals from last season in less than half of the games.

The Evanston, Ill. native is no stranger to producing at a high level, as he was a standout NCAA Division III hockey player at St. Norbert College before turning pro in 2022. He won the Sid Watson Award, which honors the best player at the Division III level.

It’s been a disappointing start to the season for the Thunder, which currently rank 13th in the 14-team Western Conference. But the team sits just five points out of the playoff race with 42 games still to be played.

“We definitely want to start winning some more games and make a run at the playoffs,” Bates said. “Once you get in the playoffs, anything can happen. So we’re just trying to put ourselves in a position to be in the playoffs and see what happens.”