For a few hours Saturday night, it felt like Stockton had traveled back in time.
The familiar sound of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” echoed through Adventist Health Arena. Fans dressed in old Thunder jerseys filled the stands, pounding on the glass and chanting for the team they had waited years to see return.
But beneath the familiar black and yellow was a new generation of Stockton hockey.
More than 5,000 fans packed the downtown arena Saturday for the Stockton Thunder’s home opener against the Oceanside Shock, marking the return of professional hockey to the city for the first time since the Stockton Heat departed in 2022.
The Thunder gave the crowd another reason to celebrate, securing a victory in their first home game as a new Federal Prospects Hockey League franchise.
For longtime supporters, the night brought back memories of the original Thunder, which played in Stockton from 2005 to 2015. For younger fans, it was their first opportunity to experience professional hockey in their hometown.
Old jerseys, familiar memories
Before the puck dropped, lines of fans stretched around Adventist Health Arena as thousands waited to enter the building.
Cindy Rinaldi, an original Thunder season ticket holder, attended with her family after digging through her closet for merchandise she had kept for years.
“We went through the closet, got all our old gear out,” Rinaldi said. “We’re all wearing something.”
For Rinaldi, the team’s return brought back a family tradition and something she believes Stockton has been missing.
“I think it’s big. I think it’s needed,” she said. “I think people love hockey.”
Kaden Burlingame, who grew up attending games with his grandparents, shared that excitement.
“I just felt like it was like a pride of having Stockton hockey back together,” Burlingame said.
Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi, who attended the home opener, said the lines wrapping around the arena were an encouraging sign for the new franchise.
“People are so happy to have the Stockton Thunder back. It’s been gone too long,” Fugazi said. “And if we want to keep it, public’s got to show up. And I think they are.”
Fugazi said Stockton fans are ready to embrace the team.
“These fans will be rough and tumble with you,” she said. “So if you need somebody to be banging on the glass, we got the fans for you.”
A hometown dream comes full circle
While fans were reliving memories in the stands, two local players were making new ones on the ice.
Manteca natives Kyle Kruenegel and Nolan Mix received enthusiastic welcomes during player introductions, a moment head coach Zach Pochiro said he wanted to make special.
“It was cool to hear the town really support them and be loud for them,” Pochiro said.
For Kruenegel, Saturday’s game marked the culmination of a journey that began in the same arena years earlier.
The 32-year-old grew up watching the original Thunder and playing youth hockey with the Stockton Colts. After stepping away from the sport for nearly seven years to start a family, he returned to competitive hockey and earned an opportunity with the new franchise during open tryouts in August.
Now, instead of watching from the stands, he was skating in front of his own family.
“Surreal. Very surreal,” Kruenegel said. “Playing in front of my family, friends. They sold out a whole entire section, 117.”
The crowd erupted during player introductions, but Kruenegel said the noise only grew louder as the Thunder began scoring.
“When we started scoring the goals, man, the arena erupted even louder where you couldn’t even hear yourself think on the bench,” he said.
A new Thunder takes the ice
Although the name is familiar, the new Thunder are building their own identity.
The original franchise competed in the ECHL before relocating in 2015. The Stockton Heat then represented the city in the American Hockey League until 2022. The new Thunder compete in the FPHL, an independent Single-A professional league.
Pochiro, a former professional player in his first professional head coaching job, has emphasized physical hockey and hard work since his introduction in July.
Saturday’s victory gave him an early glimpse of those expectations coming together.
“I’m really proud of them,” Pochiro said. “I challenged them a lot this week. There was a lot of different things that we needed to work on. And, you know, tonight they from top to bottom, they executed.”
Pochiro credited his team’s goaltending and defense while praising the forwards for finding scoring opportunities. He said the Thunder improved throughout the game, particularly during the second period.
But the effort mattered just as much as the result.
“What I’m more proud of is the guys showing up and showing a blue collar hard effort for this town,” he said.
More than a hockey game
Throughout the night, fans cheered for blocked shots and big hits, while each goal brought the crowd to its feet.
After the final buzzer, the players skated around the rink to acknowledge the fans who had welcomed them home.
For Kruenegel, the celebration felt different from the games he remembered watching as a child.
“When our team decided to skate around the rink, I mean, the arena really erupted after that,” he said. “They were all on the boards banging on it. I saw tons of smiles.”
Pochiro hopes his players can become role models and give Stockton something to support beyond the results on the ice.
“Let’s go and give these people something to be proud of,” he said.
As the Thunder skated around the ice following their opening-night victory, fans stayed in their seats, cheering and pounding on the glass. For many, it was a familiar scene they had waited years to experience again.
The jerseys and chants brought back memories of Stockton’s hockey past, but Saturday night offered something new. A different roster now wears the Thunder name, with a new generation of players hoping to build the same connection with the city.
And with more than 5,000 fans there to welcome them, the new Thunder had their first chance to make that history their own.