Perks, Thompson selected by Motor City in expansion draft

Winston-Salem, NC – A pair of Thunderbirds will begin the upcoming season wearing different uniforms. Forwards Tim Perks and Everett Thompson were selected by the Motor City Rockers during last week’s FPHL expansion draft.

Thompson spent parts of four seasons in Carolina, joining the team in 2018. After setting a career high of 119 PIMs in 2021-2022, Thompson currently sits second on the franchise PIM list with 324 in his Thunderbirds career. The Walker, MI native’s 74 games played and 49 points with Carolina put him in the top-20 of both franchise categories.

“E.T. is a very good leader and always a pleasure to have at the rink,” said Thunderbirds Head Coach Garrett Rutledge. “With his big presence on and off the ice, alongside a love for the game, E.T. makes everyone around him a better person. Motor City is getting a very well-rounded and experienced player.”

While only playing in ten games with the Thunderbirds this season, Tim Perks made a substantial impact. Along with racking up four points in his first three games, Perks made clear his abilities as a 200-foot player.

When asked about Perks’ role with the team, Rutledge remarked, “It was a small body of work that had a big impact in our program. Tim is a very dedicated player who helped us very much last season when we were short players. He logged a lot of ice after donning the Thunderbirds jersey.”

Perks concluded his brief stint in Carolina with two goals and six assists in ten games.

The Motor City Rockers will be based in Fraser, MI and begin competition in the upcoming FPHL season. The 2022-2023 campaign will also see teams return to Biloxi, MS and Elmira, NY.

Further expansion selections will be made by the incoming teams in the month of June. For up-to-date information on the Carolina Thunderbirds, go to www.carolinathunderbirds.com, or follow the team on Twitter @carolinatbirds.