THUNDERBIRDS TRADE FOR DEFENSIVE DEPTH, OFFENSIVE PROWESS

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (September 14, 2017) – The Carolina Thunderbirds have agreed to a trade with the Cornwall Nationals. The Thunderbirds have traded the rights to Ryan Wilkinson and Eric Witzel to the Nationals in exchange for John Schiavo and Stanislav Vlasov.

Schiavo, 23-years-old, from East Patchogue, NY, stands at 5’10” and weighs 181 pounds. The forward Schiavo began his career with the Macon Mayhem of the Southern Professional Hockey League in 2015, and saw a brief stint with the Missouri Mavericks of the East Coast Hockey League. He has since played for the Watertown Wolves, Danbury Titans, Huntsville Havoc, and the Mississippi RiverKings. This summer Schiavo won a gold medal with the United States National Inline Hockey Team at the IIHF Inline Hockey World Championships.

Stanislav Vlasov, a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, is 5’10” and 179 pounds. A 3-year veteran of the FHL, Vlasov started with the Danbury Whalers during the 2013-2014 season. The defenseman most recently played for the Berlin River Drivers last season, appearing in 17 games, scoring 2 goals and 12 assists, with 17 penalty minutes and plus 4 rating.

Head Coach Andre Niec commented on the acquisition of both players; “Vlasov is a very hard-working guy, he played for me last year in Berlin and he was one of the guys that never gave up, he always plays with heart and 100% effort. He sticks up for his teammates and has the right attitude. Schiavo is a very skilled guy and we see him as being one of our leaders. He is very good at holding the puck and will be a strong addition on the Power-Play.”

The Thunderbirds 2017-2018 regular season starts with opening weekend on Friday and Saturday, November 3 and 4. Individual game tickets go on sale Monday, October 18 at 10 am. Season tickets for the Thunderbirds are on sale now for the 2017-2018 season and start as low as $55. Call 336.774.4685 for additional season ticket information. Advertising, corporate partnership, and group ticket opportunities are available for the 2017-2018 season, for more information please call 336.774.GOAL(4625) or email info@carolinathunderbirds.com.

The Carolina Thunderbirds play in the Federal Hockey League, which celebrates its 8th season in 2017-2018.