At the start of the season, MK Thunder and MK Storm Juniors launched a new collaborative project prioritising the development of talented young players from Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas.

The partnership was established with the aim of enabling both clubs to pool together resources and lay the foundations for a talented stream of MK junior players into senior hockey.

By facilitating sustained success for Milton Keynes trained and located players at the top level of the sport, the aim was to ensure the best young local talent remained in Milton Keynes to continue their development.

The proposed link would see a formalised agreement between the clubs, with a guarantee of three U16 (second year) prospect slots and five U18 prospect slots for players who have progressed through the MK system.

Within five months of Project Thunderstorm’s launch, an impressive five Under 16s and seven Under 19s have trained and iced for MK Thunder.

The young players have found themselves on the scoresheet too – including 17-year-old Sam Purcell, who scored his first senior goal for Thunder earlier this month and is one of two players to have already established themselves as fully-fledged squad members.

A special moment for 17-year-old Sam Purcell, who scored his first senior goal for @WeAreMKThunder last weekend ⚡❤️

Sam is a product of Project Thunder-Storm and highlights the importance of investing in local youth.

Keep up the fantastic work, Sam 👏 pic.twitter.com/FYQfXrLSX0

— England Ice Hockey (@EngIceHockey) January 10, 2025

Purcell was also awarded the club’s Player of the Month award for December, as voted for by his team-mates.

Reflecting on the early success of Project Thunderstorm, MK Thunder head coach Will Fry said: “Our plan was always to build a roster around a core of talented, raw, young players who would grow and develop together over a longer period into a team that will ultimately be in a position to challenge the top end of the table in years to come.

“This is in addition to fostering athletes who could move on to higher opportunities both at club and international level, in turn inspiring others to do the same.”

Thunder head coach Fry underlined his commitment to the long-term success of the project by agreeing a three-year contract extension at the end of 2024.

When launching the project, MK Thunder emphasised the need for partnerships between senior and junior clubs, describing the link-up as “fundamental for the sustained development of talented, motivated and inspired athletes”.

MK Thunder general manager Lauren Cox added: “Project Thunderstorm has enabled us to embrace not only what benefits the club but also what is beneficial for the sport as a whole.”

Everyone at England Ice Hockey looks forward to watching the progression of Project Thunderstorm, and we’d like to wish both MK Thunder and MK Storm Juniors all the best for the remainder of the season and beyond.

Photo credit: Eat My Pixels

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