… will likely be equipment manager Brad Brungardt. That was part of the news — all bad — shared by Thunder GM Joel Lomurno about 30 minutes ago in a phone call from Laredo, where he was trying to work out immigration issues.
Immigration paperwork wasn’t completed on time for six players, including goalie Krister Toews. So, as of late afternoon Friday, Brungardt was expected to be the backup for newly added Dan McWhinney.
Other casualties of the paperwork problem, which Lomurno blamed on the short-lived players’ strike, will be Stan Yanchishyn, Troy Ofukany, Chris Shudo, Connor MacDonald, Krister Toews. They are expected to play tomorrow in the home opener.
The Thunder scrambled and found five replacement players.