BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Bloomington Prairie Thunder made a splash on Thursday with the announcement of their first signing of the 2010-11 season.

Veteran forward John Snowden, who finished last season with the Prairie Thunder after being acquired in a trade with the Dayton Gems, got the nod as the first player to return for the 2010-11 campaign. He was honored to earn that distinction.

“It’s pretty great…you don’t expect anything like that,” Snowden said. “I’m really happy that coach Skalde wanted me to get my contract done right away… it’s good peace of mind that I’ve signed early.”

Snowden started 15 games for Bloomington, netting 14 points (8 G, 6 A) and scoring two game-winning goals. He finished 17^th overall in scoring in the International Hockey League with 58 points in 74 games (when combining his numbers at Dayton and Bloomington).

Head Coach Jarrod Skalde made it clear that he wanted an exemplary player like Snowden back for the coming season.

"John is a veteran leader, who has excelled throughout his career, especially in the ECHL," Skalde said. "He is well-respected by his teammates and brings a high level of professionalism with him. The fact that he possesses strong leadership qualities and his ability to work with younger players will prove to be a big part of our success."

Snowden began his career with the Texas Wildcatters (ECHL) in 2003-04 after playing with the U.S. National Under-18 team for two years and the U.S. Junior National team for one year. The 6-foot, 210-pound native of Everett, Washington has tallied 378 career points (179 G, 199 A) in the ECHL, AHL, CHL and the German Premier League.

He scored 44 points (21 G, 23 A) in 59 games played with Dayton before being traded to Bloomington on March 15^th. Snowden enjoyed his time with the Gems, but also appreciated the opportunity to join the Prairie Thunder when he did.

“Dayton had a young team and we had a lot of talent,” Snowden said. “But I don’t know, our team just struggled to put things together…it’s one of those things. I loved playing for (Dayton Head Coach) John Marks. I love that man to death. I’ve played for him a couple of times, for a couple of years. He’s a hell of a man. He gave me an opportunity to go to a team that was pushing for a playoff spot with a lot of talent.”

John Snowden - Photo Credit: Bloomington Prairie Thunder

Snowden found it easy to integrate into the Prairie Thunder’s system and liked Skalde’s style of coaching. He scored a goal in his first game with the Prairie Thunder on March 17th. But Bloomington’s season took a wrong turn soon thereafter - they would win just four of their final 16 games. That collapse ended their run for the post-season and the Flint Generals took the final playoff berth.

Snowden doesn’t believe there was any individual failure that caused the breakdown.

“We just struggled as a team as a whole down the stretch. There was no one fault last year but the culmination of 20 guys that couldn’t put it together at the end.”

Despite the result, Snowden really enjoyed the city of Bloomington and fed off the energy of the fans. He also bonded quickly with his teammates.

“I found myself playing with two great players – (Craig) Macdonald and (Jon) Booras. It’s a great team and stepping onto the ice knowing that your two line mates - my center man and my winger - that we could score 2-3 goals per game; it was a pretty awesome feeling - a breath of fresh air for me when I got there. It kind of revived my love for the game…it brought me back to why I play and why I love it so much.”

With the off-season’s news of IHL teams joining the Central Hockey League, Snowden, like many other players, had positive things to say about the integration of the two leagues.

“I think it’s a great thing," Snowden said. "I think I’ve heard a couple of people say it and I couldn’t agree more – there were too many AA leagues that were trying to expand. You’ve got the East Coast League, you’ve got the Central League and you’ve got the IHL – that’s three leagues and there’s only a certain amount of players. Leagues start to get watered down after a while if you continue to add teams - you lose a good product.”

“It’s going to be a big thing," Snowden added. "It’s going to bring in more revenue and it’s going to compete with the East Coast League. It’s going to make things a lot different. Obviously, there are still a lot of things that have to be ironed out between the leagues. Hopefully they come to a good agreement that benefits both sides.”

For the Prairie Thunder and their fans, Snowden sees nothing but benefits.

“We’ll form new rivalries and get to see some different teams…I think you’re going to have a better product on the ice.” 

As he prepares to enter his eighth professional season, Snowden has no doubts about what he can contribute to the team.

“I think as an older guy, I bring a sense of leadership and professionalism to our team. I like to help younger guys get to know the league and what it takes to be a pro…I just want to be the guy in the locker room that keeps the guys together and make sure to do my part on the offensive side and defensive side and we’ll go from there.”

Contact the author at robert.keith@prohockeynews.com