| Las Vegas Thunderbirds | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Summerlin South, Nevada |
| League | United States Premier Hockey League |
| Division | Premier – Pacific |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Home arena | City National Arena (2020–2024) Pepsi Ice Arena (2019–2020) |
| Colors | Black, orange, grey, white |
| Owner(s) | Marco Benvenuti, Joe Micatrotto, Allan Creel |
| Head coach | Matthew Johnson Landon Quinney |
| Affiliate | Ogden Mustangs (NCDC) |
| Website | https://tbirds.vegas/ |
| Franchise history | |
| 2019–2024 | Las Vegas Thunderbirds |
| 2024–present | Henderson Force |
| Championships | |
| Division titles | 1 (2022–23) |
TheLas Vegas Thunderbirds were ajuniorice hockey team in theUnited States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). The Thunderbirds played their home games atCity National Arena inSummerlin South, Nevada, in theLas Vegas Valley.
The Las Vegas Thunderbirds were announced by theWestern States Hockey League (WSHL) as an expansion team on February 14, 2019.[1][2] They began play in the 2019–20 season.[3] Team ownership included Corey St. Germain, while its president was announced as formerNHL playerJohn Marks. Marks had previously coached at junior and professional hockey. He retired from coaching in 2015 after four seasons leading theFargo Force of theUnited States Hockey League.[4] The team played their first season at SoBe Ice Arena.
In 2020, the Thunderbirds left the WSHL after one season and joined another independent junior hockey league, theUnited States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), at the Premier (Tier III) level.[5] They also moved their home games toCity National Arena beginning with the 2020–21 season. In 2022, the team improved and reaching the conference final against the Fresno Monsters. In 2023, they clinched their first division title by sweeping Fresno in the playoff final. This result allowed the Thunderbirds to advance to the USPHL Premier National Championship, held in Utica, New York, for the first time in their history.
In June 2023, three local Las Vegas entrepreneurs — Joe Micatrotto, Marco Benvenuti and Allan Creel — purchased the team from Adam Bonaldi and Corey St. Germain.[6] The team relocated toHenderson, Nevada for the 2024–25 season, and were rebranded as theHenderson Force.[7]
| Season | GP | W | L | OTW | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WSHL | |||||||||||
| 2019–20 | 51 | 26 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 83[a] | 194 | 146 | 605 | 3rd of 5, Western 11th of 20, WSHL | Playoffs cancelled |
| USPHL–Premier | |||||||||||
| 2020–21 | 40 | 24 | 14 | — | 2 | 50 | 196 | 149 | 1028 | 2nd of 5, Pacific 28th of 62, USPHL-Premier | Won Div. Semifinal game, 4–0 (Anaheim Avalanche) Lost Division Championship game, 2–7 (Fresno Monsters) |
| 2021–22 | 44 | 29 | 14 | — | 1 | 59 | 213 | 192 | 857 | 2nd of 6, Pacific 20th of 64, USPHL-Premier | Won Div. Semifinal, 2–0 (Lake Tahoe Lakers) Lost division finals, 0–2 (Fresno Monsters) |
| 2022–23 | 46 | 34 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 71 | 278 | 148 | 881 | 2nd of 7, Pacific 12th of 69, USPHL-Premier | Won Div. Semifinal, 2–0 (Ontario Jr. Reign) Won Division Finals, 2-0 (Fresno Monsters) Seeding Rd: (L, 2–5 (Metro Jets); L, 2–4 (Tampa Bay Juniors) Lost Eighthfinal, 3–6 (Richmond Generals) |
| 2023–24 | 46 | 31 | 14 | 1 | - | 63 | 222 | 151 | 857 | 3rd of 7, Pacific 17th of 61, USPHL-Premier | Lost Div. Semifinal, 0-2 (Ontario Jr. Reign) |
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