Stockton Thunder The Stockton Thunder are a minor league professional ice hockey team from Stockton , California . The Thunder are a member of the ECHL , and began playing in the 2005 – 06 season . The Stockton Arena is their home ice . Stockton is an affiliate team of the Edmonton Oilers and the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League . Franchise history . Cincinnati , Birmingham and Atlantic City . The Stockton Thunder franchise began as the first incarnation of the Cincinnati Cyclones , who were an expansion franchise that joined the East Coast Hockey League in 1990 . The Cyclones would reach the Riley Cup playoffs in their first two seasons , reaching the semifinals in the 1991 - 92 season . Following the 1991 - 92 season , Cincinnati ' s owner Doug Kirchhofer was granted an expansion franchise in the International Hockey League and took all Cyclones colors , logos and monikers to be adopted by his future Cincinnati IHL franchise . The ECHL moved the franchise rights that had been held by Kirchhofer to Birmingham , Alabama . The new franchise was named the Birmingham Bulls , named after the former former World Hockey Association franchise that played in Birmingham from 1976 – 79 . The Bulls played their home games at the Birmingham - Jefferson Convention Complex from 1992 until 2001 . The Bulls would make the playoffs five out of their nine seasons in Birmingham , reaching the Riley Cup semifinals during the 1993 - 94 season . Following the 2000 - 01 season , the Birmingham Bulls would move to Atlantic City , New Jersey and become the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies . The Bullies would find success quickly in the ECHL , reaching the Conference Finals during the 2002 Kelly Cup playoffs and winning the Northeast Division title the following season . The Bullies would continue their streak through the 2003 Kelly Cup playoffs , winning the Kelly Cup after defeating the Columbia Inferno , 4 games to 1 . Despite winning a division crown and making playoff appearances in all of their four seasons in New Jersey , including the 2003 Kelly Cup championship , the Bullies were unable to maintain a large average attendance . Following the 2004 - 05 season , the Bullies were sold to an ownership group out of Stockton , California that moved the team into Stockton Arena which was to open during the 2005 - 06 season . Stockton Thunder . The Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies were relocated to Stockton following the 2004 - 05 season and the franchise was named the Stockton Thunder after Thunder beat out Brawlers , Fog , Skate , Spears and Stallions in a name the team contest . Before the 2006 - 07 season , the Thunder reached an affiliation agreement with the National Hockey League ' s Edmonton Oilers to be their secondary affiliate after the American Hockey League ' s Springfield Falcons . Midway through the 2009 - 10 season , the Thunder would pick up a second NHL affiliate following an agreement with the San Jose Sharks and their AHL farm team , the Worcester Sharks . In January 2007 , the Thunder and Stockton Arena were chosen to host the 2008 ECHL All - Star Game . Three Thunder players , Ryan MacMurchy , Brad Farynuk and Andy Contois , were selected to the National Conference ' s All - Star team . The National Conference would win the exhibition , defeating the American Conference 10 – 7 and Victoria Salmon Kings ' forward Ash Goldie was named the game ' s Most Valuable Player . In February 2010 , Stockton Hockey Franchise Group , Inc . sold the team to SC Hockey Franchise Corp . , headed by Canadian oil executive Brad Rowbotham and the ECHL Board of Governors unanimously approved the transfer of controlling interest in April , 2010 . Since relocating to Stockton , four alumni have played in the NHL as of January 2009 .