Thrown to the Thunder: Dillon Clark's Wild Ride with the Carolina Thunderbirds

By: Graham Tuck

Q News

In 2019, the Carolina Thunderbirds dominated the Federal Hockey League (now Federal Prospects Hockey League) en route to a Commissioner's Cup win.  Since then, they have yet to play a full season with fans at home due to COVID-19.  

This year, they are back at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex, but things look a little bit different.  This starts with the man whose voice fans hear on the air during their games: Thunderbirds broadcaster and Vice President of Media Relations, Dillon Clark.

Dillon Clark on the Thunderbirds returning to playing home games

On the Road Again...and Again...and Again

The Thunderbirds were lucky to play a season at all in 2020, but it came with a catch.  The team did not play a single home game during the entire season.  

Despite losing over half of their roster from the previous season, the team posted a respectable record of 10-9-1. This helped the team maintain their streak of now four consecutive seasons with a winning record, all four years since the team returned to Winston-Salem.  

A Timeline of Professional Hockey in Winston-Salem

The fans couldn't see their team in person, so they were forced to follow along on YouTube or local radio with play-by-play broadcaster Drew Blevins.  After the season concluded, Blevins left for a position with the nearby Fayetteville Marksmen.  Dillon Clark was the man selected to fill his shoes.

Blevins was unavailable to record an interview, but was quoted as saying "Dillon is the best man for the job in all aspects.  He has the talent on air combined with the passion and drive to succeed behind the desk as well."

Adjusting on the Fly

Even Clark himself would tell you that there have been a lot of parts of his job that he wasn't expecting to be so difficult.  Clark said, "the roster changes almost every day", which is a change of pace for Clark.  

Clark on adjusting to the new position with the Thunderbirds

He comes from the University of South Carolina, where he was the broadcaster for their club hockey team.  As is the case with most college sports, their roster was set prior to the season and did not change from week to week.

A New Look and Sound

Clark hasn't exactly had the easiest job so far with the Thunderbirds.  The fans of the team are rooting for a lot of new faces, as only six players from that 2019 championship winning roster are still on the team.  

Thunderbirds fan James Wilson was quoted as saying that "it's hard to watch the Thunderbirds at times when they aren't the Thunderbirds that you fell in love with." That being said, Clark says that the fans are quickly coming to like the current roster.  

Clark on the new look roster for the Thunderbirds

Sitting at a record of 5-5-1 as of December 8th, if the team can keep up its good start, they will continue to garner more support from the group of fans affectionately known as the "flock".

Clark on the Thunderbirds' season