Evansville, In.: The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes are pleased to announce the signing of forward Damon Zimmer for the 2025-26 season. The Thunderbolts will raise their President’s Cup Championship banner prior to their 2025-26 home opener at Ford Center on Saturday, October 25th against the Quad City Storm.
Zimmer served as team captain at Salve Regina University in the 2024-25 season, the final of his four seasons at Salve Regina which began in 2021-22. In 104 total regular season games, Zimmer scored 22 goals and 56 points along with a +29 rating. The native of Camrose, Alberta played parts of four seasons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League between 2016-2020, playing briefly with the Okotoks Oilers late in 2016-17 before joining the Spruce Grove Saints for 2017-18, with whom Zimmer won the Inter Pipeline Cup as AJHL champions. From 2018-2020, Zimmer played his two final AJHL seasons with his hometown Camrose Kodiaks. Zimmer finished with 26 goals and 73 points in 145 regular season AJHL games before playing one final season of junior hockey in the United States with the Minot Minotauros of the NAHL, scoring 13 goals and 23 points in 53 regular season games.
“I chose to sign with the Thunderbolts because of the winning culture portrayed by everyone in the organization,” said Zimmer on joining Evansville. Zimmer continued: “The things I have heard about the team are nothing but glowing, great people from top to bottom and true sense of family, and I look forward to becoming part of the family! It was also very important to me to play for an organization that has great fan support, and Evansville looks amazing in that aspect.” Speaking on how he approaches the game on the ice, Zimmer said: “As a player, I pride myself on being a 200-foot forward who takes care of both the defensive and offensive zones and doing whatever else is needed of me to help the team succeed.” Zimmer closed by saying: “I am excited to be fortunate enough to be a part of an amazing organization and play for an amazing fanbase. I can’t wait to get to Evansville in October!”
On the addition of Zimmer, Head Coach Jeff Bes commented: “Damon is a big power forward who does all the little details that you don’t see, that helps the team be successful. He is a leader, was captain of his college team, and knows what it takes to be a part of a successful team.”
