Thunderbirds acquire four players from Wolves

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Twin City Thunderbirds have completed a trade with the Watertown Wolves. Twin City has traded defenseman James Farmer to Watertown in exchange for defensemen Zach Papapetros and Nick Magill-Diaz, and forwards Chris Corgan and Brad Reitter.

Zach Papapetros, 25, Defenseman, of North Andover, Massachusetts, skated in twenty-one FPHL games last season between the Topeka Scarecrows and Watertown Wolves. He recorded twelve assists in nineteen games for Topeka before notching one assist in two games with Watertown. Papapetros made his professional hockey debut during the 2024-2025 season. He appeared in one game for the Quad City Storm (SPHL, Moline, Illinois) before joining the Athens Rock Lobsters. Papapetros scored one goal and recorded six assists for seven total points in twelve regular-season games with Athens. He also added one assist in three postseason appearances for the Rock Lobsters. Papapetros has scored one goal and notched nineteen assists for twenty total points in thirty-three career FPHL regular-season games. Prior to professional hockey, he played four seasons collegiately at Castleton University (NCAA DIII, Castleton, Vermont). Papapetros scored fifteen goals and recorded forty-four assists for fifty-nine total points in one hundred and one collegiate games. He also played two seasons for the East Coast Wizards (EHL, Bedford, Massachusetts), scoring nine goals and recording fifty-four assists for sixty-three total points in eighty games. He is 6’0”, 170 lbs., and is a righthanded shot.

Nick Magill-Diaz, 29, Defenseman, of Clawson, Michigan, skated in fifty-two games for the Pee Dee IceCats during the 2025-2026 season. He scored five goals and recorded twelve assists for seventeen total points. Magill-Diaz also notched seven assists in nine postseason games for Pee Dee. He has appeared in one hundred and fifty-six career FPHL regular-season games, scoring twenty-two goals and recording fifty-seven assists for seventy-nine total points. Magill-Diaz began his professional hockey career during the 2022-2023 season with the Motor City Rockers. He has also appeared in forty-seven SPHL games with the Vermilion County Bobcats, Quad City Storm, Pensacola Ice Flyers, Birmingham Bulls, and Macon Mayhem. Magill-Diaz appeared in ten games for Trine University (NCAA DIII, Angola, Indiana) before continuing his collegiate career at Curry College (NCAA DIII, Milton, Massachusetts). He scored thirteen goals and recorded twenty assists for thirty-three total points in seventy-one games at Curry. Prior to college, Magill-Diaz played junior hockey for the Northern Cyclones (EHL, Hudson, New Hampshire) and Philadelphia Little Flyers (EHL, Aston, Pennsylvania). He scored ten goals and notched thirty-eight assists for forty-eight total points in fifty games with Philadelphia. He is 5’9”, 185 lbs., and is a righthanded shot.

Chris Corgan, 31, Forward, of Spring Lake, Michigan, skated in forty-five games last season for Watertown. He scored four goals and recorded thirteen assists for seventeen total points. Corgan returns to Twin City after appearing in eight games for the Thunderbirds during the 2021-2022 season. He recorded two assists during his first stint with the organization. Corgan has appeared in one hundred and sixty career FPHL regular-season games. He has scored twenty-seven goals and notched fifty-five assists for eighty-two total points during his time in the league. Corgan has previously skated for the Motor City Rockers, Delaware Thunder, Watertown Wolves, Blue Ridge Bobcats, and Monroe Moccasins. He also appeared in eleven games for the Macon Mayhem (SPHL, Macon, Georgia), recording three assists. Corgan appeared in one game at Northland College (NCAA DIII, Ashland, Wisconsin) before playing three seasons collegiately at Davenport University (ACHA DI, Grand Rapids, Michigan). He scored twenty-two goals and recorded thirty-nine assists for sixty-one total points in ninety games with Davenport. Corgan’s junior career included time with the Point Mallard Ducks (NA3HL, Decatur, Alabama), Blind River Beavers (NOJHL, Blind River, Ontario), Thorold Blackhawks (GOJHL, Thorold, Ontario), Strathroy Rockets (GOJHL, Strathroy, Ontario), and Chatham Maroons (GOJHL, Chatham, Ontario). He is 6’2”, 190 lbs., and is a righthanded shot.

Brad Reitter, 31, Forward, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, appeared in fifty-three games for Watertown during the 2025-2026 season. He scored seven goals and recorded twenty-three assists for thirty total points. Reitter has appeared in one hundred and sixty-eight career FPHL regular-season games. He has scored thirty-two goals and notched eighty-two assists for one hundred and fourteen total points. Reitter made his FPHL debut with the Motor City Rockers during the 2022-2023 season. He scored twelve goals and recorded thirty-five assists for forty-seven total points in fifty-five games during his first year in the league. Reitter remained with Motor City through the 2024-2025 season and also appeared in twenty-eight games for the Monroe Moccasins that year before joining Watertown. Prior to his FPHL career, Reitter played one season for Trelleborgs IF (Sweden Division 2, Trelleborg, Sweden). His collegiate career included time at SUNY Canton (NCAA DIII, Canton, New York) and Davenport University (ACHA DI, Grand Rapids, Michigan). Prior to college, Reitter played junior hockey for the Point Mallard Ducks (NA3HL, Decatur, Alabama) and Vermont Lumberjacks (EHL, Burlington, Vermont). He scored nine goals and recorded twenty-nine assists for thirty-eight total points in forty-one games with Vermont. He is 5’7”, 170 lbs., and is a lefthanded shot.

James Farmer, 25, Defenseman, of Mississauga, Ontario, skated in forty-seven games for Twin City during the 2025-2026 season. He scored two goals and recorded ten assists for twelve total points. Farmer spent the entirety of his three-year FPHL career with the Thunderbirds. He appeared in one hundred and fifty-four regular-season games, scoring six goals and notching forty-one assists for forty-seven total points. Farmer made his professional hockey debut with the Thunderbirds during the 2023-2024 season. He also appeared in six SPHL games with the Knoxville Ice Bears and Fayetteville Marksmen that year, recording one assist. Prior to professional hockey, Farmer played two seasons collegiately at SUNY Morrisville (NCAA DIII, Morrisville, New York). He appeared in forty-two games for the Mustangs, scoring one goal and recording seven assists for eight total points. Farmer’s junior career included time with the Caledon Golden Hawks (PJHL, Caledon, Ontario), Caledonia Corvairs (GOJHL, Caledonia, Ontario), Brantford 99ers (GOJHL, Brantford, Ontario), Georgetown Raiders (OJHL, Georgetown, Ontario), Elmira Sugar Kings (GOJHL, Elmira, Ontario), and Pittsburgh Vengeance (USPHL, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). He is 6’1”, 190 lbs., and is a lefthanded shot.