Tulsa Oilers (hockey team)
Encyclopedia
The Tulsa Oilers are a professional ice hockey
team in the Central Hockey League
. The Oilers played their home games at the Maxwell Center (also known as Tulsa Convention Center
) until 2008, when they moved into the new BOK Center
. For many years, the Tulsa Oilers name was shared with Tulsa's former minor-league baseball team that pre-dated the Tulsa Drillers
. To reduce confusion in local news reporting, the hockey team was often called the "Ice Oilers", a moniker that continues to this day among many Tulsans.
The Oilers are one of only three teams that have played each season in the CHL
since its rebirth in 1992 (the other two being the Memphis RiverKings
and the Wichita Thunder
). The Oilers established a winning tradition, making the playoffs in nine of their first 13 seasons. However, their performance in recent years has been less successful: they have not made the playoffs since 2005 nor won a playoff series since 1994.
Present owner Jeff Lund played an integral part in assembling the 1992–93 team, a scrappy bunch led by veteran minor league coach and former NHL ironman Garry Unger
. The team, anchored by high-scoring forward Sylvain Naud and veteran goalie Tony Martino, finished the regular season in second place, right behind intrastate rival Oklahoma City
. However, in the revived league's first championship series the Oilers handily defeated the Blazers, clinching the title on OKC's home ice. Lund assumed ownership of the franchise in February 1999 after being the team's General Manager. Under Lund's direction, over two million fans have attended an Oilers game at the Tulsa Convention Center. Lund currently sits on the CHL Executive Committee.
. The team won the AHA championship that season, and again in the 1930–31 season. For the 1932–33 season, the Oilers moved to St. Paul, Minnesota and became the St. Paul Greyhounds, but halfway through the season they moved back to Tulsa once again becoming the Tulsa Oilers. At the end of the 1941–42 season the AHA disbanded due to World War II
.
for the 1945–46 season as a seven team league, once again including the Oilers. That league folded after the 1950–51 season. The team played at Avey's Coliseum during this time.
and Bill Levins. The league was operated by Ray and Monte Miron and funded by Chicago businessman and minor league sports entrepreneur Horn Chen
. With the creation of the new CHL the Tulsa Oilers were a team once again. Ray Miron once coached the Oilers in the old CHL and his son Monte had played for the Oilers in 1973–74. Tulsa claimed the CHL championship in the CHL's inaugural season under General Manager Jeff Lund as head coach Harry Unger.
The Oilers established a winning tradition, making the playoffs in nine of their first 13 seasons. However, with a decline in their performance and not qualifying for the playoffs since 2005 nor winning a playoff series since 1994, owner Jeff Lund hired former player Taylor Hall as Oilers General Manager on May 3, 2008. After finishing third to last in the CHL with 18 wins in 64 games in the 2008–09 season, Hall hired Head Coach Bruce Ramsay, fresh off a trip to the IHL's Turner Cup finals with the Muskegon Fury
, on May 21, 2009.
In Ramsay's first season as coach in 2009–10 season, the Oilers rebounded with 28 wins in 64 games to post the second highest point total increase in the CHL from the previous season. On September 2, 2010, the Oilers announced their first National Hockey League affiliation since their reformation in 1992 with the Colorado Avalanche, joining the Lake Erie Monsters
of the AHL
.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team in the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
. The Oilers played their home games at the Maxwell Center (also known as Tulsa Convention Center
Tulsa Convention Center
The Maxwell Convention Center or Tulsa Convention Center is a 7,111-seat multi-purpose arena in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The civic arena was constructed in 1964 and named for Tulsa Mayor James L. Maxwell who was the driving force behind the planning and start of the venue...
) until 2008, when they moved into the new BOK Center
BOK Center
The BOK Center, or Bank of Oklahoma Center, is a 19,100-seat multi-purpose arena and a primary indoor sports and event venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. Designed to accommodate arena football, hockey, basketball, concerts, and similar events, the facility was built at a cost of $178 million...
. For many years, the Tulsa Oilers name was shared with Tulsa's former minor-league baseball team that pre-dated the Tulsa Drillers
Tulsa Drillers
The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies major-league club.-Stadium:...
. To reduce confusion in local news reporting, the hockey team was often called the "Ice Oilers", a moniker that continues to this day among many Tulsans.
The Oilers are one of only three teams that have played each season in the CHL
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
since its rebirth in 1992 (the other two being the Memphis RiverKings
Memphis RiverKings
The Mississippi RiverKings are a professional minor league ice hockey team. The RiverKings are a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League, playing their first nineteen seasons from the 1992–93 season to the 2010–11 season in the Central Hockey League The Mississippi RiverKings...
and the Wichita Thunder
Wichita Thunder
The Wichita Thunder are a minor league hockey team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team plays in the Central Hockey League. From 1992 until January 2010 the Thunder played in the Britt Brown Arena located in the northern Wichita suburb of Park City...
). The Oilers established a winning tradition, making the playoffs in nine of their first 13 seasons. However, their performance in recent years has been less successful: they have not made the playoffs since 2005 nor won a playoff series since 1994.
Present owner Jeff Lund played an integral part in assembling the 1992–93 team, a scrappy bunch led by veteran minor league coach and former NHL ironman Garry Unger
Garry Unger
Garry Douglas "Iron Man" Unger is a former professional ice hockey centre who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1967 until 1983.- Playing career :...
. The team, anchored by high-scoring forward Sylvain Naud and veteran goalie Tony Martino, finished the regular season in second place, right behind intrastate rival Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Blazers
The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Northwest Division of the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Their colors were burgundy, gold and white...
. However, in the revived league's first championship series the Oilers handily defeated the Blazers, clinching the title on OKC's home ice. Lund assumed ownership of the franchise in February 1999 after being the team's General Manager. Under Lund's direction, over two million fans have attended an Oilers game at the Tulsa Convention Center. Lund currently sits on the CHL Executive Committee.
Tulsa Oilers: 1926–1942 (AHA)
The original Oilers joined the five team American Hockey Association as an expansion team in 1928. Their first home game was January 1, 1929, against the Duluth Hornets as part of the grand opening of the Tulsa ColiseumTulsa Coliseum
The Tulsa Coliseum was an indoor arena built in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the corner of Fifth Street and Elgin Avenue. Walter Whiteside, a Minnesota millionaire, constructed it in 1928. It hosted the Central Hockey League's Tulsa Oilers from 1945 to 1951. The arena held 4,502 people...
. The team won the AHA championship that season, and again in the 1930–31 season. For the 1932–33 season, the Oilers moved to St. Paul, Minnesota and became the St. Paul Greyhounds, but halfway through the season they moved back to Tulsa once again becoming the Tulsa Oilers. At the end of the 1941–42 season the AHA disbanded due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
- Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
rs Duke KeatsDuke KeatsGordon Blanchard "Duke, Iron Duke" Keats was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for the Toronto Blueshirts of the National Hockey Association , Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Canada Hockey League and the Boston Bruins, Detroit Cougars and Chicago Black Hawks of the National...
and Bill CowleyBill CowleyWilliam Mailes "Cowboy" Cowley was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Eagles and Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
played for short periods on the Tulsa Oilers during this period.
Tulsa Oilers: 1945–1951 (USHL)
The AHA was reorganized as the United States Hockey LeagueUnited States Hockey League (1945-51)
The United States Hockey League was a minor professional ice hockey league that operated from 1945 to 1951. It was a post-World War II revival of the American Hockey Association, which shut down in the fall of 1942 . The league playoff champion was awarded the Paul W...
for the 1945–46 season as a seven team league, once again including the Oilers. That league folded after the 1950–51 season. The team played at Avey's Coliseum during this time.
- Hockey Hall of Famer Clint SmithClint SmithClinton James "Snuffy" Smith was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and head coach best known for his time spent in the National Hockey League as a player with the New York Rangers and the Chicago Black Hawks...
played the 47–48 season with the Tulsa Oilers after a stellar 11 year career in the NHL with the New York RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
and Chicago Black HawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
and won the USHL Most Valuable Player award.
Tulsa Oilers: 1964–1984 (CHL)
The original Central Hockey League was founded in the 1963–64 season, and the Tulsa Oilers joined that league for the 1964–65 season. The team suspended its operations on February 16, 1984, when its owners went bankrupt and the Tulsa Oilers went into receivership. Other teams in the league paid to keep the Oilers in operation so as not to unbalance the schedule, but the Oilers played only road games for final six weeks of 1983–84 season. Despite this difficulty, the team (under coach Tom Webster) went on to win the league championship before the CHL disbanded following the end of the season.- Ice hockey commentator Don CherryDon CherryDon Cherry may refer to:* Don Cherry hockey player, coach, and commentator* Don Cherry , trumpeter* Don Cherry...
best known for his work at Hockey Night in CanadaHockey Night in CanadaHockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
played one season with the Oilers in 65–66. - Hockey Hall of Famer Marcel PronovostMarcel PronovostJoseph Rene Marcel Pronovost was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League. He played for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.Marcel was one of the best defensive defenceman of his era...
followed his 20 year NHL career with two seasons of play on the Tulsa Oilers in the 69–70 and 70–71 seasons. - Five players from the 1980 Miracle on IceMiracle on IceThe "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
team played for the Tulsa Oilers in the late 70s and early 80s. These include Dave SilkDave SilkDavid Mark "Silky" Silk is a retired professional American ice hockey forward who played 249 NHL regular season games for the Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers between 1980 and 1985.-Amateur career:Silk attended Thayer Academy in Braintree, where he scored 85...
, Bill Baker, Steve JanaszakSteve JanaszakSteven James Janaszak is a retired American ice hockey goaltender who played three games in the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars and Colorado Rockies between 1980 and 1982.-Amateur career:...
, Rob McClanahanRob McClanahanRobert Bruce McClanahan is a former American professional ice hockey player who played 224 games in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres, Hartford Whalers and New York Rangers between 1980 and 1983. However, he is best known for being a member of the U.S. hockey team in the 1980 Winter Olympics...
, and Bob SuterBob SuterRobert Allen Suter is a retired American ice hockey defenseman and member of the Miracle on Ice 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team won the gold medal team...
. - The General Manager of the Washington CapitalsWashington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
, George McPheeGeorge McPheeGeorge McPhee is the general manager of the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals as well as the team's alternate governor and vice president...
, played for the Tulsa Oilers in the mid 80s, including the 1983-84 team which won the CHL championship while being in receivership status.
Tulsa Oilers: 1992 – present (CHL)
A new Central Hockey League was created in 1992 as a centrally owned league, owned by Ray MironRay Miron
Ray Miron is the former owner of the new Central Hockey League, founded in 1992 by Miron and William "Bill" Levins, as well as a former National Hockey League executive, serving in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and as General Manager of the Colorado Rockies . They founded the league under...
and Bill Levins. The league was operated by Ray and Monte Miron and funded by Chicago businessman and minor league sports entrepreneur Horn Chen
Horn Chen
Horn Chen is a Chicago-based businessman and minor league sports entrepreneur. He is the founder of the Central Hockey League, which began to play in 1992...
. With the creation of the new CHL the Tulsa Oilers were a team once again. Ray Miron once coached the Oilers in the old CHL and his son Monte had played for the Oilers in 1973–74. Tulsa claimed the CHL championship in the CHL's inaugural season under General Manager Jeff Lund as head coach Harry Unger.
The Oilers established a winning tradition, making the playoffs in nine of their first 13 seasons. However, with a decline in their performance and not qualifying for the playoffs since 2005 nor winning a playoff series since 1994, owner Jeff Lund hired former player Taylor Hall as Oilers General Manager on May 3, 2008. After finishing third to last in the CHL with 18 wins in 64 games in the 2008–09 season, Hall hired Head Coach Bruce Ramsay, fresh off a trip to the IHL's Turner Cup finals with the Muskegon Fury
Muskegon Fury
The Muskegon Fury was a International Hockey League ice hockey team located in Muskegon, Michigan.The Fury were established in 1992 after the original Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League's previous incarnation relocated to Cleveland, Ohio...
, on May 21, 2009.
In Ramsay's first season as coach in 2009–10 season, the Oilers rebounded with 28 wins in 64 games to post the second highest point total increase in the CHL from the previous season. On September 2, 2010, the Oilers announced their first National Hockey League affiliation since their reformation in 1992 with the Colorado Avalanche, joining the Lake Erie Monsters
Lake Erie Monsters
The Lake Erie Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They began play in the 2007–08 AHL season at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
.
Championships
| Year | League | Trophy |
|---|---|---|
| 1967–68 | CHL | Adams Cup Adams Cup The Adams Cup was awarded annually to the championship team in Central Hockey League.The CHL was a top-tier minor professional league that operated in the United States from 1963 to 1984. It was owned and operated by the National Hockey League... |
| 1975–76 | CHL | Adams Cup Adams Cup The Adams Cup was awarded annually to the championship team in Central Hockey League.The CHL was a top-tier minor professional league that operated in the United States from 1963 to 1984. It was owned and operated by the National Hockey League... |
| 1983–84 | CHL | Adams Cup Adams Cup The Adams Cup was awarded annually to the championship team in Central Hockey League.The CHL was a top-tier minor professional league that operated in the United States from 1963 to 1984. It was owned and operated by the National Hockey League... |
| 1992–93 | CHL Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs.... |
William “Bill” Levins Memorial Cup Ray Miron President's Cup The Ray Miron President's Cup goes to the play-off champion of the Central Hockey League. The Ray Miron President's Cup has been awarded to teams since 2002. Prior to 2002, the playoff winner was awarded the Ray Miron Cup. The current cup is named after Ray Miron, one of the league's co-founders... |