by: BARRY LEWIS World Sports Writer
Friday, September 03, 2010
9/3/2010 7:17:22 AM

JENKS – Tulsa Oilers owner Jeff Lund doesn’t often wear a cap, but he made an exception on Thursday when he donned one with a Colorado Avalanche logo.

“This is big for us,” Lund said after the announcement of the Oilers’ new affiliations with the NHL’s Avalanche and American Hockey League’s Lake Erie Monsters.

For the first time since the Central Hockey League revived in 1992, the Oilers have an affiliation that will bring them players assigned from an NHL team. The number of players the Oilers will receive from the Avalanche or the Monsters will depend on several factors.

“We are not exactly sure yet about how many players; it’s still too early in the game to tell,” Oilers general manager Taylor Hall said during a press conference at the Twisted Tilt Sports Bar and Grill. “It depends on injuries all the way down the line and how many guys they sign. In the NHL, you usually have a few extra guys around, same thing in the American League, but at some point in time they always want those players playing. You are better having a player contributing at a lower level, so when you call him up, he’s ready to go.

“We are hopeful for as many as we can get. It took a long time, but it’s wonderful this has happened.”

Last season, the Oilers received goalie Trevor Cann from the Avalanche and Lake Erie. Cann, a 2007 second-round draft pick by Colorado, was 11-6-1 with the Oilers before returning to Lake Erie, which is Colorado’s top affiliate.

“We are excited to begin this new affiliation with the Tulsa Oilers,” said David Oliver, the Avalanche’s director of player development and Lake Erie general manager, in a press release. “We are confident this organization in Tulsa will provide the right environment for our players in the Central Hockey League. Their leadership group and staff have the necessary resources to support the development of our prospects.”

Cann’s assignment to the Oilers last December led to Tulsa’s affiliation with Colorado, which won the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001.

“We were having goaltending problems and it just got to a point that I was getting tired of it,” Oilers coach Bruce Ramsay said. “I got on the bus after a tough loss and I got an e-mail on my phone from Lake Erie asking if anybody in the Central Hockey League was interested in a goaltender. I looked at (Oilers equipment manager) Steve Enlow and said, ‘What do you think of this?’ Steve said to me, ‘You know what, Bruce? I think it’s a no-brainer. You never know what can happen out of this, but I just have a feeling something good for the future might arise if you bring that goalie in.’?”

In February, Avalanche vice president of hockey operations and assistant GM Craig Billington, a former longtime NHL goalie, visited Tulsa to look at Cann.

“After meeting with our medical trainer, our equipment manager, our coach and seeing where we play (BOK Center), he said he was so impressed with our organization,” Lund said. “We talked that night that (an affiliation) would be something we would be interested in.”

Only one other CHL team currently has an NHL affiliation – the Odessa Jackalopes with the New York Islanders.

In 2001-02, the Oilers had an affiliation with the NHL’s New York Rangers. That relationship, however, did not result in the Rangers sending any players directly to the Oilers during the regular season.

“That arrangement with the Rangers was more of a verbal commitment,” Lund said. “We were anticipating for it to be more formalized, but as time went on that really never took place. This is entirely different. Back then, when we had the working relationship with the Rangers, they had two or three other Double-A teams. We are the only Double-A team in the Avalanche organization.”

The Oilers replace the Charlotte Checkers as the Avalanche’s Double-A affiliate. Charlotte dropped out of the East Coast Hockey League after last season.

Oilers defenseman Derek Eastman likes the affiliation with the Avalanche.

“It’s always a good recruiting tool for a coach,” Eastman said. “He can say, ‘If you come here, we can get you a tryout or something with the Avalanche.”

Tulsa’s pro hockey history is filled with NHL affiliations. The first was with the Chicago Blackhawks, who sent the Oilers three players in 1932-33.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have spent the most time as the Oilers’ parent team, with two stints in Tulsa – 1945-47 and 1964-73.

Tulsa opens the 2010-11 season against the Wichita Thunder at the BOK Center on Oct. 15.

TULSA OILERS’ MAJOR AFFILIATIONS SINCE 1964

Present: Colorado Avalanche (NHL)

2001-02: New York Rangers (NHL)

1982-84: New York Rangers (NHL)

1979-82: Winnipeg Jets (NHL)

1975-79: Vancouver Canucks and Atlanta Flames (NHL)

1974-75: Phoenix Roadrunners and Vancouver Blazers (WHA)

1964-73: Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

- BARRY LEWIS, World Sports Writer

Oilers Also Team With AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters

For the first time since the rebirth of the Central Hockey League in 1992, the Tulsa Oilers are affiliated with a National Hockey League team.

Oilers head coach Bruce Ramsay announced the Oilers have reached an affiliation agreement with the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL and the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.

“This is a great step forward for our hockey team,” Ramsay said. “Last season we worked with Colorado and Lake Erie on an informal basis and we got goalie Trevor Cann as a result of the relationship and he played great for us. Making this a formal affiliation will only strengthen that bond and will help us overall throughout the hockey operations.”

The Oilers become only the second CHL team to have a formalized NHL affiliation in place for the upcoming season. The Odessa Jackalopes are aligned with NHL’s New York Islanders and AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, although other CHL teams could possibly have affiliations in place by the start of the season.

“We are excited to begin this new affiliation with the Tulsa Oilers,” said David Oliver, the Avalanche’s Director of Player Development and General Manager of the Lake Erie Monsters.  “We are confident this organization in Tulsa will provide the right environment for our players in the Central Hockey League. Their leadership group and staff have the necessary resources to support the development of our prospects.”

The Oilers had the second highest point total increase in the CHL last season under head Ramsay, who was in his first season with the Oilers. They will have 33 home games at the BOK Center in the 2010-11 season, starting on Friday October 15th against the Wichita Thunder.

Season tickets for 2010-11 with plans for as low as $26 a month are now available by calling the Oilers office at 918-632-PUCK (7825).

           The announcement from the Twisted Tilt Restaurant at the Jenks Riverwalk will be available by logging onto www.tulsaoilers.com and clicking on the listen live link (or going to fan center and clicking the broadcast link). The news conference starts at 2:30 p.m. Central time.

           The Oilers had the second highest point total increase in the CHL last season under head coach Bruce Ramsay, who was in his first season with the Oilers. They will have 33 home games at the BOK Center in the 2010-11 season, starting on Friday October 15th against the Wichita Thunder

           Season tickets for 2010-11 with plans for as low as $26 a month are now available by calling the Oilers office at 918-632-PUCK (7825).

Former Oiler Garry Unger suited up for Saturday’s game.
BRAD BRUGGER/For the Tulsa World

By DEAN CLARK World Correspondent
Published: 8/29/2010  2:21 AM
Last Modified: 8/29/2010  7:58 AM

The hockey season got off to its unofficial start Saturday night with the third annual Tulsa Oilers Alumni Game before a full house at the Oilers Ice Center.

This year’s headline attraction was Gord Nelson, who played with Tulsa from 1967 to 1971. At 63, Nelson was the oldest player on the ice Saturday (he’s about seven months older than former Oiler player and coach Garry Unger, who played for the third straight year) and the one who traveled the longest distance to participate.

Nelson said he was contacted about a week ago when Tulsa coach Bruce Ramsay asked Todd Nelson, the coach of the new team in Oklahoma City, to play in the game.

Nelson then informed Ramsay that his uncle had played for Tulsa more than 40 years ago.

The Oilers tracked down Gord Nelson in Saskatchewan, and he accepted instantly.

“I spent four fantastic years here, and it was an incredible honor to be asked to come and play in this game,” he said, before detailing a list of fond memories and that he once had lost six teeth in one game while wearing a Tulsa uniform.

Nelson played even though he “hadn’t been on skates in 15 years and had never used the new composite hockey sticks.” He arrived in Tulsa two days ago, gave the skates a tryout on Friday and played full shifts in all three periods.

It was a special night for two other reasons.

It was the first time his wife had seen him play and the first time he had played in a game with his nephew.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=409&articleid=20100829_29_B2_CUTLIN805069&archive=yes

The Oilers had the second highest point total increase in the CHL last season under head coach Bruce Ramsay, who was in his first season with the Oilers. They will have 33 home games at the BOK Center in the 2010-11 season, starting on Friday October 15th against the Wichita Thunder
Season tickets for 2010-11 with plans for as low as $26 a month are now available by calling the Oilers office at 918-632-PUCK (7825).

Continuing to climb the ladder, CHL All-Star and former Tulsa Oilers forward Rob Hisey signed a deal with the New York Islanders on Tuesday, a one-year, two-way contract that will see him spend most of his time with the Islanders American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Watch Hisey’s Highlight Goal from Last Season with Tulsa  HERE

Hisey was voted as a starter for the 2010 CHL All-Star Game but was unable to play because he was on re-call with the Springfield Falcons (AHL).

Hisey skated in 37 games for the Falcons scoring 11 goals with 14 assists.  During his time with Tulsa, the Oakville, Ontario native scored 19 goals with 22 assists in just 24 games.

Hisey played the previous four seasons in Finland, Germany, Austria and Sweden.