Desjardins, 32, comes to the Oilers from Denver, Colorado where he has been a hockey camp coordinator and instructor for some of the top junior hockey talent in the region.  Born in Calgary, Alberta, Desjardins has spent most of his life in Colorado and has been an integral part of recruiting and developing junior hockey talent through the Under Armour Hockey Showcase and the USJDP Junior Prep Camp.

“Zac is very well-connected in the junior hockey community and we are thrilled to have him on board as the first Junior Oilers head coach,” said Taylor Hall, Oilers General Manager.  “He has a great eye for talent and I’m sure he’s going to put together an exciting team here in Tulsa.”

After playing junior hockey in the SJHL (Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League) and the AWHL (American West Hockey League, Desjardins began his coaching career at Kent State University.  In 2007, Desjardins earned his first junior coaching job as an assistant for the Cambellton (NB) Tigers of the Maritimes Junior Hockey League in Eastern Canada.  He took an assistant coaching position in 2008 with the Kenai River (AK) Brown Bears of the North American Hockey League and was named the Head Coach of the San Antonio Diablos (WSHL) in 2009.

“I’m really looking forward to my time in Tulsa because there is already a great hockey tradition in place,” said Desjardins.  “I want to build on that tradition through my passion of teaching kids the game of hockey.  I want to help our players achieve their goals on the ice, but also in life.”

The Junior Oilers will open the 2012-13 season in September and will play their home games at the newly renovated Oilers Ice Center.

For more information on the Junior Oilers please contact the Tulsa Oilers at 918-632-7825 or log on to www.tulsajuniorhockey.com

Erickson, a Minnesota native, will suit up for the Oilers for a fourth straight season.  During the 2011-12 campaign, Erickson scored 12 goals and recorded 25 assists while anchoring Tulsa’s top defensive pairing.  On his way to a career-high 37 points, Erickson excelled on the Oilers power-play.  The University of Connecticut product led all Tulsa defensemen with seven power-play goals and finished second on the team with 19 power-play points.

“It’s extremely important for our team to bring back Sean Erickson for another year,” said Oilers Head Coach Bruce Ramsay.  “Sean has proven over and over again that he’s one of the best defenseman in the Central Hockey League.  I have a tremendous amount of confidence in his abilities and he’s developed into a great leader for our team both on and off the ice.”

Last January, Erickson was called up to the AHL by the Oklahoma City Barons, affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers.  Erickson played one game on the Barons’ blue line and returned to the Oilers for the remainder of the season.

“Sean has a great sense for when to jump into the offensive fray,” Ramsay said.  “He’s solid on defense, he’s confident with the puck on his stick, and even though he’s a defenseman, he can score goals when given the opportunity.  It was no surprise to me at all when the Barons called for his services and I’m sure it won’t be the last time he gets a shot at the AHL level.”

Serving as the Oilers assistant captain, Erickson played in 54 of the 66 regular season contests and registered the game-winning goal in a 5-4 triumph at Allen on January 16.

The CHL Media Services Awards is ‘Presented annually to the media member that has provided outstanding service to and coverage of the CHL while helping to further the recognition of the league’s brand.’

Pyle, a freelance photographer and Tulsa native, has been contributing to the CHL since the 2008-09 season and served as the Oilers team photographer from 2007 to 2009.  He is the fourth winner of the Media Services Award and the first photographer to earn the honor.

Pyle specializes in sports and entertainment photography.  He serves a long list of clients including the Tulsa World, Tulsa Today, Associated Press, Oklahoma Today Magazine, Cain’s Ballroom, Brady Theater, DCF Concerts and the Central Hockey League.

The moments Pyle captures with his lens are distributed throughout the CHL and used by its member teams for website, promotional, and marketing purposes.

Below is a sampling of some of Pyle’s best shots from the 2011-12 season.  To see more of Pyle’s work, visit www.photopyle.com.

The Tulsa Oilers announced today the arrival of the Junior Oilers, a new franchise in the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) which will begin play in the 2012-13 season.

The Oilers Ice Center partnered with Mike and Robyn Messer, long-time supporters of Tulsa hockey, to lay the foundation for the new team.

“It’s exciting to be a part of this process and see this level of hockey returning to Tulsa,” said Mike Messer.  “We look forward to many successful years of Junior Oilers hockey.”

The WSHL is a Junior “A” league with players ranging from 16-20 years of age.  Junior Oilers players will live with host families during the season which runs from mid-September through early March.

“We are thrilled to bring junior hockey back to Tulsa,” said Oilers General Manager Taylor Hall.  “This city already has a rich hockey tradition, a loyal base of fans that love and understand the game, and we couldn’t be more excited to start a new chapter with the Junior Oilers.”

The Junior Oilers will play their home games at the Oilers Ice Center (64^th and Mingo) and will compete against teams from Arizona, California, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico.

“The WSHL is pleased to return to the great city of Tulsa and the Oilers Ice Center for the 2012-2013 season,” said WSHL Commissioner Ron White.  “The Oilers Ice Center is a great venue for WSHL action and our teams are excited to return.  We are extremely pleased the Tulsa Oilers CHL team has partnered with the WSHL to develop Junior A hockey in Oklahoma.  Their confidence in the WSHL is much appreciated.”

“Hockey fans in this area are going to see some of the best young talent in the country,” Hall said.  “Tulsa is going to be a great place for these players to take the next step in their hockey development and I know our fantastic Oilers fans are going to support these kids every step of the way.”

The search is underway for the first Junior Oilers head coach.  The team expects to make a coaching announcement in the coming weeks.

All media inquiries should be directed to Rob Loeber at the Tulsa Oilers office at 918-632-7825 or rob@tulsaoilers.com.

Starting Wednesday, April 18^th, Ramsay will host a weekly Power Skating Clinic at the Oilers Ice Center located at 64^th and Mingo.  The sessions will run from 6-7 p.m. every Wednesday evening through June 6^th.

The Power Skating Clinic, available for ages 4-18, will increase skating strength, speed, and endurance while also focusing on proper body position, edge control, and conditioning.

“The power skate will run weekly throughout the summer with the help of Tulsa Oilers hockey players like Sean Erickson who also has good experience in teaching skating techniques,” said Ramsay.  “I used to run these sessions in Michigan and all kids dramatically improved their skating techniques over time and the clinics were a huge benefit to all the kids in the association.”

The cost is $150 per participant and the price will be pro-rated for anyone who cannot attend each session.

If you are interested in taking your skating skills to the next level or if your child is eager to learn proper skating techniques, contact Justin Lund at the Oilers Ice Center at 918-252-0011.

Fleck’s fellow Oilers, Marty Standish, Michel Beausoleil, Gio Flamminio, Sean Erickson, and Ian Keserich will be on hand at the Oilers Ice Center from June 11-June 15 to put on a comprehensive hockey skills camp for kids ages 5-18.

Young hockey players will learn from the pros and enhance their abilities in power skating, conditioning, reflex training, shooting, passing, creativity, and so much more.

Each day of the co-ed camp will feature a three-hour on-ice session. Lunch and a custom jersey will be included with the entry fee.

Fleck, who just finished his 13th season of professional hockey, is fifth all-time with 714 games played in the Central Hockey League. The veteran defenseman is bringing his camp to Tulsa for a second straight year and also runs similar summer camps in his hometown of Estevan, Saskatchewan.

Call 405-255-1979 or log on to www.fleckshockey.com for more information. The registration deadline is May 15th and space is limited, so reserve your spot today!

All media inquiries should be directed to Rob Loeber, Oilers Media Relations Director, at 918-632-7825 or rob@tulsaoilers.com

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The rookie winger recorded eight points (5 goals, 3 assists) in four games last week as the Oilers went 2-1-1 to close out the 2011-12 campaign.  Clarke, who finished second in the CHL rookie scoring race with 64 points, registered multiple points in games last week against Laredo (1 goal, 2 assists), Texas (1 goal, 1 assist), and Missouri (2 goals).   The 25-year old finished the season with 16 multiple point games to his credit and was selected as Oilers team MVP by Head Coach Bruce Ramsay.

Clarke, a Belleville, Ontario native, finished his first professional season of hockey on a five-game point streak and was a big part of the late season surge that saw the Oilers fall just short of a second straight postseason appearance.

Clarke is Tulsa’s second Player of the Week recipient.  Rookie defenseman Jeff Terminesi earned the honor in November.

The two sides traded goals in the first period with Michel Beausoleil scoring for the Oilers and Brandon Smith finding the net for the Mavericks.  Beausoleil reached the 20-goal plateau for the third straight season and the eighth time in his career.

Brad Good scored his professional goal to give Missouri a 2-1 lead early the second period and Ryan Jardine followed up 51 seconds later to push the visitors advantage to two goals.  Oilers rookie Dylan Clarke brought his team back, first shoveling home a rebound past Mavs goalie B.J. O’Brien at 7:04 and then blasting a one-timer into a gaping net at 18:32.  The pair of goals gave Clarke 29 on the season, and pushed him into a tie with Mike Ullrich for the team lead.

With the Oilers trailing 4-3 in the third, Drew Fisher, fresh off his senior season at Bemidji State University, rifled a slap shot past O’Brien for the game-tying goal, his first as a professional.  Missouri re-gained the lead when Dale Mahovsky tipped in a pass from Sebastien Thinel but the Oilers found the answer less than two minutes later.  Ryan Cramer picked up a nifty drop pass from Marty Standish and beat O’Brien over the glove to tie the game for the fourth time.

The Mavericks started the overtime period with a powerplay and the CHL’s top unit wasted little time in making the most of the opportunity.  Thinel slipped a pass in front of the net to the waiting stick of Jardine who buried his second goal of the game just 32 seconds into the extra frame.

The loss dropped the Oilers to 0-7 in overtime games.  Tulsa finished the 2011-12 campaign with 66 points and a record of 29-29-7.  Clarke and Ullrich led the way for Tulsa throughout the season, both finished with 64 points while netminder Ian Keserich ended up with 21 wins, one shy of his career-high set last season.

Tulsa, seeking its first win in five games at the Independence Events Center, jumped out to an early lead after Marty Standish chipped in his sixth goal of the season.  Patrick Shafer answered for the Mavs, but the Oilers quickly regained the lead off a shorthanded goal by Michel Beausoleil.

The game took a drastic turn two minutes into the second period.  Oilers defenseman Sean Erickson delivered a crushing check to Missouri forward Andrew Courtney which was deemed an illegal hit to the head.  Erickson was given a game misconduct and Oilers Head Coach Bruce Ramsay was also tossed from the game after vehemently voicing his displeasure to the officials.

With no coach on the bench and only four defensemen still in the game, the Oilers managed to extend their lead after a nifty passing play from Luke Lucyk and Mike Ullrich set up a wide open Dylan Clarke who buried the puck past Mavs goalie Charlie Effinger.  Tulsa held its 3-1 lead until the final minutes of the second period when Shafter registered his second goal of the game and Andrew Courtney pulled the home side even when he pounced on a rebound with just 14 seconds left in the frame.

Two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against the Oilers at the end of the second period gave Missouri an extended 5-on-3 advantage to start the third.  Tulsa successfully killed off the two-man advantage but John-Scott Dickson scored for the Mavs with only four seconds remaining on the Oilers second penalty.  Brandon Smith found the back of the net 33 seconds later and suddenly the Mavs had a two-goal lead.  The Oilers cut the deficit to one on a goal by David Solway but couldn’t solve Effinger over the final 16 minutes.

Tulsa dropped its tenth straight road game and fell to 1-7 this season against Missouri.  With an 8-2 trouncing of Laredo on Saturday, Rio Grande Valley moved four points ahead of Tulsa and locked up the final Berry Conference playoff spot.

The Oilers return home Sunday to finish the regular season with one more contest against the Mavericks at 4:05 p.m.