The oldest former Tulsa Oiler celebrates a special birthday Monday, July 7th.

Millard Wakeford, known as “Sonny Boy” when he first started playing for the Original Tulsa Oilers of the American Hockey Association in 1928, turns 101 years old on Monday. Wakeford resides in a Tulsa assisted living center with his wife of 77 and a half years, Natalie.

Plans are for a quiet family celebration on Monday. Last year Wakeford received congratulatory messages and gifts from across the country, including a jersey from Wayne Gretzky. In March, the Oilers delivered the Stanley Cup to Wakeford for a special viewing.

His number 12 was the first number the Oilers of the current Central Hockey League retired.

Wakeford isn’t the only notable birthday in the Oilers’ family this week. Two days after his 101st birthday, Oilers scout emeritus Fred Gibbon will turn 87 years young on July 9th.

The Oilers are expected to play their first home game in the BOK Center, on Saturday October 25th. Their entire 64 CHL game schedule will be released later this summer.

Season tickets for the Oilers 2008-09 season in the new BOK Center are available by calling the Oilers at (918) 632-PUCK (7825).

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 6th, 2008 at 3:12 am and is filed under News, Oilers News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.