Texas Stars (Cedar Park - Austin)

Celebration on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gjhsu/3970370175/in/set-72157622367578517/)

San Antonio Rampage (AT&T Center)

SA Rampage - Hockey on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/grafxcowgirl/4268301530/)

Houston Aeros (Toyota Center)

Aeros Game on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bng/2139203863/)

Chicago Wolves (AllState Arena)

and you thought minor league *baseball* games can be silly... on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/katherineofchicago/4026743693/)

Milwaukee Admirals (Bradley Center)

Admirals Game on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristen_530/2380887413/)

Others: American Hockey League - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Hockey_League)

Sure beats Shreveport-Bossier City, Laredo and Odessa.

Yeah, thats true, this caliber hockey will beat the CHL by a long shot. AHL= Completely Awsome, CHL= Dog and Pony show.

Hey, that Dog and Pony show was still fun though. Perhaps we'll see a higher caliber now, but since it's development league, we'll also see it like the Redhawks. No one stays around long enough to be the "star" because if they're good, then they're in the big leagues. So it's a constant rotation of players and you don't really ever get attached to anyone...which makes it a little more difficult to be interested.

I am just glad it won't be Tulsa!

Don't be surprised if Tulsa has an existing AHL franchise to relocate there after our initial year. Oklahoma City's success will help!

Tulsa would be an excellent renewed rivarly!

...So it's a constant rotation of players and you don't really ever get attached to anyone...which makes it a little more difficult to be interested.

You know, I can understand this point of view. I can imagine how some people want to hold on to the notion of not just rooting for the team as a whole but a certain player they can relate to. I have been fortunate to see and cheer on many players whom spend their entire playing career for my favorite teams.

With that said, I personally believe that rooting for the team on the front of the jersey is more important than the name of the player on the back. It's the pride of whatever city that team is in that counts for me. With today's free agency and money thrown around on the big league level, it's almost as hard to root for individuals nowadays anyway.

Maybe it's because I've been following sports at a young age and was fortunate enough to have grown up in a city with four major league teams that I find my point of view easy. I certainly cannot speak for others, but maybe it's different for those in different circumstances.

I'd say take a look at basketball in OKC as a perfect example.

The Cavaliers won their title, but how many people went to games? 10? And how often is a Redhawks game close to full?

Now think about a Blazers game. That was a consistent crowd that was enthusiastic. Those players hardly ever "advanced" to another league.

Thunder, you've got the names, Durant, Harding, etc. People buy jersey's with a name/number on it for a reason. Yes, they're cheering for the team and if that player left for another team, they wouldn't cheer for him/her anymore. But it brings a passion to the support base.

Again, I would like to say that Houston, San Antonio and Austin would make for some good initial rivals; however, bring Tulsa and Wichita into the mix with relocation and this region could become an AHL hotbed. Tulsa and Wichita are within driving range and fans wouldn't mind a short weekend drive to either city.

I know people called this a Blazertown and not a true hockeytown; however, I feel as though all that's about to change. Look what Austin has achieved moving from the CHL to the AHL.

My prediction is that Oklahoma City will average 10,000-plus our first year in the AHL; this one-year hiatus from the CHL coupled with an upgrade in the caliber of performance on the ice will provide the right mix for s u c c e s s !

I love how CHL-haters always like to rip places like Shreveport, Odessa and Laredo, apparently completely unaware that the AHL has franchises in thriving metros like Peoria, Worcester, Grand Rapids and Hamilton.

And while we're patting ourselves on the backs and thumbing our noses at lesser cities in the CHL, here's an interesting thing to consider......guess what Tulsa, Wichita, Allen, Laredo, Corpus Christi, Shreveport, Prescott Valley, Independence and Rapid City all have in common? Much nicer and newer hockey facilities than that ageing 40-year old arena in downtown Oklahoma City. Oh well....it's what's on the inside that counts.

Careful there SweetNSour....remember the Blazers and the Barons are at the Cox Center by choice. They didn't/don't think they can afford the rent/schedule pressure of the Ford Center in comparison to what goes through there. The fact the Cox Center is getting the updates it is, is quite amazing. How many secondary arenas get ANY updates of any value like these? Plus, while it's not posh, it's still not a pile either. As far as sight lines and such, it's actully a great place for hockey. And now they'll have a whole new ice system, new glass, new scoreboard, new locker rooms, new pro shop, etc. etc. etc. About the only thing that isn't changing is the seating...and I actually think those seats are pretty darn comfy for being 40 years old.

Also, if the parent club is sending ice people down to oversee the ice getting put down, you might arguably have the best ice in the AHL.

gaaaawwdd...i simply CANT GET OVER the name of our new AHL team..."barons".

the name is hideous, the logo is hideous.

heres what i think of when i hear okc barons.....yes, its that bad.

YouTube - Royal Guardsmen - Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxzg_iM-T4E)

i want my friggin BLAZERS back,..logo, team and all. screw the barons.

gaaaawwdd...i simply CANT GET OVER the name of our new AHL team..."barons".

the name is hideous, the logo is hideous.

heres what i think of when i hear okc barons.....yes, its that bad.

YouTube - Royal Guardsmen - Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxzg_iM-T4E)

i want my friggin BLAZERS back,..logo, team and all. screw the barons.

I am not a hockey fan and I love the new name, colors and logo. I will buy a hockey jersey for the first time in my life. Predict jersey sales will be off the charts for a AAA team

Geez cobra, you'd think by now you would have gotten over it. You seem to be the only person around that isn't happy with the new name/logo.

You know a baron isn't only defined by Snoopy, although obviously by my avatar, I'm a big fan! Check this out and at least it's a different definition you may be more comfortable with....the nobility side.

Baron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron)

Also, if the parent club is sending ice people down to oversee the ice getting put down, you might arguably have the best ice in the AHL.

You bring up an interesting point.

Edmonton has for years featured the best and fastest playing service in the league. It would be interesting to see their crew oversee the ice installation.

But to say the Cox Center would have the best ice in the AHL is a stretch, especially with a parking garage directly underneath.

Geez cobra, you'd think by now you would have gotten over it. You seem to be the only person around that isn't happy with the new name/logo.

You know a baron isn't only defined by Snoopy, although obviously by my avatar, I'm a big fan! Check this out and at least it's a different definition you may be more comfortable with....the nobility side.

Baron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron)

ok, its a nice definition you got there, but it fits Europe--NOT Oklahoma City.

I guess the next thing they will build downtown will be replicas of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace so it can be more in line with the new name of our AHL team...the royal and regal Barons.

I'm so-so on the team name, kind of growing on me. I do like the jerseys though. That away jersey looks great IMO

...But to say the Cox Center would have the best ice in the AHL is a stretch, especially with a parking garage directly underneath.

That's why I slapped the "arguably" in my statement. I'm sure they'll look at everything to make it the best they can make it.

ok, its a nice definition you got there, but it fits Europe--NOT Oklahoma City.

I guess the next thing they will build downtown will be replicas of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace so it can be more in line with the new name of our AHL team...the royal and regal Barons.

You're really being picky, aren't you?

You're really being picky, aren't you?

sorry senor, its a dumb name for our hockey team. Blazers was good..as in "trailblazers". that fit us somewhat. .....but Barons???.. give me a break. I can think of a million different names that would have been better. This just goes to show how much our NHL father Edmonton knows about OKC.

Wellat this point all i can say is build a bridge cobra. It's not going to change, whether you like it or not. I think we've all tried to offer ways for you to look at it and be ok with it, but you obviously aren't going to do that. Either you become a barons fan, or you don't become a fan of hockey in OKC...cause the Blazers are dead and gone...and aren't coming back. You keep nitpicking at it and its getting old.

Shakespeare put is so mildly, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

I've heard the same rumblings when the "Thunder" was selected. There doesn't have to be any Barons (by royalty) in Oklahoma anymore than there are NHL Penguins in Pittsburgh, NBA Grizzlies in Memphis, NFL Redskins in Washington or NL Braves in Atlanta and I could go on and on...

"Barons" is a term historically used to describe a few types of people in this area of the country like "Oil Barons" or "Land Barons".

Still wish they would have figured out a way to stick with Blazers.

Blazers was good for the CHL days, but beer league hockey is OVER! The chl will be dead here in a few years anyway. It was better to get out of a bad situation, before we lost hockey for the near future.

I think high school hockey in Minnesota had better talent than the CHL. I won't miss it at all, especially once we see the AHL level of play.

The CHL went down hill when they started adding all of the teams from the lower level regional leagues that were folding.

The Stars are up 2-0 on Hershey with the next 3 games in Cedar Park (Austin). It is getting more attention in the media down here than I expected since it is not a UT sport.

The CHL went down hill when they started adding all of the teams from the lower level regional leagues that were folding.

The Stars are up 2-0 on Hershey with the next 3 games in Cedar Park (Austin). It is getting more attention in the media down here than I expected since it is not a UT sport.
The Stars deserve it, since this is their first season. Hopefully the Barons can do the same thing.

ive always thought of okc as a minor league hockey type of town anyway, however, why we even have a pro basketball team is a different situation and one that im completely floored at.

Well Hockey is one of those things that you think mostly goes with northern lattitudes....not so much us 35 degree-ers. But then you have a metroplex like Dallas with a team. You do see minor league all over the south, but check out where the players are all from...sure isn't the south..lol.

Basketball, on the other hand, is like football. We play it a lot around here, and we play it well. We've got several teams from the state that do well on the national level in basketball, which is why we have produced so many collegiate players for other states as well...even NBA players. It's not like we're comparing OK to Vermont you know.

... why we even have a pro basketball team is a different situation and one that im completely floored at.

Nah, that's easy peasy.
Some folks wanted it. They could afford it. One was available.
Oh, and the local populace eating it up like hyenas at a midnight buffet didn't hurt none.

One thing that makes Dallas so unique is the fact that people are relocating to the Metroplex from all over the U.S.

The Dallas Cowboys and Mavericks were established and it didn't take much to add ML B with the Rangers and the relocation of the Stars (formerly Minnesota North Stars).

Oklahoma has got to give up something to get something--become more business friendly (corporate tax breaks) and continue to build itself where we become more attractive.

We have all of the ingrediences in place (energy, water and roads) to make ourselves more attractive by becoming more aggressive.

Texas is quickly becoming overcrowed and this weighs into Oklahoma's favor especially since they (North Texas) now need our water.

We want the type of growth which is managable--not like Phoenix and Las Vegas were the places are becoming to big to manage or so greedy like Dallas where you're bursting out at the seames from overgrowth which becomes unmanageable.

Has anyone seen the CHL website lately?. It appears that the CHL and IHL are doing some business together. I wonder if this could mean a merger of the two leagues or that they are just doing business together?.

It would be interesting to see what comes of this.

I understand that there is going to be a merger:

"CHL and AHL Make Major Announcement"


Central Hockey League.com:
centralhockeyleague.com: News (http://www.centralhockeyleague.com/pressroom/news/index.html?article_id=4670)

IHL not AHL...totally not the same...it's AA not AAA.

06/17/2010 Still without a coach, the Oklahoma City Barons now have a division. The American Hockey League announced its divisional alignment for next season Wednesday,...

Western Division

Chicago Wolves

Houston Aeros

Milwaukee Admirals

Oklahoma City Barons

Peoria Rivermen

Rockford IceHogs

San Antonio Rampage

Texas Stars



Read more: AHL divisional alignment | NewsOK.com (http://www.newsok.com/ahl-divisional-alignment/article/3469095?custom_click=pod_headline_sports#ixzz0r5Ju Jt9p)

I love this alignment especially with three Texas-size stakes (Austin-Houston-San Antonio) for the Oklahoma's ax to chop. The state of Texas is shaped like a nice steak and Oklahoma is shaped like a meat cleaver--what a party!

Can't hardly wait for Tulsa and Wichita to come on board after the CHL-IHL merger-expansion--as if that band of latex hasn't been stretched enough--POP.

Look for more teams east of the Mississippi to occupy the Tulsa and Wichita markets as time move on...

I'm not concerned about whether or not this team will survive in the AHL. Oklahoma City will lead the league in attendance its' first year.

The Thunder and Barons could work around each other's schedule to maximize the potential of both clubs. I eventually see some of the Barons games being moved to the Ford Center.

Remember when the State Fair Arena had to be utilized for the Blazers; that 9,750-seats just wasn't enough, the Myriad will be quickly outgrown once this brand of hockey reaches its' full potential.

I had to post this... I can't wait to see this guy in OKC this fall. These moves are unreal.

Linus Omark Highlights - OKC Barons Hockey (http://www.okchockey.com/showthread.php?86-I-bet-this-guy-will-sell-a-few-tickets-this-fall...)

^^Yea that dude is flat out sick!

Wow, 12 games in and the attendance average is already less than Tulsa in the CHL. What is happening down there?

Wow, 12 games in and the attendance average is already less than Tulsa in the CHL. What is happening down there?

Lack of intrest,OKC Thunder,OU Football who knows!Yea Tulsa is a mecca sports metropolis!NBA-Dleaugue,WNBA,CHL,AA baseball,and The powerhose that is TU football!Tulsa it's The overall leader in sports for Oklahoma!

Okay, I am sick and tired of hearing about people complaining about the attendance at the games, I think some of you guys are Blazers fan, well get over it, the blazers are not coming back, and a another thing, dmoor82 your right, it is the lack of intrest, because of the Thunder and OU football, but this is their first year in OKC, people need to give these guys a chance.

I'd imagine attendance will pick up in a couple of weeks after the Big 12 Championship Game. Hockey attendance always suffers when the OU/OSU football seasons are still active. It isn't just a "Oklahoma thing" either, attendance is down in most places with competition from football. There are articles in the Denver paper about how poor the attendance for Avalanche games are right now even though the Broncos season is in the crapper and the Avs are doing pretty well. Attendance will pick up once the football season winds down, that is just the nature of the sport right now outside of Canada.

Wow, 12 games in and the attendance average is already less than Tulsa in the CHL. What is happening down there?


Well, when you become a big league city then minor league sports will take a back seat. Of course, you wouldn't know about that since Tulsa has never had a real major league fab four sport (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL).

From tonights game.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sfz5oNQV9o

Well, when you become a big league city then minor league sports will take a back seat. Of course, you wouldn't know about that since Tulsa has never had a real major league fab four sport (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL).

Yeah, because getting the NBA makes you a big league city. I don't see people dropping everything to go to Milwaukee...kinda the same with OKC, right?

Hey BigTulsa, we also have 41 games a year with about 18K people in attendance. So that's totalllly the same huh? Not to mention the fact that when you throw in an entirely new MINOR league team from a league that's never been here before, people aren't going to warm up instantly. It's not like a major league team that you probably already know some of the players from seeing them on TV or in the paper/magazines. It's minor league...you've probably never heard of them. And let me reimind you that OKC also was a top attendance city in the CHL.

Hockey across the country is in bad financial trouble because it's popularity is waning. But you go ahead and tout that CHL attendance in a town where that IS the major league. Even baseball in Tulsa is more minor league than CHL. Whoopie....totally the same, right?

Yep, the CHL Austin Ice Bats folded because they couldn't get over 1,000 to a game. They eventually moved into their practice facility and were getting around 500 a game. The CHL became a joke since the expansions diluted what was a decent AA product which was a shame because when it was the core CHL teams it was a pretty good, competitive league.

The Texas Stars AHL team here in the Cedar Park area have been averaging around 5,000 and getting close to 9,000 on weekend games. If the arena was more centrally located I would think they might get more but as it is the place is about 35 miles from our house here in South Austin. That makes it a bit more difficult for weekday games.