Check this out from today's Oklahoman:

"Are we major-league yet? No, but we're on the right track," said Lund, who also teased the crowd with plans for a "major Blazers announcement" Aug. 26 at the state Capitol. "

Hmmm. Wonder what the major announcement is that Brad Lund is referring to.
With the NHL all in shambles right now, I'm not sure moving up to the NHL would be a good move. Could the Blazers be leaving the CHL and moving up to the American Hockey League, a AAA league? Could the CHL be raised a notch and become a AAA legue? Could the Blazers in fact be taken the top level, becoming and NHL team?

What do you guys think?

downtownguy, do you have any information on this?

By theway, league-wide last season, the NHL had an average attendance of around 4,000......very terrible. The Blazer's averaged 8,763, right in line with their yearly average over the past few years, although not as high as in the first years of the Blazers franchise.

Hmmm... this announcement has me thinking about the Blazers' professional status. I would hope that the team be raised a notch to AAA hockey. The Oklahoma City Blazers have always been a good hockey team, and the myriad of banners hanging from the catwalks of the Ford Center back up that fact. The CHL team has been in Oklahoma City for 11 years, and the hockey fever still hasn't shown any signs of breaking anytime soon.

Who would have thought Oklahoma City would be considered a hockey town? It is the foregone conclusion of America's Hollywood-minded society that this is hillbilly football country. When Oklahoma City was one of the second-round finalists for an NHL expansion franchise, Chicago Tribune's sports columnist said this about Oklahoma City... "who says hockey better than a town full of people who have already lost their teeth?"

You were saying, Chicago? It'll be another sixty years before this Oklahoma-born and raised computer geek who has never worn cowboy boots and a cowboy hat loses his teeth, and I am a strong hockey fan. And I'm not the only one. In Oklahoma City alone, there are junior hockey leagues, rec hockey leagues for adults, high school hockey teams, and now, college hockey teams. OU went varsity last year, and OSU is well on its way.

So, is this big announcement by Lund that is to be made next week about the Blazers mean a bright future for Oklahoma City professional hockey, raising the pro status to AAA? That wouldn't be surprising. Anything to put us in a league that doesn't have teams like Lubbock.

I really think NHL would be a stretch because I have not heard anything on television or read about possible NHL moves or expansion.

Would I like to see it? You bet.

Another scenerio... A major television contract, perhaps? :confused:

I did some research in the websites for AHL, UHL, ECHL and NHL which are the only professional leagues I found. Not one has anything concerning possible expansion or merger.

Here are other possibilities. The Blazers announce the retirement of Doug Sauter. They announce league expansion to cities such as Wichita. They announce the forming of yet another league. They announce AA affiliations for all CHL teams.

Here is what I would like to see. The Oklahoma City Blazers move to the NHL and the current Blazers move to Little Rock with the name Arkansas Ozarks and are the AAA affiliate for the Oklahoma City Blazers. Doug Sauter stays head coach. The new NHL team starts NHL play in 2005-2006.

One can dream. My guess is the team is either moving leagues or the CHL is moving to AAA affiliation, or they are announcing a television contract with a cable network. JEM-M-M-INY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!! John Brooks goes network.

Any other guesses?

I don't know. I doubt it has anything to do with NHL, though. But I wonder if the place of the announcement -- the State Capitol -- has any meaning to it. Does it mean this news has statewide implications? I'm leaning in the direction mranderson is heading in that there are league implications in this news.

The mayor has been hot on the hunt for a major league sports team, but unless he's found a way to build a downtown area soccer stadium for an MLS team, don't count on the announcement being a new team. And don't EVEN think that NHL makes sense for any city right now. That's a league that needs to eliminate a half dozen teams, cut salaries in half, and realize they are not on the same level as the NBA, MLB or NFL. MLS is even starting to make more sense than NHL.
Ask yourselves, why do a press conference at the capitol? Figure that out, and you'll have the answer.

Hmmmmm. Well, this isn't going to involve MLS, NBA, or any other non-hockey sport, as Lund said the statement would involve the Blazers. Like everyone has said, with the NHL in the shape it's in, I doubt Lund and company are considering moving up to NHL status at the current time!! I could be wrong though, but I really don't feel this is the right time to land an NHL team....not with all of the problems the NHL is having.

With the meeting being at the capitol I tend to think that this announcement will affect both the OKC Blazers and Tulsa Oilers! I'm willing to bet that the CHL will be rearranged again, with both Tulsa and OKC moving up to AAA status in a new league of some sort or as part of an existing AAA league like the United Hockey League (they just added a new Kansas City team), the North American Hockey League, or even better the American Hockey League (basically containing the farm clubs for all of the NHL teams). I can see larger cities currently in the CHL like Austin, Albuquerque, Indianapolis, Ft. Worth, and Memphis joining the Blazers and Oilers in such a move, leaving smaller teams like Wichita, Amarillo, Lubbock, etc. in the CHL. One must remember.....a few years back when the CHL was rearranged and merged with another league, smaller teams were placed in a smaller tier while larger teams were placed in the CHL.

My bet is that the Blazers are moving up to the American Hockey League. This would be great news as the AHL is the nation's largest AAA hockey league and contains most of the farmclubs for the NHL.

Here's their website: www.theahl.com

Here's a look at our fellow CHL teams (with MSA populations):

Laredo - 193,117
Colorado (Windsor, CO) - 251,494 - Ft. Collins-Loveland, CO
Rio Grande Valley (Hildalgo, TX) - 569,463 - McAllen-Edinburg-Pharr, TX
Bossier-Shreveport - 375,965
Indianapolis - 1,525,104
Lubbock - 249,700
New Mexico (Albuquerque) - 729,649
Tulsa - 859,532
Austin - 1,249,763
Fort Worth - Part of DFW but the pop. of the city is about 500,000
Memphis - 1,205,204
Wichita - 571,166
Amarillo - 226,522
Odessa - 121,123
Corpus Christi - 403,280
San Angelo - 105,781

Take a look at some of the teams in the AHL. We'd be playing against somepretty nice teams. I just hope the Tulsa Oilers move with us, as I'd hate to lose that rivalry. That rivalry attracts a lot of fans!

By the way, the AHL just added a new team, Des Moines, so it looks like they're still adding teams to that league. We could be next. With the addition of Des Moines, the number of teams in each division will be offset.....before Des Moines was added, each of the four divisons had 7 teams. Now with Des Moines, one division will have 8 teams. I wouldn't be surprised if the AHL adds 3 more teams to balance things out.

Anyways, having the Blazers move up to the AHL would be great news for our city. It's just a step away from the NHL.....it would give us a lot more leverage power in landing an NHL team when th NHL turns the corner.

Here's some info on the AHL:

"Entering its 69th season this fall, the AHL serves as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. The 2003-04 season saw 28 teams compete for the coveted Calder Cup, and more than 6.6 million fans attending AHL games across North America for the third straight year. Over 80 percent of all players to compete in the NHL in 2003-04 were AHL graduates, and more than 400 players took the ice in both leagues"

Patrick et al,

Perhaps you are right about the Blazers moving up to the AHL. I was hoping for the NHL because of the major league implications and the fact that a state capital announcement would be for that but the name would change to the Oklahoma ___, a state supported NHL team.

while this may be true, an AHL announcement would not be bad. Especially since the NHL is having problems right now and they need to eliminate some low performing teams.

Now I understand why we dont have NHL here in Seattle but we have junior hockey and prefer to go to Vancouver for NHL; NHL may not do well here as we really don't have die hard hockey fans like there are in Van City (or Ok City for that matter).

But in a way, I still want the announcement to be NHL because I want OKC to get some major league teams. It is a major league city (or at least well developing into one) with 1.25 mil and a market of nearly 5 mil. With a broadcast contract and statewide corporate support, I truly think a team would work in OKC!

Perhaps OKC would be NHL and Tulsa would move to AAA AHL and be our farm team? That would be nice and keep things "in the family"!!! People in OK would support both teams as players move from one to another. Wichita would definitely come down, Amarillo and Little Rock (or at lest Ft. Smith) and Joplin might come over (long drives though). Even DFW might attend when in town. Certainly, tourists like myself WILL ATTEND when we are in town for business, conventions, or with relatives.

Never doubt the true market that is available in OKC. It is much bigger than everyone gives it credit, especially since OKC is a hockey market!

Who knows...since there are several underperforming teams in the NHL right now, I'm sure franchises are pretty cheap right now. Express Sports could be buying up one of the the underperforming franchises and moving them here to be renamed the OKC Blazers.....the current Blazers could just merge into this team with Sauter as coach.

But, my money is still on the AHL. Even an AHL team would be a step up for the state, as we've never really had a AAA hockey team in this state. It would be one step away from the NHL, as the AHL contains most of the farmclub teams for the NHL.

Lund said in his statement that we were close to being major league, but he kind of hinted that we weren't quite ready yet. So that's what made me think AHL instead of NHL.

I will be happy with any move up!!! An NHL team would be awesome and would complete one of the major goals of the MAPS arena, but an AHL team would be good news as well.

Who knows...if we got an NHL team, maybe we could help bring the NHL back to life, like we did with the CHL many years ago. For many years, OKC basically kept the CHL alive.

Like you say Hot Rod...and NHL team would be nice because of the status it would give us.
I hope the announcement will be the new Oklahoma City Blazers NHL team, but I won't get my hopes to high in the air!

I told my Mom about the impending annoucement, and she thinks we are on target. A new league. When I said NHL, she did not flinch.

My dad use to be an insider at the State Capitol and still has contacts. I wonder if they know something. Her friends seem to be saying the same.

Another league emerges.

I was doing reaserch to see if I could find anything about the announcement concerning the Blazers. I found the fact that starting this fall, another league will begin play.

It is called the Southern Professional Hockey League, and will follow NHL rules. Their website is thesphl.com. Could this be the announement? Oklahoma City or the state of Oklahoma joining this league in 2005-2006? The main thing that points me away from this is the fact we are not in the south. We are midwest. Plus this league appears to be equal to the CHL. And all websites have glowing reports that support the fact teh CHL could fold without Oklahoma City.

I also learned that Des Moines is joining the AHL with the Iowa Stars, an affiliate of the Dallas Stars. Only one team was listed with dual affiliation. Could we be the city that changes that?

Food for thought.

But, my money is still on the AHL. Even an AHL team would be a step up for the state, as we've never really had a AAA hockey team in this state. It would be one step away from the NHL, as the AHL contains most of the farmclub teams for the NHL.


Actually Patrick, we HAVE had AAA hockey in Oklahoma... Twice. Actually three times, technically. The Oklahoma City Blazers were an expansion team of the original CHL in the mid 60's. They were the AAA affiliate of the Boston Bruins and shared their logo. They later either moved or were folded, then we had a team called the Oklahoma City Stars which was the AAA team for the Minnesota North Stars, now the Dallas Stars. Tulsa's entry, the Oilers was also a farm team, however, I do not remember who their parent was.

When the league reappeared in 1992 (I think), some of the original cities joined with the same names. Dallas Blackhawks, Tulsa Oilers, Oklahoma City Blazers, Ft. Worth (I forgot their original name). Other cities that did not join included Omaha. Most of the teams were in the same cities Oklahoma City played in the American Association in baseball.

Tradition of hockey is deep rooted in Oklahoma City. I even remember my brother having season tickets as my family's business was a sponsor and had a box on the first row next to the Blazers penalty box. We would talk to the players as they served the penalty. Boy! Was that hockey. Fights every five minutes, true talented players. We could have easily been NHL then. The Blazers are good. In fact, VERY good. However, it does not beat the days of yesteryear.

Mr. Anderson:

I hope the news is positive, whatever it is. i honestly hope it is not a new southern league because we need to spread the word about OKC to the rest of the country.

Oh, and OKC and Oklahoma are Southern. There are major differences between IOWA and OKLAHOMA. Yes, both are mostly farm states due to geography but so is every state in this nation. In fact, California has more farms than both OK and IA combined!

SOAPBOX
Oklahoma's culture is more Southern than midwestern. Oklahoma is traditionally conservative (and is very fiscal conservative) whereas midwestern states are often moderate. This is why almost every "SWING" or "Battleground" state is in the midwest. The south almost always votes conservative (with the exception of its largest cities) and Republican in national elections [and conservative Democrat in-state].

Also, Southern states also divide power within the political stream equally, with rural areas having the same power as big cities. Midwest and Northern states emphasize the big cities and let the rural areas ride along. Oklahoma is clearly southern with regard to this issue as OKC has almost no say unless it convinces Poteau, Osage, Guymond, and Ada in the state politics. In the north, states believe that most poeple live in big cities so just as long as they progress then it would be good for the state as a whole, rural and urban.

Think New York, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, Seattle [or even Wichita, Omaha, and Des Moines] dont carry their prospective states? Their states would not exist without the success of their big cities, at least that is what we (up here) believe. Most southerners call this liberal, as I am sure many of you know politicians and regular citizens in OK have.

Southern states tend to emphasize religion in society more than the rest of the country. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, the thing to do in the south is go to church whereas there is more variety in other parts of the country.

Southern states tend to be less ethnically diverse. I think this is due primarily to the conservative views of the south and economic discrimination (which is often based on race). We all know OKC has a black part of town, and the southside is largely hispanic. Asians live around 23rd and Classen. Gays live on NW 39th. Northern cities (and midwestern) are more integrated; where even in the so called Polish part of town you will find many different people.

While this is not always the case, Oklahoma largely follows these and other Southern trends and ideals; not-to-mention Oklahoma is south of the Mason-Dixon line and almost follows Texas to a tee.

Most of us Northerners realize Oklahoma is not in the DEEP SOUTH (like Alabama and Georgia) but OK is still Southern. That is why you all hear OK referred nationally as South Central, or South Western, or Plains state [all geographic] or Southern [cultural identity].

***
I am sure all of you will agree with me that Oklahoma City has certainly made some drastic changes for the better, as OKC is definitely the most progressive city in Oklahoma, if not the region. But the state often brings it (and Tulsa) back toward conservatism which is why it takes so long for OKC to get its downtown highway replaced or light-rail installed or its airport completed as a regional hub. These (projects) are considered liberal and are often defeated by the rural state officials as they do not directly impact them.

OKC had to go on its own with MAPS, as the MAPS programs are VERY progressive and fiscally liberal. This has improved the quality of life in OKC and changed the image that even residents of OKC can be proud of. It has made OKC what it is today.

The ancient Romans also believed in the cities - that the wealth generated in the city makes it a palace for the state and nation, too bad the state of OK (and most southern states) outside of OKC and Tulsa doesn't agree with them.

Rod: I know I will not convince you, especially since, to the best of my knowledge, you have never lived in Oklahoma City or anywhere else in Oklahoma. However, OKLAHOMA IS NOT THE SOUTH!

I will never say this state is the south because it is not as backward as the south. Just look to the, well, south. Texas, legislatively, is very backward. They meet every other year, and, guess what. In years they are not in session, the Governor has to call a special session. If they knew how to think, they would realize they need yearly sessions. That is just the beginning.

Yes. Oklahoma needs work. A lot of it. In our image due to people like yourself who think this is a southern state. It is quite midwestern. Yes. Oklahoma has a lot of hicks. However, compared to southern states the ratio is quite low. We do not pride ourselves on how many cows we raise and how big our Stetsons are. Or how many high fat and high calersterol (sp) bar-b-ques we have. We have not linched people or been a major player in the KKK. That IS the south.

We are cosmopolitian. We are culture, we are (for the most part) intellegent.

I know calling Oklahoma the south is not a personal attack and I am not taking as such. However, it is quite insulting and embarrising :o for someone to refer to Oklahoma as the south.

Now I will come off MY soapbox... And hope Thursday Oklahoma City becomes the latest NHL city.

rob:

I was born and raised in OKC, born at St. Anthony Hospital, downtown. Went to PC North High-School, graduated in 1991; then moved to Seattle (to attend University and get away from Oklahoma's Tropical Plains Climate [you know, humid-hot summers and bone chilling cold winters]. I have graduated university in engineering and have completed my MBA.

While I respect your opinion, I (and many others in the nation) consider OK to be southern.

By no means (at all) do I or anyone else imply that OKC and OK are a racist hotbed of the KKK or so backward that there is no progress in the state. Clearly, OKC is a shining example of renaissance and is one of the few big cities in the south that is really cosmopolitan. OKC is looked to by most cities because it implemented true fiscal polity that really redefined the city and the image held by its citizens - a true renaissance and very progressive!

I love Oklahoma City [one of my top 5 US cities in fact] and is THE reason why I post on this (and the original MAPS) forum.

My comments are not meant to slam OKC by any means, just to present a view that is often different but nonetheless progressive toward OKC, especially downtown. I also post to give you all ideas about other progressive cities that I either lived in or been to, like Vancouver, San Fran, Chicago, Denver, and of course Seattle.

In reality, I find OKC to be much like each of these cities I just named and have always said OKC was the most cosmopolitan big city in OK if not the whole south. I believe it is really a place which beats to a different tune - once people get up and make their voices heard. Also, I think OKC is fiscal liberal (meaning progressive) as this was shown during MAPS and all of the other tax elections (zoo, pd/fd, so on). No other city in the south did this (or could ever consider it).

Also, I dont agree with the common image of OK. In fact, most poeple dont have the image of OK that Oklahomans have of it. We know OK as an oil state, like TX but not as bad as TX. You can understand an Oklahoman when they talk, not a TXn or another southerner. And I totally agree with you that TX is very very legislatively conservative (but they are business progressive which is what I wish OK was). You know, TX is not the south - as they say; "It's a whole different country!" :-)

I (and most others I know of) call OK southern but do not call OK southern to imply that it is exactly like the deep south or even TX. We all know Oklahoma to be a little different. It was Indian Territory, so it was the south but not truly southern. Geography and some culturally but not as bad. More of a land of frontiers than a paradise with plantations. We mostly call OK southern because it is south, but the state as a whole is more southern in many respects than it is Midwestern.

Also, I must set the record straight as sometime OK disappoints me. I just look to the recent poll the OKLAHOMAN (the largest newspaper in OK in the biggest city of the state) had about the noose at the golf-course, whether OKlahomans thought it was offensive. 2/3rds polled thought it was not, now that was very insensitive!

And the sad part was (those results were from Oklahoma City, the most progressive, cosmopolitan, big city, ethnically diverse, and "liberal" place in the state). :-( That (overwelming disregard) would never occur in the Midwest or the North as people tend to be more inclusive and sensitive to its residents without direct regard to their race.

In any case, I am glad to see that the issue is at least discussed because perhaps then people can see another side of the coin, and perhaps answer questions like those with the shoe on the other foot (or skin).

Rob, I hope now that you have a better feel for my views and perhaps what I stand for. I am not one of those liberal northerners that sit and condemn the south, I am one who spreads the word about OKC up here; as I really know what OKC is and what OKC is about.

And hope Thursday Oklahoma City becomes the latest NHL city.

DITTO THAT 1000 TIMES!!!!!!!!!

I so hope OKC becomes a major league city, for good!

That will be True Renaissance!

Here are more possibilities. The CHL moves the league office to Oklahoma City. The Blazers and Oilers merge to make a state team based in Oklahoma City (to boost attendence). And and idea that someone on another board said which I think is far fetched. Express Sports buys the league. Why far fetched? The teams are individually owned. Buying the league makes no sense.

I sincerly hope OKC become major league!!! Relative to the geographic question I absolutely agree with Hot Rod. MR Anderson I am afraid that you are very stereotypical of what constitutes as Southern. Everything Hot Rod stated is very correct about the sectional differences of the country. As far as OK not being backward-that we even needed to debate outlawing cockfighting and then the subsequent bitter fight to justify the ban is a good starting point to understanding our problematic cultural identity in this state. Also MrAnderson, I would suggest you join the Oklahoma Historical Society to learn about our KKK and lynching history, or if that doesn't convince you hop on the Turner turnpike and stroll through the communities of Coweta, Catoosa and Stilwell at night and see what you find. Let's not forget also the settlement patterns of this state; the greater majority of our citizens across racial lines-red, black and white came from the south. I know many whites came from the midwest, but politically the Southern mentallity took root. Look at our state's Constitiution. Also, we cannot reconcile that our official state meal is BBQ, black eye peas, cornbread, grits, chicken fried steak, okra...etc these foods are enjoyed all over the state by great numbers and they are not identified as Midwestern cuisine.

From the outside, I would say that the perception, even from Tulsa is that OKC is a Southwestern city, not a Southern city. I do think that nationally the impression of the southwest is superior to the south. Texas, Colorado, and Arizona are all really booming and are also Southwestern. I don’t really think that OKC is a Midwestern city, I think it has both Midwestern and Southern influences, but the embrace of the cowboy and the west is very instilled in OKC, understandably so being so close to Dallas. The Cowboy Hall of Fame, The Sooners, Will Rogers World Airport, these are examples of this.

Tulsa for good or bad has long tried to shun this image. Tulsa, even just 90 miles away is not nearly so centered on Dallas or Texas. Read this board and see all the competitive issues between OKC and Dallas. That doesn’t exist here much. Kansas City and Wichita are as close as Dallas is to Tulsa, and St Louis is not a lot further. Tulsa is a Midwestern city with southern and Southwestern influences. Midwestern is not better or worse than Southwestern, just different.

And I really think that people in KC, St Louis and Chicago would strongly that BBQ is not a Midwestern food. And outside of like the Delta Café, a national chain, I don’t see many restaurants in Tulsa that serve, grits, black eyed peas, or okra. And there is no Sweet Tea in Tulsa, that would, right there, remove Tulsa from the list of southern cities. I assume that is much the same there in OKC, but I don’t know.

We are getting off track. Some think this state is southern some midwestern, some southwestern. I, for one, say midwest. Am I prejudist against southerners? Yes. Am I embarrased when someone tries to tell me Oklahoma is anything with south in it? Yes.

No one will ever convince me this place is the south. So, I think it is time to call this debate off and move on.

I think I have pinpointed the Blazer's announcement... However, there is still room for doubt.

acording to the CHL website, the Austin Ice Bandits have announced an affiliation agreement with the Minneosta Wild and the Houston Aeros of the NHL and AHL respectively. I have a feeling we are grasping at straws with a new league. I think the rest of the teams are announcing affiltions. Watch us do as we usually do and go to Texas... Namely the Dallas Stars which would make US the affilaite for Iowa.

I still hope it is at least us joining the AHL. I am starting to have doubts. I think we will be AA... And Des Moines in about five times smaller than Oklahoma City.

It’s all money.

Why would the Blazer’s go to AAA?

The Tulsa Drillers went through this process a couple of years ago and decided to stay in AA. The reasons for the Blazers to stay where they are the same or even more compelling.

Today the Blazers are in an inexpensive league and are the top draw in minor league hockey. Moving to AAA would not likely add any more “buts in seats” than they have today, and if Tulsa doesn’t go with them to AAA, attendance is actually likely to drop. So why go to AAA hockey where payroll and travel costs and franchise fees are all substantially higher when at best your attendance remains flat? You don’t. The market is not going to support higher ticket prices for anything short of the NHL and corporate sponsorships are in the same boat, no real reason to give more money to minor league hockey. The Blazers have a good thing and have no reason to change for anything less than the NHL.

My guess is that the CHL is going upgrade to be a real minor league and have real relationships with the NHL and stop being such a hack league. And it is, it’s just awful hockey, just never were’s mixing with the never will be’s. So if true this is good news.

Unfortunately, you guys probably are right. The announcement may be nothing more than an affiliation between the Blazers and an NHL team via a AAA team already affiliated with an NHL team, similar to what Austin is doing. Heck, why would I expect anything more from Mr. Minor League, himself, Brad Lund? Seems like if an NHL proposition or even an AHL proposition were coming it would catch a lot more national attention than this. You guys remember the big controversy that brew when the KC Blades, a AAA team, considered coming to town. If it were something like that, I'd consider controversy to arise and more media coverage to exist. So at this point, I highly doubt anymore that the announcement will regard an NHL team. I'm beginning to doubt the possiblity of AHL as well. Like I said, why would I expect anything more from Brad Lund?

To keep from getting our hopes up, I'm just going to make the unofficial announcement now. We're staying AA and staying part of the CHL, but we're getting an affiliation to some AAA hockey team already affiliated with an NHL team. We'll be the AA team of the farmclub system and feed into the AAA team. Brad Lund is going to make a big deal about this, saying how this connection to the big leagues is going to great news for the state! He'll bost about how our guys will work their way up to the big leagues someday. You just watch.

Okay, well that will keep me from being disappointed tomorrow!