I would bet the Barons are done after this season. The Funks are spending way too much time and money on the Energy for that not to be their main focus.

Good point BigTulsa:

Those rivalries with Tulsa & Wichita made a big difference. We looked forward to joining San Antonio in the AHL for many years; then the NBA took OKC by storm.

The new ECHL-CHL setup will be a better fit for OKC; let's hope this occurs. We just don't have the numbers for the AHL especially when you look at their ticket structure--that was a real turn off from the get go.

As long as Bob Funk Jr has NOTHING to do with any new team that opens up I'll support them

Barons? Todd Nelson To Coach NHL?s Edmonton Oilers | KFOR.com (http://kfor.com/2014/12/15/barons-todd-nelson-to-coach-nhls-edmonton-oilers/)

Barons to cease operations...

Oklahoma City Barons hockey team to cease operations after season | News OK (http://newsok.com/article/5377128)

I'd rather they pump all of their energy into The Energy.

Did NHL ever do good in OKC?

I'd rather they pump all of their energy into The Energy.

Did NHL ever do good in OKC?

The NHL was never here

The NHL was never here
there was a season ticket drive and a pep rally I believe in 1994. we lost out to Columbus and nashville

welp maybe the sour blazers fans will get their team back and get excited about the Wichita Thunder and Tulsa Oilers brawls, I mean games.

Sad to see them go, it was a good product for what it was and always had fun at the games.

there was a season ticket drive and a pep rally I believe in 1994. we lost out to Columbus and nashville

And I think the assessment in the rear-view mirror was that Gary Betteman and the NHL kinda led OKC leaders around by their nose with no real intent to give the city a franchise - many at that time suspected we were leverage for a better deal for the other cities - and as I recall, it worked.

Incidentally, that failed effort is why we had the OKC Redhawks minor league baseball team rather than the OKC 89ers. The change was forced on the franchise to prevent the individuals who fronted the expense for the prospective NHL logos, uniforms, merchandising, etc. wouldn't be stuck hamstrung with the cost.

Bummer...

And they're done

welp maybe the sour blazers fans will get their team back and get excited about the Wichita Thunder and Tulsa Oilers brawls, I mean games.

Sad to see them go, it was a good product for what it was and always had fun at the games.

Yes. I hope we do. Not sad to see another failed Bob Funk experiment. Hopefully we will get a hockey team that people will actually WANT to go see.

Yes. I hope we do. Not sad to see another failed Bob Funk experiment. Hopefully we will get a hockey team that people will actually WANT to go see.

Did folks want to go back with the Blazers, or did folks go due to free tickets handed out like candy? Have heard it both ways.

Did folks want to go back with the Blazers, or did folks go due to free tickets handed out like candy? Have heard it both ways.

Things always seem better when they are free.

In all the years of going to Blazers games i NEVER ONCE got a free ticket. Maybe I wasnt living right. I had season tickets for three years and I gladly paid for them.

And call free tickets paid attendance.

I think what's most disappointing to me about this is the vast number of people that wanted the Barons to fail.....even from day one. I don't understand how anyone - especially an Oklahoma City native - would hate Prodigal and Bob Funk so much that they would want the city to look bad. Just doesn't make sense.

Oklahoma City can be a very, very strange place at times.

And call free tickets paid attendance.

and mostly people didn't care enough to use the free passes handed out for barons' games. Funk really restored the value of a hickey ticket in OKC>

Funk has no one to blame save himself. The arrogant disrespect the organization seemed to show towards Blazer fans sealed the deal. Oil Barons didn't help either. Who couldn't get behind a team named for oilies.

Funk has no one to blame save himself. The arrogant disrespect the organization seemed to show towards Blazer fans sealed the deal. Oil Barons didn't help either. Who couldn't get behind a team named for oilies.

Now if they'd have named themselves the OKC Junta ... hey! what's this troll bait doing here? if I'm putting down troll bait, have I then become the troll?

... Funk really restored the value of a hickey ticket in OKC>

Truer words were never written.

Oh, wait, you're still talking ice and sticks and pucks?

Never mind.

Best record currently in the AHL.

Barons>Thunder

Barons>Thunder

What ever you're smoking, is it legal?

Hockey > Basketball

What ever you're smoking, is it legal?

Which team is DOMINATING their league, and which team is fighting to even get a playoff spot?

Which team is DOMINATING their league, and which team is fighting to even get a playoff spot?

So, it's better to be a big fish in a little pond?

Hockey > Basketball
watching a turtle attempt to reproduce with a shoe > hockey

What's crazier to me than liking basketball but not hockey is, liking soccer but not liking hockey.

The Barons remain the top team in all of the AHL

Home games this Friday and Saturday against Lake Erie, just $10 gets you in. No reason you shouldn't come out and see the best team in the AHL.

Ill be there Booing something or someone

Barons came back from down 3-0 to win 4-3 in OT last night!!! Awesome game!!!! This team never quits!!!

Home games this Friday and Saturday, next Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.

Went to a Tulsa Oilers game recently. I'm not looking forward to the ECHL in OKC but what are ya gonna do? Such a leap in talent. The passing and speed is so much better in the A. And $15 bucks for the cheapest ticket in the end zone with $35 between the faceoff circles. Why not pay more for lower quality.

Doesn't make a lot of sense.....but we are dealing with Blazers fans here.

Went to a Tulsa Oilers game recently. I'm not looking forward to the ECHL in OKC but what are ya gonna do? Such a leap in talent. The passing and speed is so much better in the A. And $15 bucks for the cheapest ticket in the end zone with $35 between the faceoff circles. Why not pay more for lower quality.

Doesn't make a lot of sense.....but we are dealing with Blazers fans here.

Has there been any credible talk of the ECHL replacing the AHL?

with the Barons moving to Bakersfield, will OKC get another team? AHL or CHL? I would like to see the Blazers return, but doubtful that will happen.

with the Barons moving to Bakersfield, will OKC get another team? AHL or CHL? I would like to see the Blazers return, but doubtful that will happen.

Pretty much guaranteed no AHL. ANd the CHL doesn't exist anymore. My hope is that we will get an ECHL team, which is where Tulsa and Wichita went after the CHL collapsed.

Borch is right. We're almost guaranteed on our way to the ECHL......and stuck with the old Blazers fans.....who don't know a five hole from a hole in the ice.

Borch is right. We're almost guaranteed on our way to the ECHL......and stuck with the old Blazers fans.....who don't know a five hole from a hole in the ice.

Apparently Blazer fans are the only real true hockey fans in town. Who cares maybe some didn't know all the rules. They showed up in their jerseys, cheered hard , shouted obscenities, pounded on the glass. Obviously OKC isn't that much different these days like the elitists think.

An ECHL franchise would survive better in OKC since it would bring out the old Blazer fans along with the Baron fan base. ECHL rivals like Wichita & Tulsa would help boost attendance. The Cox Convention Center could continue to serve as an ECHL home. It's not as new as the arenas in Tulsa & Wichita which have high priced tickets.

Old rivals current attendance figures:


https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608004513023659339&pid=15.1&P=0https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608046822748259206&pid=15.1&P=0
Wichita Intrust Bank Arena (13,450 ice hockey capacity), Wichita Thunder current team attendance average - 5,130
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607996644645866990&pid=15.1&P=0https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608052698253690102&pid=15.1&P=0
Tulsa BOK Center (17,096 ice hockey capacity) - Tulsa Oilers current team attendance average - 5,126

https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608020902611782289&pid=15.1&P=0https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608013893222925811&pid=15.1&P=0
OKC Cox Convention Center (13,399 ice hockey capacity). Blazers Cox Center 2002 season attendance average - 8,988

The ECHL - Premier 'AA' Hockey League | Schedule (http://www.echl.com/stats/schedule.php?view=attendance)

LOL! Talk about milking the attendance figures.

No way Oklahoma City is ever coming close to those pre-NBA hockey attendance numbers. Oddly enough, the attendance at Barons games since the announcement has been pretty respectable. But no way you're seeing 8,000.....let alone 5,000. No way.

By the way, hockey fans.....Barons game tonight. $10 tickets. See ya there!!!

Toss Up:

Who will still be playing in May?

Thunder or Barons?

If the ECHL does come to OKC next season I expect Doug Sauter to be the coach and they'll be renamed the Blazers with the original 90's uniforms.

IT'S STILL THE MYRIAD!!!

Toss Up:

Who will still be playing in May?

Thunder or Barons?

If the ECHL does come to OKC next season I expect Doug Sauter to be the coach and they'll be renamed the Blazers with the original 90's uniforms.

IT'S STILL THE MYRIAD!!!

No ECHL next season. Most likely 2016-2017. It sucks because there is no reason to go downtown after the hockey season is over.

Lol

No ECHL next season. Most likely 2016-2017. It sucks because there is no reason to go downtown after the hockey season is over.

Post of the year!!! Nothing to do in downtown , nothing.

Post of the year!!! Nothing to do in downtown , nothing.

Please tell me what is so great about downtown or Bricktown that you can't do anywhere else in town?

Please tell me what is so great about downtown or Bricktown that you can't do anywhere else in town?Its downtown. You be eating at a restaurant somewhere or you could be.... Downtown.

Thing for me is, I enjoy walking around and if you can't decide on what to do, you can go downtown and walk around until find something.

I don't know why you guys even responded

I don't know why you guys even respondedwell, I responded because I was in downtown at the time and when I'm downtown I respond to things. :)

Please tell me what is so great about downtown or Bricktown that you can't do anywhere else in town?

The fact that you can't really watch Hockey anywhere else in the city didn't help the Barons.

10673

Barons take game 1!

Tonight's Barons comeback was one of the best games since the Monday Night Miracle in St Louis in '86. Too bad these Okies that call themselves 'hockey fans' can't fork over $10-12 bucks for the game.

Buncha cheap skates, I tell ya.

Tonight's Barons comeback was one of the best games since the Monday Night Miracle in St Louis in '86. Too bad these Okies that call themselves 'hockey fans' can't fork over $10-12 bucks for the game.

Buncha cheap skates, I tell ya.

It was an incredible come back. These boys never quit. We're not ready for it to end. #questforcalder

Barons sweep San Antonio!!!

So more hockey in OKC. I was getting worried with the way they played the last month.

Barons sweep San Antonio!!!
We win in OT which moves us to the next round of the playoffs against the team that beat us 9 of 12 times and won the Western Division and the Daily Oklahoman puts the story on the 2nd page of the sports. Barons get no respect.

BLAZERS HIRE BRIAN CHANDLER AS GM
The Oklahoma City Blazers announced today that they have hired Brian Chandler as the new General Manager of the hockey club. Chandler 36, comes to the Blazers after serving as the director of ticket sales and director of community relations with the Oklahoma City Baron’s of the American Hockey League for the past 4 years.
Brian hails from Queensbury, New York and has a combined 10 years as an active duty and Air Force contractor in the power production / aircraft arresting system career field. The Blazers new GM moved to Oklahoma while serving in the United States Air Force and has previously held general management positions in the hospitality and restaurant industry.
In 2009, Chandler was awarded the “General Manager of the Year” award for the Greater Oklahoma City Metro Hotel Association.
Prior to the signing of Brian Chandler, team President and Head Coach Tyler Fleck was serving as the team’s GM.
“I would personally like to welcome Brian Chandler to the Oklahoma City Blazers organization,” said Fleck. “Brian is an extremely passionate person, I’ve known him for a couple years now and just observing as an outsider the effort he puts in on a day after day basis and how he approaches things, we knew this was the guy for the job. He’s a professional. Brian’s unquestioned passion for the sport of hockey is endless. Aside from the day to day operations of our club, Brian will be one of the driving forces behind the growth of hockey in OKC.”
The expansion Blazers posted a 34-12 record good enough for second place in the Eastern Conference this past year and are already looking forward to the new season under the passionate leadership of Chandler.
“The impact Brian will have on the hockey club off the ice and in the community will directly benefit the on ice product. Under his leadership we are going to see some great, positive change. He has vision, attention to detail and he knows how to execute.”
Few people know what the Blazers new GM brings to the table better than former Baron’s Executive Vice President of Sales Jon Beilstein.
“I am extremely happy for Chandler and the Blazers as they plan for the upcoming season. Brian has a passion for the game that not many people do. If he for some reason he doesn’t have an answer he’s a guy that will find it. He’s the grinder on the team and has tremendous character,” said Beilstein
“We as an organization will stop at nothing until our program is the best in the country. Hiring Mr. Chandler was a major piece of that puzzle.” Fleck explained.
Chandler quotes “I am truly honored and excited about the opportunity to represent the Oklahoma City Blazers hockey team. I am looking forward to continued efforts helping ice hockey grow in OKC. With the decision of the OKC Barons hockey team departing at the conclusion of this season, hockey fans will continue to have an environment and a team they can love and support that is led by a group dedicated hockey enthusiast to include former OKC Blazer professional players. We will be working diligently to create an exciting hockey atmosphere at the Blazers Ice Center that is second to none, that all of the OKC dedicated hockey fans may call home. GO BLAZERS!!!”
The team stated that the hiring of Brian Chandler is the first of several important announcements coming in the weeks ahead as the Blazers focus their eyes on the second season as members of the Western States Hockey League and a Thorne Cup Title.

Comments posted on Facebook, regarding the hire:
A quote from Jon Beilstein...."simply amazing! Another great hockey guy prodigal decided to let go."
" ...and the dissolution of Prodigal slowly begins."
"Prodigal is a joke, maybe if they treated their employees better everyone wouldn't be leaving."