JSportsnet Hearing that the Oilers are not renewing their agreement in OKC in the AHL.

http://Twitter.com/JSportsnet

Goes beyond that...

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

Goes beyond that...

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

I knew what it meant, hadn't seen the official announcement yet

maybe they can do the same thing the OKC Calvary did back in the 1990's win the championship and fold the next day

[QUOTE=OKCretro;852206]maybe they can do the same thing the OKC Calvary did back in the 1990's win the championship and fold the next day[/QUOTE

But to be just like the Cavalry they will have to move out of the Cox Center and play the championship game at Arctic Edge in front of about 200 people. Not really that many less than they have now

[QUOTE=OKCretro;852206]maybe they can do the same thing the OKC Calvary did back in the 1990's win the championship and fold the next day[/QUOTE

But to be just like the Cavalry they will have to move out of the Cox Center and play the championship game at Arctic Edge in front of about 200 people. Not really that many less than they have now

The success of the old Blazers hockey club back in the day had as much or more to do with the Blazers as an organization as it did with hockey. Always thought the "hockey-first" notion trying to succeed here was a bit of a red herring.

[QUOTE=borchard;852267]

The success of the old Blazers hockey club back in the day had as much or more to do with the Blazers as an organization as it did with hockey. Always thought the "hockey-first" notion trying to succeed here was a bit of a red herring.

Holy crap! I couldn't agree more! I was never as big of a hockey fan as I was a Blazers fan. And I'm not sorry at all to the 7 hockey purists in OKC for saying that. My wife and I loved the Blazers. I've traveled to Nashville, Memphis, San Antonio, Tulsa, and Wichita for away games in the past. I haven't driven the 5 miles to the Cox Center for a Barons game in over two years.

Oh darn.... I never went to a game.

[QUOTE=SoonerDave;852270]

Holy crap! I couldn't agree more! I was never as big of a hockey fan as I was a Blazers fan. And I'm not sorry at all to the 7 hockey purists in OKC for saying that. My wife and I loved the Blazers. I've traveled to Nashville, Memphis, San Antonio, Tulsa, and Wichita for away games in the past. I haven't driven the 5 miles to the Cox Center for a Barons game in over two years.

You really hit the nail on the head. Oklahoma City has always been a very strange hockey town with only a segment of fans truly understanding the game. Most would prefer a bunch of puck pushing and fisticuffs over quality players. Says quite a bit. Reminds me of the fans in Quad Cities who always preferred the Mallards over the Flames. Strange.

But it works both ways. I remember talking to friends back in the mid-90's about going to Blazers games. They said the level was awful and would only support the NHL or AHL/IHL. Now we have the AHL and I never see these people a the games. Then I've seen countless Blazers fans that wouldn't step foot at a Barons game. I've never understood this mentality. They're clearly not hockey fans....just Blazer fans.

This simply isn't a hockey town.

9788

OKC never has and never will embrace ice hockey like it does other sports.

Speaking of how badly the fans suck in this state........how do the Tulsa Oilers hang on? I've been to a few games in the last few years and they look like open practices. Just awful.

As much as I hate to admit it.....Wichita knows how to support a hockey team.

By the way, the Texas Stars in Austin just announced a new 10-year lease on their arena today.

Speaking of how badly the fans suck in this state........how do the Tulsa Oilers hang on? I've been to a few games in the last few years and they look like open practices. Just awful.

As much as I hate to admit it.....Wichita knows how to support a hockey team.

By the way, the Texas Stars in Austin just announced a new 10-year lease on their arena today.

Tulsa was third in the CHL last year in attendance. The Oilers avg. was 4986. The 7 team CHL folded in Oct. of this year and the teams will be folded into the ECHL.

Went to an Oilers game last night. Crowd was about 5,000 or so. It was fun. Wish more people liked hockey in Oklahoma, but people can like (or not like) whatever they want.


The Thunder probably didn't help the Barons attendance. I'd much rather save up to see Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook play than watch 5 Barons games.

Attendance used to be better.

Even in the old days the State Fairgrounds Arena was often packed, and that seats 8,000.

Given the city is much bigger now than then, I'm not sure the reason for the drop-off.

Those of you who were familiar with Brad Lund former Blazers' GM; you have to admit, he knows the Oklahoma City hockey market. He was quick to proclaim that Oklahoma City was not a 'hockey town' but a Blazers' town.

Would have helped in Funk Jr didn't seem to have a disdain for who the actual hockey fan is in OKC. Get back in the league with natural rivals Wichita and Tulsa and revive the beloved Blazers logo and the party is back on, and don't let Funk have anything to do with it. You could take a nap at a Barons' game.

It was easy for the Blazers to be successful as there was no Thunder or as many options to spend the entertainment dollar.

I get a kick out of Okies complaining about the ticket prices.

Jonathan Cheechoo, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle, Justin Schultz....vs......Joe Burton, Tyler Fleck, Marty Standish and Alan Perry.

I wonder if Okies go to KD's restaurant and complain that the food is higher than what they serve at Taco Bell?

You type with a little bit of contempt towards Okies. Need to get something bigger off your chest?

Would have helped in Funk Jr didn't seem to have a disdain for who the actual hockey fan is in OKC. Get back in the league with natural rivals Wichita and Tulsa and revive the beloved Blazers logo and the party is back on, and don't let Funk have anything to do with it. You could take a nap at a Barons' game.

well, the blazers are back. kind of. some junior hockey league:
OKC Blazers Hockey - Junior A Western States Hockey League (http://okcblazershockey.com/)

This simply isn't a hockey town.

With only a few exceptions (due to long term success of a franchise of strong cultural connections), I really don't think there are hockey, basketball, baseball, or football towns. People gravitate towards the best product. Simply put, the Blazers were the top show in town. Since the arrival of the Thunder, hockey is an afterthought. Is OKC a basketball town now? Nope. But basketball is the best product so there is tremendous support. OKC is not particular to any sport, just the best product. If a successful NFL team moved to town and had a ton of success and the Thunder struggled then Thunder attendance would likely struggle too (Of course, multiple pro teams can survive in larger markets, but that's a result of population - a city requires approximately a million people for each pro team). All this holds true for most American cities.

As a fan of the Tulsa Oilers since about 1997, I'm pretty sure that there are MANY hockey fans from both towns that know the game. The Oilers have been around since 1928 in one form or another. As much as I despised the Blazers (what true Oiler fan didn't and vice-versa) I also realized it was a great rivalry that always brought out the top game from players on both teams, even if the talent level wasn't NHL. The games were fun and affordable. I came to MANY road trips to the Myriad and then finally two at the Ford Center the last seasons the Blazers were there. I always thought the Ford Center kind of did the Blazers in, even if it was coincidental with Funk and Express Personnel taking over the team from Chen.

What would be ideal is if the Bakersfield ECHL club could relocate to OKC since it's a foregone conclusion that the AHL franchise for Edmonton will be located there next season. It appears that hockey is trying to work towards a true 30/30/30 farm situation.

Does echl bus or travel by plane?

Attendance used to be better.

Even in the old days the State Fairgrounds Arena was often packed, and that seats 8,000.

Given the city is much bigger now than then, I'm not sure the reason for the drop-off.

Oh, but don't you know? All those seats were given away for free. EVERYBODY knows that!...

I get a kick out of Okies complaining about the ticket prices.

Jonathan Cheechoo, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle, Justin Schultz....vs......Joe Burton, Tyler Fleck, Marty Standish and Alan Perry.

I wonder if Okies go to KD's restaurant and complain that the food is higher than what they serve at Taco Bell?

Sorry, but who goes to Taco Hell?


Oh, but don't you know? All those seats were given away for free. EVERYBODY knows that!...

Like you, Borchard, I never got any of those free ticket seats. I always paid my family's way, my daughter didn't like hockey; so I drug her along because she was at that boy crazy age...

Oklahoma City may want to consider the ECHL. It's the league that absorbed many of the Central Hockey League franchises like Tulsa & Wichita. You could rekindle some heated rivalries. ECHL is a reputable AA league that doesn't tolerate 'goon style hockey.'

The ECHL - Premier 'AA' Hockey League | Statistics (http://echl.com/stats/statdisplay.php?type=standings&subType=0&season_id=33&league_id=1&division_id=-1&confId=0)

There's just too much competition for the professional & college sports' dollars (Thunder, Sooners, Blue, RedHawks, Energy) in OKC right now.

They are planning to put a new roof on the 9,760-seat State Fair Arena, maybe it would be a better option than the Cox Center where parking & popcorn prices are such a turn-off that it makes you want to wait and eat at Taco Hell. They wouldn't have to drape the State Fair Arena with tarps & partitions to hide seats.

The State Fair Arena wouldn't cost as much to lease or maintain; bring back the Blazers logo & brand, IIRC the Barons was one of the names considered when the Supersonics relocated; RedHawks was the marketing-moniker to be used for OKC's potential NHL expansion franchise in '97.

RedHawks & Barons, those second-hand Rose, hand-me-down names just didn't take roots in our market.

Meh, I just go to the Blazer Arena and watch OU club hockey.

Just out of curiosity I went to the Tulsa Oilers website on ticket pricing. An individual game ticket had 6 levels of pricing at the BOK center. The price for a ticket was 19.85, 25.00, 30.85, 41.10, 52.05, 62.30. I don't see the people in OKC paying those prices for the ECHL when they would not support the pricing for Barons tickets.

They wouldn't have to drape the State Fair Arena with tarps & partitions to hide seats.

The Blazers never had to do that in the first place! Unlike the Barons and Redhawks. But then again, they DID give away all of their tickets for free...

Tulsa doesn't have NBA

This sucks because I enjoy watching AHL hockey.

Probably wouldn't go with a free ticket to watch some semi-pro league fight fest and passes that rarely hit the tape.

ECHL hockey is a pretty high quality product. Much better than the CHL.

Yeah, I would be okay with that, because at least you're hopefully dealing with some guys trending towards the NHL. I was more referring to the other minor leagues which resemble more beer league hockey (which apparently is what a couple of people here like)

Does echl bus or travel by plane?

Now I want to watch "Slap Shot". :D

The Blazers never had to do that in the first place! Unlike the Barons and Redhawks. But then again, they DID give away all of their tickets for free...

Like it or not I got into so many fame free or discounted it wasn't even funny while you paid full price season tickets.

ECHL hockey is a pretty high quality product. Much better than the CHL.

The AHL is a better product and Barons tickets are cheaper than the Oilers. Why would they get support that the Barons didn't?

Like it or not I got into so many fame free or discounted it wasn't even funny while you paid full price season tickets.

Yep. Sure, they sold tickets, but they also gave away gobs of them for free. I don't know why some people refuse to believe that. I didn't pay for a single ticket their final season, but I went to almost every home game.

Yes, the AHL is the next step up. The Cox Center was way too big for the Barons or any other OKC team. Outside of quality hockey, the games taken as a whole were incredibly boring. There was never any sense that you were at a popular event. Walking the concourse during intermission was like being in a high school on a weekend. Just no enthusiasm at all. I suspect that the Oilers are priced as they are is that they're the only game in town and I'll bet they're making a fortune. Hockey in OKC needs a venue of about 5500 max that is easy to get to, with cheap tickets and parking. They could also take huge lessons from the Thunder on creating an event that reaches beyond the dasher boards. Car give always don't fill seats, non-stop excitement and a sense of privilege to be there does.

You really hit on something with the atmosphere. And that is the problem with ice hockey in this part of North America. People here simply weren't raised on the game so you have to sell the entire experience; chuck-a-puck, car giveaways, fights, ice chicks, live bands, whatever.

Those of that just want to watch quality hockey don't need any of this silliness. There have been some excellent hockey players that have passed through Oklahoma City the last few years.

Yes, the AHL is the next step up. The Cox Center was way too big for the Barons or any other OKC team.
It wasn't too big for the Blazers. All this talk of free tickets didnt start until they began playing in the Ford Center. I loved the Blazers but even I thought it was too big for them.

Outside of quality hockey, the games taken as a whole were incredibly boring. There was never any sense that you were at a popular event. Walking the concourse during intermission was like being in a high school on a weekend. Just no enthusiasm at all.
Amen! And what I always said about the Blazers was they found some way to make you forget that you weren't watching "World Class" hockey. I didn't care if it wasn't.

Hockey in OKC needs a venue of about 5500 max that is easy to get to, with cheap tickets and parking.
I guess I disagree whit the size of the venue, but the other two, yes.

They could also take huge lessons from the Thunder on creating an event that reaches beyond the dasher boards. Car give always don't fill seats, non-stop excitement and a sense of privilege to be there does.
And once again, that's EXACTLY what the Blazers used to do. You felt like they were YOUR team. With John Brooks doing the play-by-play I LOVED listening to their games on the radio. Back in the day, you would bring your portable radio into the arena just to be able to hear his call. The Booster Club would organize bus trips to away games. The Blazers had the largest travelling group in the league. I would LOVE to have all of that back.

The AHL is a better product and Barons tickets are cheaper than the Oilers. Why would they get support that the Barons didn't?

Tulsa ECHL entry is playing in the BOK Center. Their lease is probably among the highest in the league. Here are some ECHL attendance figures for the 2014-15 season:



ECHL attendance & capacities for former Blazers' rivals.
Tulsa Oilers 4,442 - BOK Center 17,096
Wichita Thunder 4,440 - Intrust Bank Arena 13,450


No team in the ECHL is averaging better than 7,485 (Ontario Reign).

There appears to be a solid base of 3,000 hockey fans in Oklahoma City. You put them at the State Fair Arena, you might draw those hockey crowds of old since there is no 'paid parking.' The venue at the fairgrounds wouldn't be as expensive or spacious as the Cox Convention Center (13,399). State Fair Arena accommodates 9,760 for ice hockey, you'd probably see a team draw an average of 4,500 to 5,000 plus.

ECHL 2014-15 team attendance at hockeydb.com (http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=ECHL2004&sid=2015)

This article was posted on another message board; this doesn't sound anything like the Sam Presti that talks to the media. Is anyone familiar with the 'Land Run News?"


“We’re very excited by the win; it was a struggle we should have won a lot faster, but I’m just glad it’s done,” said Thunder GM Sam Presti, who acknowledged the importance of victories over any competition for the entertainment dollar...

...“It was a lot of work to get people to forget that there are other teams in town, and it’s not getting any easier. The Dodgers will come out strong this spring, and Energy could get that MLS franchise if we aren’t careful. We have a good gameplan to succeed, but we need everyone to execute,” Presti said.

Thunder Management Celebrates Win Over Barons | Land Run News (http://landrunnews.com/2014/12/thunder-management-celebrates-win-over-barons/)

This is very disturbing; why would Sam Presti say something like this and put it out in the media? That doesn't sound like the professional GM Sam Presti I've come to know...

About Land Run News
Land Run News is a satirical news website based in the Oklahoma City metro area. All content is our own intellectual property, but permission is granted to link to our website and share with accreditation.

Land Run News uses fictional people and institutions in our stories, with the exception of cases where public figures and organizations are being satirized. Any use of real names is purely coincidental.

From their about us section. I couldn't believe he would say something like that either.

About Land Run News
Land Run News is a satirical news website based in the Oklahoma City metro area. All content is our own intellectual property, but permission is granted to link to our website and share with accreditation.

Land Run News uses fictional people and institutions in our stories, with the exception of cases where public figures and organizations are being satirized. Any use of real names is purely coincidental.

From their about us section. I couldn't believe he would say something like that either.


LMAO! Thanks, hfry. I didn't bother to real anything on that sight; it was totally out-of-character for Sam Presti.

Thanks, Plutonic Panda for drawing this to my attention.

Double Post

The funny thing is that there is probably more truth in that article than you think.

The Thunder saw the Barons as competition and basically bribed the city into refusing letting the Barons put up signage on the outside of the Myriad.

Lack of marketing by Prodigal also hurt the team as did lack of media coverage. The media barely covers the team for the 5 seasons they were here but when they fold is when they get the most media coverage. The next game (Saturday) they drew almost 6,000.

I hope we get hockey back in OKC although it won't be as good of a product as the AHL. ECHL is about the only product I would want to watch other than the "N" or the "A". Anything below that is beer league hockey.

The Thunder saw the Barons as competition and basically bribed the city into refusing letting the Barons put up signage on the outside of the Myriad.

LOL, you can think that if you want but that's pretty silly.

LOL, you can think that if you want but that's pretty silly.

You can think not if you want. It's not silly, it's true. The Thunder run this town and will always get what they want.

You can think not if you want. It's not silly, it's true. The Thunder run this town and will always get what they want.

Funny, because I always see giant Barons banners hanging on the side of the Cox center during playoff season.

I can think of a dozen other bigger competitors to the Thunder than the Barons: Bars, Movie Theaters, Red Box, Parks, Cable TV, Watching paint dry............Ok, that last one was mean I admit. lol

You can think not if you want. It's not silly, it's true. The Thunder run this town and will always get what they want.

While I disagree with you about them seeing the barons as a competitor, i do agree that the owners of the Thunder are the defacto benevolent dictators of OKC sports now. My evidence of that is when the principles of Oklahoma City FC went to the mayor to talk about the possibility of building a stadium they said the FIRST question he asked them was, "Have you talked to Clay and those guys about this, yet?"

You can think not if you want. It's not silly, it's true. The Thunder run this town and will always get what they want.

Yeah, now they can set their sights on OU football.

Just read that the Blazers Junior A team drew over 7,000 people to a game recently at the Cox Center. What was the largest crowd the barons pulled in this year?

The game on Dec 20. 5816 was the attendance. It was Salute to Heroes night.

Just read that the Blazers Junior A team drew over 7,000 people to a game recently at the Cox Center. What was the largest crowd the barons pulled in this year?

Surely that was from the night in October where they handed out free tickets to fill the house. Looks like it worked.

Can't wait to kick out the NHLers for a bunch of high school kids. Awesome job, Okies. Outstanding.

Surely that was from the night in October where they handed out free tickets to fill the house. Looks like it worked.

Can't wait to kick out the NHLers for a bunch of high school kids. Awesome job, Okies. Outstanding.

Couple of points here;
1. the Barons are NOT NHL'ers. They are AHL. One step below the NHL. Wow, I'm a native Okie and even I know that.
2. These "high schoolers" are Junior-level hockey players. Where exactly do you think future NHL'ers come from?
3. Maybe if the barons had "given away" more tickets their attendance wouldn't suck as badly as it does.
4. Even though I can't explain it, I would wager that if you could round up 16 former Blazers, suit them up, and have them play a game against the barons the place would be packed, and 9/10's of the crowd would have on Blazers colors.
I was, and always will be, a Blazers fan. The barons leaving doesn't affect me at all, except for MAYBE now we can get The Blazers back, and into the ECHL. My wife and I will be one of the first ones in line to get season tickets if/when that happens.
Stupid Okies!

It caught me by surprise that he said NHLers, although he probably meant AHL 'ers.

Felt all along that the first major league franchise (NBA or NHL) to move into Oklahoma City would survive. Glad it was the NBA because it has more media coverage, familiar American player names (identity/recognition) & better profit sharing than the NHL. Nation Wide Insurance of Columbus, OH helped secure the 4th & final 1997 NHL expansion franchise for their city. Could Oklahoma City have survived with an NHL franchise like the Blue Jackets?

Chesapeake Energy Arena: Opened June 2002, Hockey capacity 18,038
Cost: $89 million ($117 million in 2014) &, 2008 improvements $105 million ($138 million in 2014), Chesapeake Arena value: $250 million in 2014.

Columbus Nationwide Arena: Opened September 2000, Hockey capacity 18,500 Cost: $175 million, ($240 million in 2014 dollars)

Attendance:
1st Year - 2000: 18,136
. . 2002 - 2004: 17,500
. . 2005 - 2009: 15,800
. . 2010 - 2014: 15,000

Source: 2014-2015 NHL Attendance - National Hockey League - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/nhl/attendance)

Hi 😑

1. the Barons are NOT NHL'ers. They are AHL. One step below the NHL. Wow, I'm a native Okie and even I know that.

Agreed



2. These "high schoolers" are Junior-level hockey players. Where exactly do you think future NHL'ers come from?

Not too many players come from the WSHL though. If is considered Tier III (along with 14 other leagues.)



3. Maybe if the barons had "given away" more tickets their attendance wouldn't suck as badly as it does.

Maybe if Prodigal had done a better job of actually marketing the team instead of just thinking people would come out, it would have helped. I know a lot of people who didn't know we even had a hockey team.



4. Even though I can't explain it, I would wager that if you could round up 16 former Blazers, suit them up, and have them play a game against the barons the place would be packed, and 9/10's of the crowd would have on Blazers colors.

And that crowd would be quiet for most of the game after the Barons would thrash the Blazers 10-1. It wouldn't even be a contest.


I was, and always will be, a Blazers fan. The barons leaving doesn't affect me at all, except for MAYBE now we can get The Blazers back, and into the ECHL. My wife and I will be one of the first ones in line to get season tickets if/when that happens.
Stupid Okies!

The Barons leaving sucks because I enjoyed the level of talent that was presented every night. Guys that played or were on their way up to the NHL. I enjoyed watching the Blazers too and took them for what they were worth.

I am a hockey fan first and Barons and Blazers fan second. Unfortunately, you had too many people in the Blazers fan only camp and that helped to hamper attendance because it wasn't the Blazers. I really never understood that. Let's not act like the Blazers were the only team name in the history of the world in Oklahoma City hockey history.

I hope we get a team in the "E" (regardless of their name) but I fear this may be a scorched earth hockey market.

Agreed



Not too many players come from the WSHL though. If is considered Tier III (along with 14 other leagues.)



Maybe if Prodigal had done a better job of actually marketing the team instead of just thinking people would come out, it would have helped. I know a lot of people who didn't know we even had a hockey team.
And that's odd, since they are a marketing firm.

And that crowd would be quiet for most of the game after the Barons would thrash the Blazers 10-1. It wouldn't even be a contest.
And it wouldn't matter. My point was that people were fans of the Blazers, and the players themselves. Even if the score was 10-1 barons, the loyalty would be 10-1 for the Blazers. And if you're trying to make money from a sports team isn't that what you want? Maybe Prodigal should go back to Marketing school.

The Barons leaving sucks because I enjoyed the level of talent that was presented every night. Guys that played or were on their way up to the NHL. I enjoyed watching the Blazers too and took them for what they were worth.
I tried to enjoy the barons. I really did. But I agree several others I've seen post. It was boring to me. I could NEVER get into it.

I am a hockey fan first and Barons and Blazers fan second. Unfortunately, you had too many people in the Blazers fan only camp and that helped to hamper attendance because it wasn't the Blazers. I really never understood that. Let's not act like the Blazers were the only team name in the history of the world in Oklahoma City hockey history.
Actually it almost is. If you know anything about hockey history in Oklahoma City, then you'd know that The Blazers name was here from 1965 to 1977, as well as from 1992-2009.

I hope we get a team in the "E" (regardless of their name) but I fear this may be a scorched earth hockey market.
Not if it's done right. I hope we do, as well.

Hockey in OKC will never succeed on a grand scale. Oklahoma is simply not a hockey State. I was born and raised in Oklahoma and hockey was not even on the radar as a sport to play as a young person. Hockey can only prosper in relatively warm places IF the populous includes transplants from colder cities where hockey is big time. Examples, Phoenix, LA, Miami, Dallas to some degree Nashville. Oklahoma and OKC is not a diverse state or city, for the most part people in large numbers are not moving to OKC from N or NE states where again hockey is strong. Give up on hockey outisde of your carnival level teams like the one before the Barons