AHL to Oklahoma City; Tulsa, Wichita to follow...

[Dave Cook]

Nice to see we have some old school fans here and not a bunch of newbies.

Heck, while we're at it...let's add the Memphis Wings/South Stars....Fort Worth Wings/Texans.....Amarillo Wranglers...Kansas City Blues....etc.

Speaking of Kansas City....why Kansas City is not being brought up is ridiculous. How a dump of a town like Wichita - with some of the worst group of fans I've ever witnessed in my life - can be mentioned in an AHL thread, and not Kansas City....is absurd. Kansas City had some great hockey fans there for a long while....Blues/Scouts/Blades......and they are long overdue.

[Shake2005]

Kansas City has a terrible record with minor league hockey and the AHL specifically. And Kansas City is pushing for an NHL team, which if it did happen would never be successful.

In the just over 2 million strong Kansas City metro they already have NFL and MLB and right next door they have KU and the Royals already struggle with attendance. So a new hockey team would have to come in and compete with all of that for fans and corporate dollars, compete directly with KU Basketball and the Chiefs. Hockey is always going to be the loser there. Kansas City needs some strong population growth before they contemplate another pro sport.

[Dave Cook]

I agree completely. I never said bring in an NHL team, a disaster in the making. But a minor league team was badly needed. I'm not sure the old school hockey fans in KC are going to care much for the CHL's Missouri Mavericks but we shall see.

At any rate, all this enthusiasm over the AHL may be short lived. Triple-A hockey tends to not last long nowadays anywhere other than the East Coast. If we have the AHL in OKC for three or four seasons, I'll consider it a 'minor' success.

[bluedogok]

Kansas City has a terrible record with minor league hockey and the AHL specifically. And Kansas City is pushing for an NHL team, which if it did happen would never be successful.

In the just over 2 million strong Kansas City metro they already have NFL and MLB and right next door they have KU and the Royals already struggle with attendance. So a new hockey team would have to come in and compete with all of that for fans and corporate dollars, compete directly with KU Basketball and the Chiefs. Hockey is always going to be the loser there. Kansas City needs some strong population growth before they contemplate another pro sport.

Royals attendance is poor because they have had a bad team for an extended period of time and ownership that has shown very little interest in getting better. That has more of an effect on fan support than anything else, they had great support back when they were a competitive team...30 years ago. It has been affecting the Chiefs as well but not to the same extent, they have been bad in recent years but not an extended streak yet. I know that it is easier to get season tickets for the Chiefs now than it was just five years ago.

I think it is going to be harder for all but the largest cities to keep a hold of the four major sports teams, the NBA has proven that a single sport town can work in their league for the very reasons that you mentioned, corporate support being number one. A co-worker of mine grew up in Detroit and lived in Indy before moving to Austin, he said that Indy is still pretty much one sport town. The support for the Colts was mediocre until they went on this latest string of winning seasons. The Pacers had plenty of support when they were the only game in town and still had support after the Colts moved from Baltimore when they were competing for Eastern Conference Championships but when they started becoming less relevant in the NBA and the Colts improved, the support shifted. It is a hard sell in mid-sized cities (by pro sports standards) to keep the support levels where they need to be with that much competition.

[Laramie]

I agree completely. I never said bring in an NHL team, a disaster in the making. But a minor league team was badly needed. I'm not sure the old school hockey fans in KC are going to care much for the CHL's Missouri Mavericks but we shall see.

At any rate, all this enthusiasm over the AHL may be short lived. Triple-A hockey tends to not last long nowadays anywhere other than the East Coast. If we have the AHL in OKC for three or four seasons, I'll consider it a 'minor' success.

The AHL has held its own in Houston and San Antonio; so they will be just as successful in Austin and Oklahoma City.

[DonDiego]

Have the former owners considered the "Fair Grounds Arena" as a lower cost alternative? After all, that's where the original Blazers played in the '60's, before there was a Myriad or certainly before the Ford Center. It is a decent venue that provided the Blazer's parent club, at the time, the Boston Bruins with players like Gerry Cheevers, Bernie Parent and "Ace" Bailey. BTW former Blazer "Ace" Bailey lost his life as a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 175, one of the two airliners that struck the World Trade Center on 9/11. Mr. Bailey was, at the time, a scout for the LA Kings.

[Laramie]

Have the former owners considered the "Fair Grounds Arena" as a lower cost alternative? After all, that's where the original Blazers played in the '60's, before there was a Myriad or certainly before the Ford Center. It is a decent venue that provided the Blazer's parent club, at the time, the Boston Bruins with players like Gerry Cheevers, Bernie Parent and "Ace" Bailey. BTW former Blazer "Ace" Bailey lost his life as a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 175, one of the two airliners that struck the World Trade Center on 9/11. Mr. Bailey was, at the time, a scout for the LA Kings.

I have many fond memories of the State Fair Arena (OKC hockey fan since 1963); it would be great for the CHL, as for the AHL, it wouldn't be in their best interest to play there.

If this new AHL Oklahoma City franchise is successful its first few years, I'm sure there will be a push to put them in the Ford Center or play some games there. Meanwhile, using the Cox Convention Center will afford the team flexible scheduling and a quality AHL-ready arena. I also have fond memories of the old Myriad Convention Center's Great Arena!

[warreng88]

Oklahoma City council approves agreement with hockey group
By The Associated Press
Published: December 15, 2009

The Oklahoma City council has approved a lease agreement with a local group that would allow an American Hockey League franchise to play in the city next season.

The council unanimously approved Tuesday allowing SMG, which manages the Cox Convention Center, to enter into the agreement with Prodigal Hockey LLC.

The lease will be for five years initially, with two three-year renewal terms at the option of Prodigal Hockey. The team would play 40 regular-season home games at the downtown arena.

Prodigal Hockey President Bob Funk Jr. says he can't comment on any potential team that might move to Oklahoma City. But in July, Edmonton Oilers President Patrick LaForge said the NHL team was interested in having an AHL team in Oklahoma City as the Oilers' top minor-league affiliate.

NewsOK

[HockeyFan4Life]

Have the former owners considered the "Fair Grounds Arena" as a lower cost alternative? After all, that's where the original Blazers played in the '60's, before there was a Myriad or certainly before the Ford Center. It is a decent venue that provided the Blazer's parent club, at the time, the Boston Bruins with players like Gerry Cheevers, Bernie Parent and "Ace" Bailey. BTW former Blazer "Ace" Bailey lost his life as a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 175, one of the two airliners that struck the World Trade Center on 9/11. Mr. Bailey was, at the time, a scout for the LA Kings.

That would be interesting!

[Sea Toby]

I agree AHL clubs in Kansas City, Wichita, and Tulsa could be successful. Unfortunately, that would hurt significantly the CHL as a league, these three cities being their keystones...

The problem for implementing these additional cities in the AHL is that the league is already at 30 clubs to match their NHL affiliations, starting during the next season. For these cities to move up to the AHL level, a current team will have to be bought and moved.

Most of the cities are up in the northeast area of the United States in cities not much smaller than these CHL cities. Their closeness provides for short bus rides when the clubs are on the road. Outside of a few clubs with losing records, these AHL cities have a good solid fan base as well. But there are a few clubs which could do better in Tulsa and Wichita. Worchester and Lowell in my opinion are much too close to Boston... a fact which is revealed in their attendance numbers...

[Laramie]

The success of an Oklahoma City AHL franchise will make both Tulsa and Wichita drool all over again.

Let me tell you like it is: OKC has the NBA--Tulsa doesn't have major league sports and Witchia has a Thunder in the CHL which is now being overshadowed by OKC's Thunder.

When they Oklahoma Outlaws (USFL) and the Tulsa Roughnecks (NASL) played in Tulsa--they thought they were big time.

Tulsans are disappointed because state tax breaks were given to the Thunder and there are two things Tulsans wanted:

1. The team to be called Oklahoma Thunder and not Oklahoma City.
(That way people just might think that the team belonged to Tulsa).

2. They wanted five to six home games be played in the BOK Center.
(...and not the games OKC didn't want eg., Minnesota, Golden State...)

With the Thunder's success, Tulsans want people to think that it is Tulsa team by calling them Oklahoma Thunder.

What they don't realize is the Oklahoma City's community has supported NBA & this team (4 years) and this is our initial stamp as a "Big League City."

If you want to know more (?) view some of their comments on Tulsa Now forum. They still have that mentality that they are better than Oklahoma City and they are insanely jealous of the Thunder.

[HOT ROD]

so Tulsa thought they could ride OKC's coat-tails so people might assume the NBA team was in Tulsa - when they did NOTHING to buy, secure, or develop the Thunder nor the Hornets.

Only out of jealousy did they built the BOK center; with no tenant to come in the forseeable future. .... In all honesty, Tulsa has always tried to call their things "Oklahoma" this or that, and NOT so they could share the fame with OKC or the rest of the state. ....

but anyways, who cares about Tulsa or what they think?

they got passed by OKC over 15 years ago and the separation is becoming more and more in every level, every sector; and rightfully so given OKC IS the state's largest city, capital, and ONLY major metropolitan area (significantly over 1million).

Bitter Tulsans need to be thankful they currently still have the 'lead' in high-end stores for now, because I predict by 2015 that ALSO will be a forgotten memory and OKC will have over 1.5 million people and perhaps another major league team. ....

Let those trolls on TulsaNow continue their hate and lust for OKC while we move on happily ever-after and rightfully carry the banner for Oklahoma.

[Laramie]

Well spoken Hot Rod!

[bombermwc]

Here Here Hot Rod.

But, let's not get too cocky and take the higher ground. Tulsa may squack louder some times, but OKC hangs back and holds its tongue. Then when things aren't working out for T-Town, that's when OKC says, "hey, i've been sitting here quietly and now you can see what all I've done right while you were wasting all that energy being annoying".

We came from the depths of despair...they never made it that low. They just haven't accepted the fact that they are behind. By the time they do, it will be too late. We'll have surpassed by so much, that they won't be able to catch up.

Remember, at one time, OKC was larger and more important than Dallas........

[918Town]

WHOA! That was intense. Did you guys get it all out? If not go ahead and whip it out again. I'm not sure what the underlying issues are, (Actually I might have an idea) but that's not a good look for such staunch members of THE discussion forum of "THE BIG LEAGUE CITY" in the state.

[Laramie]

WHOA! That was intense. Did you guys get it all out? If not go ahead and whip it out again. I'm not sure what the underlying issues are, (Actually I might have an idea) but that's not a good look for such staunch members of THE discussion forum of "THE BIG LEAGUE CITY" in the state.

...whip it out again! Let's not go there!

Let me retrack what I said so that there is no disrespect to Tulsa--my sincere apologies.

"Calling the team Oklahoma City takes Tulsa out of the equation!"

[dmoor82]

WHOA! That was intense. Did you guys get it all out? If not go ahead and whip it out again. I'm not sure what the underlying issues are, (Actually I might have an idea) but that's not a good look for such staunch members of THE discussion forum of "THE BIG LEAGUE CITY" in the state.

^^Tulsanow is calling,They want you back!