OKC Barons to cease operations after the 2014-2015 season

[GoOKC1991]

-1 Million chance hockey would ever happen at Lazy E

[GoOKC1991]

The SFA would need a complete overhaul, nobody wants to sit in those seats for hockey

[puga203]

Immediate red flag. Not saying it isn't interesting and couldn't be true......but what minor league player buys a home in Oklahoma City?

Every hockey player in Oklahoma City going back to Pete Panagabko has lived in an apartment complex or, at best, a rent house.

Actually it isn't as uncommon as you would think. Guys like Richard Bachman, Matt Ford, Ryan Hamilton, Will Acton, Josh Green, Yann Danis, and so on with families and AHL contracts do often buy houses knowing that they will be here for a while. Or at unless a trade were to happen. Those players though know that they're AHL players with little to no shot at going up and staying in the NHL. The younger players like Brandon Davidson, Anton Lander, Martin Marincin, etc. do not buy because of uncertainties as to where there career could take them still.


As for the "7000" fans at the Blazers game, it was the same as I always knew it to be....free tickets. I went to every home game and rarely paid regular price for a ticket. My section was 209 and I always used the free vouchers and just paid an upgrade fee for better seats, roughly $3 a ticket. Didn't have a voucher to take to the game? No problem, they had stacks of them sitting on the little counter next to the ticket windows at the the Ford Center. The only difference for this game back in Oct. was that you didn't have to pay any upgrade fees at all....they were strictly free.

[borchard]

The SFA would need a complete overhaul, nobody wants to sit in those seats for hockey

The Blazers used to play several games a year there back in the day when the rodeo, I think?, would come through the Myriad every January. No the best venue, but it worked back then.

[borchard]

The Lazy E Arena doesn't have an ice plant and the one at the SFA has been removed. Neither place is acceptable for hockey.

When did the one at SFA get removed? I thought they still had Disney On Ice during the Fair?

[Bill Robertson]

When did the one at SFA get removed? I thought they still had Disney On Ice during the Fair?

Disney On Ice was at the 1014 Fair. And the 2015 State Fair website talks about an all new "Frozen" Disney On Ice. The SFA must still have an ice plant.

[kevinpate]

..., nobody wants to sit in those seats for hockey

set the beer price low enough, and even non-fans will endure the seats

[jn1780]

Disney On Ice was at the 1014 Fair. And the 2015 State Fair website talks about an all new "Frozen" Disney On Ice. The SFA must still have an ice plant.

I don't know if it has been removed, but I'm sure Disney can bring in their own mobile ice plant. The actual performance area is probably half the size of a hockey ring. I actually wouldn't be surprised if Disney prefers to use their own equipment.

[OkieHornet]

would they be able to move the myriad's ice plant to the fairgrounds?

[kwhey]

When did the one at SFA get removed? I thought they still had Disney On Ice during the Fair?

They bring their own ice making equipment. That is why they always have a ton of trailers when it comes to town.

[GoOKC1991]

If it's not the Myriad or a someday built arena for hockey (yeah right), there will not be a home for professional hockey. SFA, Lazy E and the Peake will NEVER have hockey. Period.

[GoOKC1991]

Everyone needs to get out an support the Barons before they are gone, this team is VERY talented and could easily go out on top with a Calder Cup championship.

[Plutonic Panda]

Because they know they don't have to. If the taxpayers don't want to pay for the stadium/arena, they will take their ball somewhere else.

Wasn't the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington built with private funds?

[puga203]

Wasn't the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington built with private funds?

That's quite a different scenario

[ahlokc]

Everyone needs to get out an support the Barons before they are gone, this team is VERY talented and could easily go out on top with a Calder Cup championship.

Yep! The Barons are currently first in the LEAGUE. It just sucks that they are doing so good and this will be their last year

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City to ECHL to join Tulsa & Wichita?

“They were great partners. They were totally passionate about hockey. They just ran into the power of doom in the NBA OKC Thunder. The Thunder is in the big building and they have two of the top five players in the NBA. Everything they tried, all their skill combined with a talented team which is a Calder Cup contender this year, and they just couldn’t do it. I’m sure we’ll end up doing business with them again, in a franchise way again. I’m sure,” said LaForge.

The Oilers ECHL club will now need a home. The ECHL just moved into Wichita and Tulsa, much better rivals than Texas teams from San Antonio and Austin in the AHL.

The OKC Barons may live again.

With no OKC Barons next year, Oilers will likely move AHL team to Bakersfield |

[Plutonic Panda]

That's quite a different scenario

How's that? Honest question, I don't know that much about sports.

[puga203]

How's that? Honest question, I don't know that much about sports.

Jerry Jones built a stadium for a team already established. It was a forgone conclusion that he would sell out that stadium with season tickets in a matter of minutes. He has the closest thing to a guarantee as there is in life.

[dankrutka]

I don't agree with this at all. I am a out of State season ticket holder for the Thunder making about 3 games per year. I wouldn't even watch Hockey. NHL hockey would do OK but I don't think it would rise as fast nor maintain the level of enthusiasm of the NBA. Hockey is an afterthought sport outside of the NHL markets and the Stanley Cup.

If OKC was a NHL market then it would be a big deal in OKC. I didn't say hockey would gain national popularity with casual fans. But if there was one pro team in town then people in OKC would quit caring about the NBA and start caring about the NHL because it would be the best product in town. You may disagree with this personally, but if the Blazers could draw people in then a NHL team could draw fans in ten fold.

[Dave Cook]

I've just heard some breaking news from a VERY reliable source.

A new team is coming to the city called the Oklahoma City Senior Blazers, a team which will consist of former Blazers 40-years and older. I hear some former players, including Craig Johnson and Ron Aubrey, have already expressed an interest in playing (as sheetrock work has really slowed down).

Apparently, there was an old ice rink on North Portland called the Ice Chalet (before my time) that they plan to reinstall ice and use for the rink. They're hoping they can fill the place. Hockey fans across South Oklahoma City are eager with anticipation over this.

Possible teams:
Tulsa Aged Oilers
Laredo Old Bucks
Fort Worth Fossils
Topeka Senile Scarecrows
Memphis Shot Liver Kings
Allen Americans Association of Retired Persons
Macon Slow Whoopee (possible Viagra sponsorship)
Youngstown Steel Huh?

[borchard]

With no OKC Barons next year, Oilers will likely move AHL team to Bakersfield |

I like some other quotes out of this article;

Bakersfield is averaging a healthy 4,772. OKC is claiming 3,219

Even HE doesn't believe the attendance numbers!

But OKC put together one of the most incredible promotions in the history of minor league sport — giving a brand new car away every Saturday night home game for two seasons. And it didn’t move the dial. The Barons were either at the bottom or near the bottom of the AHL in attendance every season.

“It came down to some negotiations that they tried with the city, the landlord at the arena and they just couldn’t get what they wanted. That’s what caused them to say ‘OK, we can’t go any further.’ ”

Yeah, it was the city's fault. It wasn't the fact that attendance was terrible, no matter how many cars they gave away. I had nothing to do with that fact that all of their REAL effort has been poured into The Energy for the past year or more. No, it was the negotiations with the city. Wait a minute, isn't that the same thing Bob Funk Jr said when he shut down the Blazers? But it wasn't true then, either. This guy is the biggest weasel, and I am truly sorry he every came in contact with The Blazers, or The Barons, for that matter. He is a cancer that eventually kills everything he comes in contact with. And my prediction is that he will kill The Energy as well, in time.

[bradh]

So you guys who complain and moan about the Barons, what brings you back to hockey? Is it just another owner besides Funk?

The Energy won't die, they are already more well supported than the Barons and he has more owners than just himself.

[Jersey Boss]

Wasn't the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington built with private funds?

No, it was not.

AT&T Stadium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally estimated to cost $650 million, the stadium's current construction cost was $1.15 billion, making it one of the most expensive sports venues ever built. To aid Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones in paying the construction costs of the new stadium, Arlington voters approved the increase of the city's sales tax by 0.5 percent, the hotel occupancy tax by 2 percent, and car rental tax by 5 percent. The City of Arlington provided over $325 million (including interest) in bonds as funding, and Jones covered any cost overruns. Also, the NFL provided the Cowboys with an additional $150 million loan, following its policy for facilitating financing for the construction of new stadiums.

[GoOKC1991]

Barons complete a 3 game road sweep at Adirondack, Rochester and Hamilton, including back to back shutouts last night and tonight. GET OUT AND SUPPORT THIS TEAM!!

[Robert_M]

A close friend of mine Sent me this text tonight after talking to some people in the know with the barons so take it for what it's worth

Here's the latest on the rumor about the team: the players were told to sit tight and not sell their houses. Bakersfield arena is not ready or up to ahl standards and essentially the barons have no where to go. Funk wanted a 3 yr lease, Edmonton a 5 yr and the city. A 10 yr. Edmonton is working with the city now to extend for at least another year and will run the team. Funk owns the barons name so may have to be rebranded. Edmonton would like to get a lease that allows barons to stay up to 2 yrs with the option of an echl team moving in after barons leave( current Bakersfield team)


So best case scenario is Edmonton takes over the team, rebrands it, and is here for two more years, with promise of current Bakersfield team moving here if/when team moves. Also it was interesting to hear that barons have one of the highest # of season ticket holders. Loyalty was always there but there was obvious poor marketing to try to get your average fans consistently to the games

Saw it reported yesterday that AHL approved Bakersfield ( as well as 4 other California teams ) to join and Edmonton's development team will be moving next season. No mention of what will become of the current Bakersfield players but not likely to be moving to Oklahoma I would imagine.