Barons Update

[Jersey Boss]

OKC Blazers cease operations; city to talk with AHL team | News OK
The Blazers did not renew their lease with the Ford Center after months of negotiations. According to city documents, the city and SMG were going to grant the Blazers a three-year renewal, but the Blazers have retracted the deal.

nm.

[kwhey]

Barons won Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals last night 2-1 in quadruple overtime.

[kwhey]

Blazers v Oilers! Blazers v Thunder! Can't wait!

It won't be the knuckle dragging hockey that CHL was. If that is what you are hoping for, then you will be disappointed.

[kwhey]

Game 4 tonight. Barons down 2-1.

[kwhey]

Barons win Game 4, 7-4! Game 5 Thursday night. It could be last last Barons home game.

[borchard]

It won't be the knuckle dragging hockey that CHL was. If that is what you are hoping for, then you will be disappointed.

``The hockey isn't a whole lot different, but the depth is a little bit better. In the CHL the style of game is a little bit more controlled, while this is quicker.''
Maybe that's because there are more younger players in the ECHL and more veterans in the CHL..."
Brett Smith - Fort Wayne Komets

[bradh]

I think controlled is just the nice word for "slower"

But I see the point

[Richard at Remax]

Like them or not, this may or may not be the last Barons home game tonight. I give it up to them though. They could have folded like lawnchairs but they are out there giving their all against better teams. So if you don't have anything going on this evening go check out the game.

[OKCretro]

Yea hoping they pull another "OKC calvary" where they win the championship then the team folds the next day.

[borchard]

Yea hoping they pull another "OKC calvary" where they win the championship then the team folds the next day.

If they were like the Cavalry they'd have to play the final series at Arctic Edge, in front of about 300 people.

[OkieHornet]

paid attendance at the games this week were 1,470 and 1,802.

[Snowman]

It won't be the knuckle dragging hockey that CHL was. If that is what you are hoping for, then you will be disappointed.

Promoting this kind of attitude was part of the problem for the Barons from the start. It was moronic for the owners/communications department to insult the prior home team of the core audience they were trying to attract.

[borchard]

Promoting this kind of attitude was part of the problem for the Barons from the start. It was moronic for the owners/communications department to insult the prior home team of the core audience they were trying to attract.

Yes! This x 1,000. Why was this so hard for them to understand? The Blazers had a very committed, passionate core following. And from the very beginning it seemed like Funk Jr and his team did EVERYTHING in their power to alienate and belittle them. Even the small town, Okie, knuckle-dragging Blazers management had enough sense (and integrity) to pay homage to teams that had been here prior to them.

[borchard]

paid attendance at the games this week were 1,470 and 1,802.

I was just kidding, but maybe they should play the remaining games at Arctic Edge

[Laramie]

Pre-Thunder era, many of us had clamored for OKC to step up to the next level of ice hockey (AHL); get away from the 'goon' style play which had CHL players who couldn't pop the back of the net in an open goal from 60 ft., out--some fanned on the puck at much closer range .

Prior to the demise of the old International Hockey League (IHL); many of you remember the old Blazers-Blades debacle in which the Kansas City Blades attempted to relocate to OKC in an attempt to strengthen the league. Remember, that's how Bob Funk Sr., got involved with the Blazer organization through Brad Lund who developed a good relationship with the Funks who rescued the Blazers.

GM Lund described OKC as being a 'Blazer town' and; not a hockey town. Among the minor league operations in OKC (Dodgers PCL, Energy FC USL, Barons AHL) you would have thought that hockey would have been successful with the rebirth & history of the Blazers in the 90s. Mr. Lund's observation doesn't seem so far-fetched now.

Average attendance for local professional sports teams:

Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA) 18,203 - 205 consecutive sellouts dating back to the 2010 season.
Oklahoma City Dodgers (PCL) 6,459 - 14 home dates--in progress.
Oklahoma City Energy FC (USL) 5,590 - 2 home dates--in progress.
Oklahoma City Barons (AHL) 3,262 - 38 home dates--regular season.

Could an ECHL franchise in which OKC rekindle rivalries with Tulsa & Wichita generate interest?

Sources:

2014-2015 NBA Attendance - National Basketball Association - ESPN

Pacific Coast League Attendance | Pacific Coast League Stats

TheAHL.com | The American Hockey League

[OKCretro]

The energy numbers are cooked as well as the barons numbers are cooked.

[OkieHornet]

barons lost last night 3-1 (2,061 attendance), and head to utica next week down 3 games to 2 in the best-of-7 series.

[Dave Cook]

Yea hoping they pull another "OKC calvary" where they win the championship then the team folds the next day.

If that happened, would be great to hear Jim Byers pull a 'Chris Needham' and berate the people of Oklahoma City on how they don't deserve this team. One of the great rants in Oklahoma City sports history.

[Jersey Boss]

How 'bout them Barons. Series tied up in Utica, with 7th game Wed. nite.
http://www.uticacomets.com/gameday-c...eries-3-3-uti/
The Western Conference semifinals will come down to a winner-take-all Game 7 after the Utica Comets fell 2-1 to the Oklahoma City Barons on Monday night at The Utica Memorial Auditorium. The Barons have now forced a Game 7 after tying up the best-of-seven series at three games apiece.

[kwhey]

[White Peacock]

After a 1-0 loss in game 7 vs. Utica, the Barons have skated their last game.

[kwhey]