Oklahoma City Blazers and CHL returning in 2017.

[GoOKC1991]

News conference just now.

OKC will be joined by Colorado, Springfield, Casper, El Paso and Ogden.,

The league will be comprised of 19-20 year olds who are NHL draft picks and or trying to earn Division 1 scholarships.

The Blazers will play at the Blazers Ice Centre for the first two seasons, with hopes of moving to a larger venue in the future.

Coach Fleck says with the talent mentioned above, this will be the best quality of hockey that the Blazers name has ever seen.

[d-usa]

If everything works out, this would be a good tenant for a new state fair arena.

[bradh]

I'm glad to hear this, just wish the games weren't being played down there.

[jn1780]

Why not start out at the current state fair arena? It sounds like they are trying to avoid empty seats.

[kwhey]

Why not start out at the current state fair arena? It sounds like they are trying to avoid empty seats.

No ice plant

[dcsooner]

News conference just now.

OKC will be joined by Colorado, Springfield, Casper, El Paso and Ogden.,

The league will be comprised of 19-20 year olds who are NHL draft picks and or trying to earn Division 1 scholarships.

The Blazers will play at the Blazers Ice Centre for the first two seasons, with hopes of moving to a larger venue in the future.

Coach Fleck says with the talent mentioned above, this will be the best quality of hockey that the Blazers name has ever seen.

The real OKC, small town. Casper, WY, Ogdon UT, El Paso seems about right for OKC to compete against. Think small be small, not impressed with ice hockey esp little league level

[Jake]

The real OKC, small town. Casper, WY, Ogdon UT, El Paso seems about right for OKC to compete against. Think small be small, not impressed with ice hockey esp little league level

[Richard at Remax]

http://kfor.com/2016/09/14/re-formed...urning-to-okc/

Yawn

[Blairman]

Need to return to ECHL

[Blairman]

This not a true return of the CHL, this is a junior level team with amateurs.

[Colbafone]

I mean, he's not wrong. It's cool they're putting this together. But by no means should we be lumped together with any of these other cities.

[White Peacock]

Coach Fleck says with the talent mentioned above, this will be the best quality of hockey that the Blazers name has ever seen.

Aside from the first iteration, which was a direct farm team for the Bruins (and later the Leafs).

[Tydude]

No ice plant

they have Disney on Ice every year at the state fair ground so they can have ice inside the arena

[ConetConet]

Coach Fleck says with the talent mentioned above, this will be the best quality of hockey that the Blazers name has ever seen.

He must not be familiar with the mighty CPHL Championship-winning Blazers of 1965-66, which boasted four members who are now Hockey Hall Of Fame inductees: Gerry Cheevers, Bernie Parent, Glen Sather, and Harry Sinden.

[Jake]

I mean, he's not wrong. It's cool they're putting this together. But by no means should we be lumped together with any of these other cities.

What type of other cities are we supposed to be lumped with in the minor leagues? Albany? Stockton? Boise?

[Laramie]

Returning to the CHL means nothing for ice hockey without our two arch rivals Tulsa & Wichita, who play in the current class AA ECHL. Wouldn't get overly excited about moving to the new State Fair Arena.

Omaha had a similar experience some years back; they had a junior's level club drawing close to 4,000 per game:

http://www.ralstonarena.com/teams/detail/omaha-lancers

Omaha acquired an AHL that didn't do well. The lost of rivals like Wichita, Kansas City, Tulsa & OKC, cities Omaha was use to competing against in the revised CHL of the 90s wasn't rekindled with AHL.

http://qctimes.com/news/local/report...5e09b8246.html

What classification will the new CHL be--Jr., or A level classification? If so, the Blazers Ice Center will be fine.

[Bill Robertson]

they have Disney on Ice every year at the state fair ground so they can have ice inside the arena

My understanding is that Disney has their own ice making equipment so they go anywhere. I think I've read this before on here.

[Laramie]

they have Disney on Ice every year at the state fair ground so they can have ice inside the arena

Disney on Ice transports their own ice making equipment; similar to that set up for the Devon Ice Rink.

The City would have no problem installing ice for the New State Fair Arena once an ECHL level AA franchise is obtained.

[kwhey]

they have Disney on Ice every year at the state fair ground so they can have ice inside the arena

Disney brings their own ice plant and surface.

[kwhey]

Double post

[Jeepnokc]

I'm glad to hear this, just wish the games weren't being played down there

Is there something wrong with the Blazers Ice Center?

[Roger S]

Is there something wrong with the Blazers Ice Center?

I was just there for two OU hockey games last week..... Only has two potential problems... Parking and seating.

It works great for the OU and current Blazers hockey teams. I've not been to a Blazers game but the average crowd for an OU game is probably in the 150-200 range unless they are playing UCO and then it's standing room only..... UCO has a pretty good team and a solid fan base.

I don't know the actual seating capacity but I would guess the reserved seating section would hold 200 people. I know seats 25-26 are center ice and the bleachers are only 4 rows high. There are also general admission bleachers on the ends of the arena that might hold another 150-200 people.

[Laramie]

Blazers Ice Center: Great venue for the amateur CHL Blazers, OU & UCO. Potential preview to the future of an ECHL Oklahoma City franchise debut in 2019-20:


New replacement for the State Fair Arena designed by Populous. Populous & ADG are lead partners in one proposal to win the work of designing and overseeing construction of the new arena.

Brad Lund co-owner of Sold Out Strategies, a sports marketing and management firm in Oklahoma City recently cut ties with Rayo OKC. He just may be interested in the future of minor league hockey returning to OKC.

Former Oklahoma City Blazers CEO assembling an ownership group to bring hockey back to the city: http://newsok.com/article/5425798

[bradh]

Is there something wrong with the Blazers Ice Center?

Yeah it's far away (from me)

[Roger S]

Blazers Ice Center: Great venue for the amateur CHL Blazers, OU & UCO. Potential preview to the future of an ECHL Oklahoma City franchise debut in 2019-20:

That pic is the GA benches at the south end of the Ice Center. The reserved seating is 200 individual seats with backs.