The AHL has some pretty good quality hockey, and you will see some future (and previous) NHLers on the ice at an AHL game. And OKC getting an AHL team might be considered progress, whereas keeping a CHL team would just be status quo.

So, OKC is now a "big league" city because of the NBA. Getting an AHL team won't make it any more of one. As great as it would be for hockey fans to have an increase in the caliber of play, I doubt if OKC would support a new hockey team in the same way it does the Blazers.

It'd be nice to have, but not a requirement for OKC's status, in my opinion.


Just my two cents...