NewsOK (http://www.newsok.com/berry-tramel-george-shinn-showed-okc-how-fun-nba-can-be/article/3458837?custom_click=email_lead_story_title)

Look as though we dodged another bullet?

1. When the NHL made St. Paul & Columbus their final two selections to join Nashville and Atlanta to finalize the 4 incremental franchises in the 1997 NHL expansion derby. Our consolation was that we finished 5th ahead of Houston (6th).

Oklahoma's NHL team would have been called the Oklahoma Redhawks (without objections by the Chicago Blackhawks; when Kansas City Scouts originally wanted to be called the Kansas City Mohawks).

The Oklahoma City 89ers became the Redhawks because Ron Norick was told to get a press conference ready on the Friday before the Monday announcement--caps, jerseys and attire had already been in printing process. Columbus' Nationwide Papers agreed to arena multimillion dollar naming rights after Columbus voters had voted down an arena proposal and the NHL called Norick back to say that they had reconsidered.

2. Shinn held on to the Hornets. If the Hornets relocated to Oklahoma City; the Thunder (former Sonics) just might be in Kansas City, Norfolk, Nashville or Louisville--cities that wanted the NBA to relocate a franchise to their respective cities.

Look as though we dodged another bullet?


Oklahoma's NHL team would have been called the Oklahoma Redhawks (without objections by the Chicago Blackhawks; when Kansas City Scouts originally wanted to be called the Kansas City Mohawks).

The Oklahoma City 89ers became the Redhawks because Ron Norick was told to get a press conference ready on the Friday before the Monday announcement--caps, jerseys and attire had already been in printing process. Columbus' Nationwide Papers agreed to arena multimillion dollar naming rights after Columbus voters had voted down an arena proposal and the NHL called Norick back to say that they had reconsidered.

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thats good it didnt become the name of our proposed nhl team. we need a moniker thats a tad more formidable than redhawks. besides, it sounds like we would be almost biting off of chicago anyways.

i like the outlaws or pioneers for our nhl team, for those who feel a team name must have some sort of connection to the area.

other than that, i see no reason why the blazers couldnt have been upgraded to nhl status from chl, we had an awesome hockey team. i can almost feel a hockey revival in okc about to explode.