East Coast Hockey League (ECHL)

[Laramie]

When you look at the model for the ECHL in Tulsa (no major league sports), it's not that different from OKC.

Facilities

Tulsa: Population (Urban 401,800, MSA 990,706)
BOK Center, opened 2008, capacity 17,096 ice hockey, construction cost 2008 $196 million
ONEOK Field, opened 2010, capacity 7,833, construction cost 2010 $39.2 million/$45 million in 2018 dollars
Stadiums:

University of Tulsa Chapman Stadium, Capacity 30,000
Hunter-Dwelley Stadium, Jenks, Capacity 10,000
Union Tuttle Stadium, Tulsa, Capacity 11,000

Oklahoma City: Population (Urban 643,648, MSA 1,383,737)
Chesapeake Energy Arena, opened 2002, capacity 15,152 ice hockey, construction cost 2002 $89.2 million 2010 upgrades $90 million.

Total construction $179.2 million & $8,865,000 from 2017 GOBonds for repairs & upgrades.

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, capacity 10,000 construction cost 1998 $34 million/$52.3 million in 2018 dollars
Stadiums:

Taft Stadium (OKCPS), Capacity, 7,500
University of Oklahoma Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Capacity 86,112
University of Central Oklahoma Wantland Stadium: Capacity 10,000

Sports franchises minor & major:

Tulsa: USL AAA soccer, TL AA baseball, ECHL AA hockey,
Oklahoma City: NBA basketball, NBA G-League basketball, USL AAA soccer, PCL AAA baseball...

Oklahoma City is very capable of supporting ECHL AA hockey. We have 1 million to support one major league sport with 390,000 more residents to support minor league hockey, baseball & soccer.
Although ice hockey failed on the AAA level AHL Barons, it probably had more to do with the timing of the franchise's re-entry into our market and ownership. ECHL will have established rivalries in Tulsa & Wichita.

We should be ready following 2020 where our estimated populations will be: Urban 650,000 & MSA will be 1,400,000.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Blazers vs. Tulsa Oilers

Highlights from the Oklahoma City Blazers vs. Tulsa Oilers hockey game at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City on January 10, 2003.

16,873 Watch Blazers defeat Oilers at the Ford Center

However, Tulsa's Jan. 10 game at Oklahoma City drew a CHL-record 16,873.

Oilers attendance increasing : https://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/...758ee0504.html

Largest crowd to watch a hockey game in the Central Hockey League and in Oklahoma City was 16,929 at the Ford Center; Blazers lost to the Tulsa Oilers 6-2.

Tulsa tops Blazers: https://newsok.com/article/1889220/tulsa-tops-blazers

[Dob Hooligan]

If you want hockey in OKC then get behind the new Fairgrounds Arena. City Leaders won’t let hockey play at Chesapeake Arena or Cox Center, but, they will back Fairgrounds Arena 100%. This is a total guess, but I’m sure I’m right.

[Laramie]

If you want hockey in OKC then get behind the new Fairgrounds Arena. City Leaders won’t let hockey play at Chesapeake Arena or Cox Center, but, they will back Fairgrounds Arena 100%. This is a total guess, but I’m sure I’m right.

Agree 100% about the new State Fair Arena.

Lots of unanswered questions: Didn't know the Thunder kept hockey out of the Cox Center???

That's why IMO an Oklahoma City ECHL franchise could survive in a new 5,500 seat arena at the State Fair Park. Hope they decide to increase the maximum seating in the 8,000 to10,000 range.

Maybe they could make special consideration for an ECHL Oklahoma City vs Tulsa & Wichita rivalries and allow games at the Cox Center which has a seating capacity of 13,846.

Where will the Oklahoma City Blue play once the Cox Convention Center is demolished? Probably, the new State Fair Arena or Abe Lemons Arena on the campus of OCU.

[Dob Hooligan]

I’m not claiming the Thunder wants hockey out of Cox.....but city leaders don’t want to be tied to an old and inefficient icing system that might break down in a very expensive manner at any time. Or that’s their story and they’re sticking to it.
I’m guessing they will be excited to host hockey and the Blue at Fairgrounds Arena while they are selling MAPS.

[jedicurt]

I’m not claiming the Thunder wants hockey out of Cox.....

well i think it is more that the Thunder don't want to share and arena with hockey... and there are no long term plans for Cox... it probably will be destroyed in the next 5 years... so who would want to bring a team here if there is no mid term plan for a place to play.

[borchard]

I would love to see the Blazers come back. The Fairgrounds would be fine with me, but I do hope the new arena they are talking about has more than 5,500 seats

[Roger S]

Technically they are still here... just not at the ECHL level.

http://www.okcityhockey.com/

[Jersey Boss]

I wonder as to what the arena requirements are for ECHL membership?

[Jersey Boss]

Technically they are still here... just not at the ECHL level.

http://www.okcityhockey.com/

Not a professional level either. How does the play compare to college club level ?

[jedicurt]

I wonder as to what the arena requirements are for ECHL membership?

smallest is Glens Falls Civic Center in New York, it's capacity is only 4,794, CAA Centre and Brampton, Ontario is 5,000, Zalamazoo is 5,131, Wheeling, West Virgina is 5,406. a bunch in the 7k-9k range, and then slightly less in the 10k-14k range, then Amyway Center in orlando is 17,353 and BOK is 17,096 (but both of those don't sell in upperdeck usually..

so there is a vast array of sizes... not any real requirements.

[Roger S]

Not a professional level either. How does the play compare to college club level ?

Slightly better and they have had a few players get called up to higher levels.

[Laramie]

SMG, OKC Chamber of Commerce, State Fair Board Trust & the OKC Convention & Visitors Bureau, does these groups work together or do they have separate functions where one respects the other's territory; also are there any over ruling (1)...

Example: Say for instance ice hockey planned to return to Oklahoma City in the form of an East Coast Hockey League franchise where neighboring Tulsa & Wichita have teams; (2) Thunder objected to an ice plant being used in The Peake--how would this get resolved; (3) you think the City would invest in any upgrades (seats, restrooms) to Cox Convention Center to make it more hockey friendly if the team played there...

[Dob Hooligan]

I think the sports landscape in OKC is different than it was 20 years ago. The Thunder is a billion dollar enterprise that elevates the image of OKC on the international stage on a daily basis. I think It is well within reason that they do not want to play on top of an insulated frozen floor that is used by a AA hockey team that draws 3,000 people at $20 each, plus $15 each non-ticket spend, for a gross revenue of $105,000 per game.

I think the city leadership is willing to support a hockey team that has a degree of benefit to the citizens without burdening our facilities in a way that harms other tenants. I think the real world answer is that hockey ain't gonna happen at the ‘Peake; probably won’t at the Myriad because of ice making (and other) issues; and the best bet is the new State Fair Arena.

[Pete]

^

And the Peake is starting to book more concerts.

I agree, I think OKC has changed and the sport of hockey as a whole is losing popularity.

[BoulderSooner]

^

And the Peake is starting to book more concerts.

I agree, I think OKC has changed and the sport of hockey as a whole is losing popularity.

the barons didn't work because they actually wanted to charge for tickets ...

the blazers for years and years and years gave away thousands of tickets to every game for free ..

[Pete]

^

Back in the '60s and '70s, the Blazers were very popular but that was a very different time (at the fairgrounds) and tickets were cheap.

The biggest crowds were at $.10 beer night.

[jedicurt]

the barons didn't work because they actually wanted to charge for tickets ...

the blazers for years and years and years gave away thousands of tickets to every game for free ..

well.. .and awful management. but yes. that was a big key factor aswell

[Miracle121]

Echl would by far draw more fans than the usl energy. The problem with the Barons was the management. Echl would draw over 5000 fans per game.

[BoulderSooner]

Echl would by far draw more fans than the usl energy. The problem with the Barons was the management. Echl would draw over 5000 fans per game.

based on what?? ( maybe if they gave aways thousands of tickets a game like the blazers)

[jedicurt]

Echl would by far draw more fans than the usl energy. The problem with the Barons was the management. Echl would draw over 5000 fans per game.

the game of hockey has changed from the 90's CHL days... the ECHL is a development league, not a league with just a bunch of fights for a bunch of fans who didn't pay. at first, yes, i think there would be decent attendance, but it would fall off quite rapidly. I feel that even if Prodigal had managed the team properly, there would still have only been around 3,50-4,000 fans average attendance, with some weekends getting close if not over that 5k mark. but what i really learned through my time on the Barons advisory board (on top of the fact that Prodigal had no clue what they were doing), was that OKC really only has about 1,500 hardcore hockey fans, about 3,000 blazers-only fans, and about another 2,000 people who really loved free fights on ice.

[Roger S]

was that OKC really only has about 1,500 hardcore hockey fans

Yeah and they are all hanging out at Arctic Edge watching the UCO Bronchos now..... That crowd gets crazy when they play OU!

[jedicurt]

Yeah and they are all hanging out at Arctic Edge watching the UCO Bronchos now..... That crowd gets crazy when they play OU!

well, not all of the time. i have had to miss more games than i would have liked this year do to work. but i bet there is a solid core group of them there! it's some great hockey!

[Dob Hooligan]

I did a quick search this morning and found some site that said average attendance in 2019-20 for the ECHL teams in Kansas City, Wichita, Tulsa and Dallas (Allen) are all in the 4,000-5,000 range. Makes me think that OKC could fall into that range. Maybe on the lower end.

I would think that it would just about have to be at the new Fairgrounds Arena. I don't think SMG, the city, or the Thunder want hockey at the 'Peake or The Incomparable Myriad.

[jedicurt]

I don't think SMG, the city, or the Thunder want hockey at the 'Peake or The Incomparable Myriad.

this is 100% accurate