From The O’Colly
By Braden Bush
Oklahoma State hockey has a new home.
On Monday, OSU Hockey Club announced a relocation and partnership with the Tulsa Oilers, an ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. The Cowboys will officially begin operations in Tulsa at the Oilers Ice Center once construction of the arena is concluded in January 2024.
OSU Hockey was founded in 2021 and plays in Division II of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, and it currently shares home ice in Edmond with UCO and OU. The move will give OSU an arena separate from any other ACHA programs and its own dedicated, private locker room at the facility. Oilers Ice Center will host both games and practices for the Cowboys.
This isn’t the first time the two have partnered. The Oilers and OSU partnered in November 2022 with a double-header at the BOK Center that featured Bedlam hockey and an Oilers game, allowing fans to watch both games with one ticket.
It was a success, with approximately 5,000 fans in attendance.
“Tulsa is an OSU city,” said team captain and club founder Jacob Thompson in a press release. “At Bedlam there were thousands of fans, and the majority were there rooting for OSU. Tulsa will be our own home. We won’t have to share that home with UCO and OU like we have in the past.”
The partnership will continue the double-headers, with some being played at the Oilers Ice center and some back at the BOK Center.
“This is a really exciting opportunity,” said Oilers Ice Center Vice President of Business Operations Justin Lund in a press release.. “We didn’t really know what to expect when hosting Bedlam at the BOK in November. It was such a great turnout, and it created an immediate buzz around the rink. The buzz from the growing hockey community in Tulsa instantly went to whether Tulsa could be the home for OSU Cowboy Hockey. Things moved really quick and it was a perfect fit for everyone involved and the local hockey community.”
(Originally published at https://www.ocolly.com/news/osu-hockey-announces-relocation-to-tulsa-partnership-with-oilers/article_8bb9c454-8af0-11ed-b4b6-331714a362b1.html)
