Oklahoma City Blazers

Background:

The current Oklahoma City Blazers have been around since '92 when the Central Hockey League was created with six inaugural teams in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. In 2001, the Central Hockey League merged with the Western Professional Hockey League, combining forces in the professional hockey market and reaching a great deal of success in the process.

The Blazers have been successful with attendance, often rivaling the figures of some NHL teams, as well as on the ice. The team won 7 straight regular season Division Championships between 1996-2003.

2008-2009:

Regular season action begins Oct. 17th and ends Mar. 21st
Any postseason games begin immediately following the regular season.

Location:

Ford Center in downtown Oklahoma City: Built in 2002, the Ford Center is state of the art and hosts a number of amateur sports franchises. The 586,000 square foot arena seats nearly 20,000 and features over 3000 club seats, 7 party suites and 48 private suites.

Tickets:

Prices range from $9 to $16 for individual game tickets while season tickets can be purchased for as little as $275 and up to $475. Call (405) 235-7825 for suite pricing and availability.

2006-2007:

The Blazers finished 35-21-8, returning to the playoffs for the 2nd straight year. After beating Memphis in the 1st round, they lost the quarterfinal round to the Eagles of Colorado in 7 games.

Roster:

9 Stacey Bauman D
17 Cam Doull F
14 Tyler Fleck D
29 Andy Franck G
22 Brennen Francon F
15 Robin Gomez LW
40 Doug Groenstege G
20 Tyler Harder D
57 Chad Hinz C
6 D.J. Jelitto RW
18 Simon Lambert RW
24 Jeff MacDermid C
24 Oriel McHugh D
11 Jason Murfitt C
23 Brian Passmore C
12 Josh Patterson LW
7 Justin Sawyer D
4 Jason Seerey D
16 Bill Vandermeer RW
10 Ted Vandermeer LW

Head Coach:

Doug Sauter
Head Coach since 1995
Winningest Coach in CHL History

2007-2008 Season Outlook:

It had been an amazing run for the Oklahoma City Blazers, eight consecutive playoff trips before a disappointing 2003-2004 season. 2004-2005 appeared to put the Blazers back into the playoffs, but they were unable to move past Tulsa in the final games. The streak had ended, and things weren't near as certain as they used to be.

In 2005-2006, however, it all got a little closer to normal for the Blazers as they earned a playoff spot after a two year absence. It ended in a disappointing loss in the 7th game of the series against the Colorado Eagles, but it was a big step in the right direction. 2006-2007 continued to build on the success, getting them to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. But again, the Blazers fell to the Eagles.

The team begins the 2007-2008 season with high expectations. The goaltending tandem, led by Sean Connors will likely be better than last season. And veterans such as Tyler Fleck and Marty Standish will be expected to help create a cohesiveness with the new, and potentially important, additions of players such as defenseman Kevin Wilson and Stacey Bauman.

Coach Sauter has said one of the primary question marks will be goal scoring. There is quite a bit of skill and speed, but the team struggled to score last season. And it's difficult to pinpoint names that might change that recent trend. The Blazers will need to get a group effort in that department as their defense figures to get better and better.

Most within the Blazers organization expect 2007-2008 to build upon last year's success. The pieces are certainly in place, and if a few key areas of performance continue to improve, the season looks to be a very positive one.

Nearby Hotels and Lodging:

• Sheraton Oklahoma City Hotel
  One N Broadway Ave.
  Less than 1 mile from the Ford Center
  Check Rates
  
  
• Renaissance Oklahoma City Hotel
  10 N Broadway Ave.
  Less than 1 mile from the Ford Center
  Check Rates
  
  
• Courtyard by Marriott
  2 West Reno Ave.
  Less than 1 mile from the Ford Center
  Check Rates
  
  
• Quality Inn Trade Winds
  1800 E Reno Ave.
  Approximately 2 miles from the Ford Center
  Check Rates