OILERS ICE CENTER ANNOUNCED AS NEW HOME OF OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY HOCKEY
The OSU Cowboys are moving from Edmond to Tulsa, becoming an anchor tenant at the new and improved Oilers Ice Center
TULSA, Okla. —The Tulsa Oilers, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks and the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, announced Monday that the Oilers Ice Center is now the official home of the Oklahoma State University hockey team.
The Cowboys, who were founded in 2021, play in Division 2 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association in the Texas Collegiate Hockey Conference. Over its opening two seasons, the club has played in the Oklahoma City area, sharing an arena with UCO and OU’s ACHA programs. Now, OSU has a new home at the Oilers Ice Center.
“Tulsa is an OSU city,” said team captain and club founder Jacob Thompson. “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 Oilers Ice Center will not only host practices for the Cowboys, but games as well. OSU will have its own, dedicated and private locker room at the arena. The Cowboys will also play some at the BOK Center, and will continue with some double-headers with the Oilers
“This is a really exciting opportunity,” said Oilers Ice Center Vice President of Business Operations Justin Lund. “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.
On Nov. 5 of 2022, Bedlam was played at the BOK Center for the first time ever. The Cowboys pulled off an upset 6-5 overtime victory against the Division 1 Sooners in front of a crowd of roughly 5000 fans. The Oilers followed the action directly after, defeating Wichita 4-1. Fans received tickets for both games when purchasing the other.
“Bedlam was an awesome experience,” said Thompson. “Playing in Tulsa, at the BOK, that was the most amount of fans any of us had ever played in front of. It showed a lot of untapped growth. Before the game there were OSU fans that maybe didn’t know the team existed. Being visible in Tulsa at the OIC can help with that growth.”
A hotbed of club hockey, the state of Oklahoma has seen UCO clinch multiple ACHA National Championships. Now OSU has the facilities and support to reach those same goals.
For more information on the reigning Bedlam Champions and newest tenant of the Oilers Ice Center, visit https://www.okstatehockey.com. Be sure to keep up to date with the team through social media — @okstatehockey on instagram and twitter or on Facebook at Oklahoma State Hockey.
Oilers Season and Group Tickets are on sale now! Call the Oilers front office at 918-632-PUCK (7825) or visit www.tulsaoilers.com for more information.