FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                            

March 5, 2026

OILERS TAKING ICE AS THUNDER BAY BOMBERS ON FRIDAY FOR YOUNGBLOOD NIGHT IN ALLEN  

TULSA, Okla. – The ECHL announced on Thursday that Friday’s Tulsa Oilers at Allen Americans game will be a special Youngblood Night, with both teams wearing specialty jerseys celebrating the release of the movie.

Allen will play as the Hamilton Mustangs, with their entire game presentation themed to be Mustangs home game, while Tulsa will play as the Thunder Bay Bombers. Athletic Knit, the official on-ice jersey provider of the ECHL, produced both sets of jerseys to be worn in the game.

“As a fan of the original 1980's Youngblood, I’m excited to partner with the studio to promote the remake in this creative way and have it come to life on ECHL ice,” ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin said. “This type of promotion highlights the flexibility and innovation of our league to find unique ways to activate and have fun. With the success from the recent Olympic Games and hockey stars appearing on programs like Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show, it’s an exciting time for the sport, and we believe that momentum will carry into a strong movie launch this week.”  

Youngblood premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and was also shown at the 2025 Whistler Film Festival. The movie premiers on Friday, and this game is thanks to a special promotion with Well Go USA Entertainment.

 

Fans can purchase their tickets to watch Youngblood, starting Friday, March 5 HERE

About the ECHL

Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 30 teams in 23 states and one Canadian province for its 38th season in 2025-26. There have been 778 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 10 who have made their NHL debuts in the 2025-26 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 30 of the 32 NHL teams in 2025-26, marking the 28th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com.

About Youngblood

Youngblood is a 2025 sports drama film directed by Hubert Davis. A contemporary remake of the 1986 film Youngblood in a Canadian context, the film stars Ashton James as Dean Youngblood, a Black Canadian junior hockey player in Hamilton, Ontario, who dreams of getting drafted into the National Hockey League.

The cast also includes Blair Underwood as Dean’s father, as well as Shawn Doyle, Alexandra McDonald, Oluniké Adeliyi, Henri Richer-Picard, Emidio Lopes, Donald MacLean Jr., Tamara Podemski, Joris Jarsky, Matt Wells, Keris Hope Hill, Jonathan Valvano, Ty Neckar, Dylan Hawco and Evan Buliung in supporting roles.