Pro hockey in Oklahoma goes back to the 1930s!
However, Okies got their first high-level pro hockey team in 1964 when the Tulsa Oilers joined the Central Hockey League (CHL). They captured the championship three times (The Adams Cup).
While the original Tulsa Oilers of the CHL have been gone since 1984, Oklahoma has been home to several pro hockey teams and other high-level teams.
In this article, I’ll show you what pro hockey teams are in Oklahoma and what college and junior teams compete in the state.
Pssssst! Are you curious about hockey teams in other U.S. states? You can learn more by checking out our other posts: What Hockey Team Is in Florida, What Hockey Team Is in Utah, and What Hockey Team Is in Pennsylvania.
Let’s dive in.
Here’s What Hockey Teams Are In Oklahoma:
While Oklahoma doesn’t have an NHL team, they do have one pro hockey team: The Tulsa Oilers of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). Their top D1 college hockey teams are the University of Oklahoma and the University of Central Oklahoma. Their top junior team isThe Oklahoma Warriors (NAHL – Tier II).
Does Oklahoma Have a Hockey Team?
So, what is Olahoma’s top hockey team?
Oklahoma has several ice hockey teams. However, they don’t have an NHL team as the state is too small for an NHL market and too close to other franchises in the Stars and Avalanche.
The top hockey team in Oklahoma is a mid-level professional hockey team: Tulsa Oilers of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).
The Oilers are the affiliated farm team for the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The top D1 college hockey teams in Oklahoma are the University of Oklahoma and the University of Central Oklahoma.
Does Oklahoma Have an NHL Team?
So, will you find an NHL hockey team in Oklahoma?
The short answer is, no. Oklahoma’s population is just under 4 million people which is a decent size, but it’s not quite there for an NHL team, especially with close competing markets like the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche.
Another consideration is that one of the top potential NHL markets is Houston, Texas. It’s been rumored as a potential landing ground for Texas’ second NHL team and it would be pretty unlikely that Oklahoma gets an NHL team before Houston.
What NHL Team Does Oklahoma Root For?
Oklahoma doesn’t have its own NHL team. However, The Sooner State still has a very active NHL fanbase.
The most popular NHL team for Okies is the Dallas Stars. This is primarily because the Stars (in Dallas, Texas) are the closest geographical NHL team to Oklahoma, located only a 3-hour drive away from Oklahoma’s capital city—Oklahoma City.
The second favorite team for Oklahomans is the Colorado Avalanche since it’s the second closest franchise to Oklahoma after the Stars.
What Hockey Teams Are in Oklahoma?
So, what hockey teams are in Oklahoma? In total, the state has one professional hockey team and several college and junior teams as listed below:
NHL
While Oklahoma has one professional hockey team, they, unfortunately, don’t have an NHL team.
AHL
Oklahoma doesn’t currently have an American Hockey League (AHL) team. The AHL is a high-level professional sports league just one step below the NHL.
However, Oklahoma was once home to an AHL team: the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team’s inaugural season was in 2010-11 and they played their home games at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. In 2015, the team disbanded and was relocated to Bakersfield, California to become the Bakersfield Condors at the start of the 2015-16 season.
ECHL
Oklahoma has one professional ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). This is a mid-level professional sports league just one step below the AHL.
What is the name of the Oklahoma ECHL team? The Tulsa Oilers.
The Oilers are the affiliated farm team for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls and the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks.
So, where do the Tulsa Oilers play? The Oilers play their home games at BOK Center located at 200 S Denver Ave., Tulsa, OK 74103.
D1, D2 College Hockey
Even though Oklahoma doesn’t currently have an NHL team, they do have some high-level college hockey. The state has 3 college hockey teams that compete within the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) in D1 and D2:
- University of Oklahoma (ACHA Men’s D1)
- University of Central Oklahoma (ACHA Men’s D1)
- Oklahoma State University (ACHA Men’s D2)
Juniors
While Oklahoma is better known for its college hockey, it has one junior ice hockey team as well. Oklahoma has one junior hockey team in The North American Hockey League (Tier II): The Oklahoma Warriors (NAHL – Tier II)
Oklahoma used to have a second junior hockey team (Tier III) that played within the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL). The Oklahoma City Ice Hawks, (previously the Oklahoma City Jr. Blazers), were based in Edmond, Oklahoma.
The Ice Hawks competed between 2014 to 2020 and home games were played at the Arctic Edge Ice Arena.
Is There High School Hockey in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma has high school hockey, but they don’t have a single governing state body that manages all high school teams and tournaments.
Instead, high school in Oklahoma is managed by individual schools and smaller organizations. However, the top high school hockey teams in Oklahoma compete in the Mid America High School Hockey League. (MAHSHL) which is a multistate league.
The MAHSHL is composed of teams from several states including Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. Within the MAHSHL, there are two leagues: varsity and junior varsity.
In the varsity league, there are eleven teams:
- Wichita
- KC Stars
- NWA
- KC Saints
- Mid-Missouri
- KC Knights
- OKC
- Rockhurst High School
- Springfield
- Tulsa
- Carriage Club
In the junior varsity league, there are ten teams:
- NWA
- Wichita
- Mid-Missouri
- KC Stars JV1
- St. Joseph
- KC Knights
- Rockhurst High School
- KC Saints
- OKC
- KC Stars JV2
Are you curious to know more about hockey in other states across the U.S.? Don’t forget to check out our other full guide: .
Sources
https://www.ncsasports.org/mens-hockey/colleges
https://blog.hockeymap.com/2018/08/acha-college-hockey-teams-map-list.html
