Tulsa Oilers Acquire Three Forwards
September 30, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release
TULSA, OK - Forwards Brandon Wong and Brian Nugent have trained together and competed against each other for 15 years. However, the close friends, and natives of Victoria, British Columbia, have never put on the same jersey. Wong and Nugent will finally become teammates with the Tulsa Oilers during the 2015-16 season. The Oilers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose, announced the signings of Wong and Nugent on Wednesday along with the signing of Russian forward Igor Vladykovskii.
Wong, 5-foot-11, 190-pounds, split his time last season between the Evansville Icemen and the South Carolina Stingrays. After posting 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) in 50 games for the Icemen, Wong recorded 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in 19 regular season outings for the Stingrays. The 28-year old appeared in nine playoff contests and helped South Carolina march all the way to Game 7 of the Kelly Cup Final against the Allen Americans. Wong, who has suited up for nine games in the AHL, played his first three full pro seasons with the Greenville Road Warriors. In the 2011-12 season, Wong set career-highs with 31 goals and 61 points. He netted 20 goals or more in three consecutive seasons in Greenville and helped the Road Warriors to three straight appearances in the postseason. Prior to turning pro, Wong was a standout at Quinnipiac University where he led the Bobcats in points during his freshman, sophomore, and senior seasons.
"Playing in Tulsa is going to be a great opportunity for me to be a part of the Winnipeg Jets' organization," said Wong. "I'm looking forward to playing for Coach Christie and excited about the chance to play alongside Brian. From everything I've heard, Tulsa is a great place to play and I'm ready to get going and see what kind of team we have."
"Brandon is a skilled player who will bring a lot of leadership to our club," commented Jason Christie, Oilers' Head Coach. "He's been very consistent with his production and the experience he gained last season in helping a team make a deep playoff run will be very valuable for his own game and for our team."
Nugent, 26, is entering his third season in the ECHL. In 55 games with the Cincinnati Cyclones last season, the 5-foot-10, 205-pound Nugent recorded 17 points (5 goals, 12 assists) and 70 penalty minutes. As a rookie in 2013-14, Nugent appeared in 25 games for the Las Vegas Wranglers before playing the second half of the season in Cincinnati. After four successful seasons in the junior ranks with his hometown Victoria Salsa and Victoria Grizzlies, Nugent played four years at Northern Michigan University.
"It's always nice to go where you're wanted and I guess Coach Christie liked the way I play when he saw me in the past," remarked Nugent. "I was really excited when I heard Brandon had signed with Tulsa. We've been competing against each other for a long time and it's going to be nice to be on the same side and wearing the same uniform."
Vladykovskii, a 20-year old from St. Petersburg, Russia, most recently played for Dynamo St. Petersburg in the MHL, a major-junior league with teams in Russia, Belarus, Latvia, and Kazakhstan. In 2013-14, Vladykovskii, 6-foot-1, 190-pounds, appeared in 31 games for the Springfield Jr. Blues of the North American Hockey League.
Tulsa Oilers' training camp begins Monday, October 5 at the Oilers Ice Center (6413 S. Mingo Rd.). Click here for a full training camp schedule.
The Oilers' 2015-16 season begins Friday, October 16 at 7:05 p.m. against the Wichita Thunder. Tickets are available by calling 918-632-7825 or by visiting www.tulsaoilers.com.
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