Game Preview: Tulsa at Allen, 7:05 p.m.
October 17, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release
FIRST OF MANY
The Oilers will battle the Americans more than any other opponent on the schedule and tonight, the Central Division rivals face off tonight in Allen for the first of 15 meetings during the 2015-16 regular season and the first half of a weekend home-and-home series that will conclude on Sunday afternoon in Tulsa. Last season, the Oilers went 5-10-1 against the Americans including a 3-5-1 mark at the Allen Event Center. In the first round of the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs, the Americans eliminated the Oilers in five games and went on to win the ECHL Championship.
HOME OPENER SPOILED
Elation quickly turned to deflation in the closing minutes of the Oilers' home opener against the Wichita Thunder on Friday night. Tulsa forward Brady Ramsay swatted home the game-tying goal with 1:28 remaining in regulation but only nine seconds later, a tricky bounce off the back boards gave Thunder center Kenton Miller an easy go-ahead tally. The Oilers dropped a 3-2 decision in the first installment of the StoneWolf Casino Cup series.
DIDN'T TAKE LONG
Two Oilers' rookie defensemen, Brennan Serville and Tom Kroshus, recorded their first career points in their first game as pros on Friday night. Serville, a third-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets and a product of the University of Michigan, assisted on the Oilers' first goal of the season with a hard drive to the net that led to a rebound. Kroshus, a Calgary native out of Princeton University, notched a helper on the game-tying goal late in the third period.
BUSY START
The Oilers are playing three games in three days to open a season for the first time since 2004. Tulsa is one of only four teams (Alaska, Allen, and Missouri) in the ECHL to play a game on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of opening weekend.
FAMILIAR FACES
The Oilers have seven players returning from the 2014-15 squad that won 37 games and qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Nathan Lutz, Adam Pleskach, and Kyle Bochek are beginning their third season in Tulsa colors while Brady Ramsay and Kevin Carr are looking to build on their successful rookie seasons. Justin Mansfield and Phil Brewer, who signed with the Oilers as amateurs at the end of last season, are back in familiar surroundings as they embark on their first full seasons as professionals.
CHRISTIE ERA BEGINS
Jason Christie made his debut as Oilers' Head Coach on Friday. The 46-year old is behind the Tulsa bench after four seasons at the helm of the Ontario Reign. Christie guided the Reign to four straight playoff appearances and last season, he coached Ontario to within one game of the Kelly Cup Final. A native of Gibbons, Alberta, Christie enters the 2015-16 season with 483 ECHL wins, just nine victories shy of the league's all-time record.
PROUD PARTNER
Over the summer, the Oilers announced a new affiliation agreement with the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League and the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. The Oilers are affiliated with a NHL and an AHL club for the first time since 2010 when they were aligned with the Colorado Avalanche and the Lake Erie Monsters.
OIL DROPS
Veteran defenseman Nathan Lutz was voted team captain on Friday. The 37-year old will wear the "C" on his sweater for the third consecutive season...The Oilers were 5-for-5 on the penalty kill in Friday's loss to Wichita...The players on the Oilers' roster represent five countries - United States, Canada, Finland, Russia, and Slovakia.
TONIGHT'S MATCHUP
Tulsa Oilers at Allen Americans - 7:05 p.m. at Allen Event Center
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
None
TEAM CAPSULES
Tulsa Oilers
Overall: 0-1-0-0 (0 points)
Home: 0-1-0-0
Road: 0-0-0-0
Rank: T-2nd in Central Division
Allen Americans
Overall: 0-1-0-0 (0 points)
Home: 0-1-0-0
Road: 0-0-0-0
Rank: T-2nd in Central Division
TULSA VS. ALLEN ALL-TIME
Overall: 18-31-5
Home: 9-15-2
Road: 9-16-3
ECHL Stories from October 17, 2015
- Royals Fall in South Carolina in Fifteenth Anniversary Season Opener, 2-1 - Reading Royals
- Wichita Outlasts Mallards 5-4 in Shootout - Quad City Mallards
- Explosive Third Period Enough as Admirals Earn Weekend Split - Norfolk Admirals
- Swamp Rabbits Fall to Orlando in Season Opener - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Atlanta Falls to Florida 6-1 - Atlanta Gladiators
- Third Period Comeback Falls One Goal Short - Wheeling Nailers
- Big Night for Brown and Tifu But Jackals Edge Beast 4-2 - Brampton Beast
- Jackals Tame Beast, 4-2 - Elmira Jackals
- Walleye Fall to Cyclones 5-1 - Toledo Walleye
- Stingrays Notch 2-1 Win over Reading on Opening Night - South Carolina Stingrays
- Thunder Make Several Moves Prior to Home Opener - Wichita Thunder
- Eric Neilson Loaned to St. John's IceCaps - Manchester Monarchs
- ECHL Transactions - October 17 - ECHL
- Game Preview: Tulsa at Allen, 7:05 p.m. - Tulsa Oilers
- Nailers at Admirals Game Day Snap Shot - Wheeling Nailers
- Preview: Swamp Rabbits Clash with Solar Bears in Season Opener - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Elmira Eyes Bounce Back against Brampton - Elmira Jackals
- Cyclones Receive Defenseman from Milwaukee - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Game Day: Reading at Stingrays, 7:05 p.m. - South Carolina Stingrays
- Mallards Game Day - Quad City Mallards
- ECHL Today - October 17 - ECHL
- Aces Win Season-Opener 3-1 over Missouri - Alaska Aces
- Missouri Falls Short 3-1 in Season Opener against Alaska - Kansas City Mavericks
- Americans Fall in Season Opener 2-1 - Allen Americans
- Steelheads Rout Rush in Season-Opener - Idaho Steelheads
- Eagles Rally Late, But Fall to Utah in Overtime 4-3 - Colorado Eagles
- Grizzlies Open Season with 4-3 OT Win in Colorado - Utah Grizzlies
- Oilers Fall Short in Opening Night Loss to Thunder - Tulsa Oilers
- Rush Fall to Idaho - Rapid City Rush
- Gladiators Drop Opener 4-3 in OT to Florida - Atlanta Gladiators
- Norfolk Drops Season Opener to Wheeling, 3-0 - Norfolk Admirals
- Bloodoff's Overtime Goal Lifts 'Blades to Opening Night Win - Florida Everblades
- Miller, Shantz Help Thunder Slide Past Tulsa 3-2 - Wichita Thunder
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
