Oilers Banish Thunder to Division Basement with Barn-Burning Overtime Victory in Season Finale
ECHL Tulsa Oilers

Oilers Banish Thunder to Division Basement with Barn-Burning Overtime Victory in Season Finale

Published on April 18, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


WICHITA, Kans. - The Tulsa Oilers, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks and the AHL's San Diego Gulls, and powered by Community Care, ended the 2025-26 season in style, downing Wichita 7-6 in a come-from-behind overtime victory at INTRUST Bank Arena on Saturday night.

Oliver Tarr put the Thunder up 1-0, sliding a rebound past a stretching David Tendeck with 6:18 remaining in the opening period. Duggie Lagrone tied the game 31 seconds later, rifling a loose puck off a poking helper from Jonny Hooker and Dakota Seaman. Seaman's assist was his first point as an Oiler. Tarr restored Wichita's lead 2-1 at the 16:38 mark of the frame, sneaking the puck in the furthest spot of the left-hand corner of Tendeck's net. Peter Bates ended the first period's late scoring flurry, tapping home a tip-of-the-crease feed with less than a minute remaining in the opening period to put the Thunder up 3-1.

Easton Armstrong pulled the Oilers back to 3-2 4:01 into the middle frame, crashing the net for his team-leading 18thgoal of the season. Owen Lindmark finished a tic-tac-toe sequence with Ethan Benz and Armstrong at the 8:23 mark of the period, tying the game 3-3. Bates was gifted his second goal of the game via a turnover with 1:03 left in the second period, sending Wichita into the final frame with a 4-3 lead.

Jérémie Biakabutuka beat a scrambling Roddy Ross 4:35 into the third period, tying the game 4-4 with a lethal finish of a backwall rebound created by Dylan Fitze. Nolan Kneen and Gavin Best each scored their fifth goals of the season for the Thunder in the fifth minute of the final frame, giving the Thunder a multigoal, 6-4 lead. Josh Nelson quickly made it 6-5, silkily depositing a breakaway through Ross's five-hole at the 6:45 mark- the fourth total goal in a 2:10 span. Hooker tied the game with a double rebound putback from just outside the paint with 9:27 left in regulation, forcing overtime.

Biakabutuka retreated behind Jake Sibell's net to initiate a designed play after receiving the overtime-opening faceoff from Lindmark. Fitze guided a planned pass from Biakabutuka into the path of a charging Lindmark, who gathered the puck at full speed and drove into the Thunder zone, bore down on Ross and beat him with an in-tight power move just 15 seconds into overtime to close the season with a thrilling 7-6 victory.

Fitze's helper was his third primary assist on the night, and all three players involved in the overtime-clinching goal finished the game with multiple points.

The Oilers completed the 2025-26 season with 29 wins and 63 points, surging late in the season with 16 wins in their last 25 outings to finish above Wichita in the final standings.

Stay tuned for offseason updates, including the 2026-27 schedule, player signings and more by visiting TulsaOilers.com or by following our official social channels.

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.

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ECHL Stories from April 18, 2026


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