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CHL Tulsa Oilers

Oilers Complete First Day of Training Camp

October 10, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


TULSA, OK - The regular season opener is still a few weeks away, but the competition has already begun for the Tulsa Oilers. Head Coach Bruce Ramsay conducted his first practice of training camp today in Oklahoma City with 30 players battling for 18 spots on the Oilers opening day roster.

"I was very pleased with what I saw out there on the ice today," said Ramsay. "I thought the guys showed good intensity, they're a hard-working bunch of guys, and I really appreciate their effort. Most of them showed up in great shape so we're hitting the ground running here, we don't have a lot of time to waste getting our skating legs underneath us."

The practice, held at the Blazers Ice Centre, began with a series of drills and finished with a full 5-on-5 scrimmage.

"I don't have much time to evaluate these guys, so I wanted to see them in a game situation as soon as possible," Ramsay said. "There were a couple line combinations I really wanted to see, so overall I think it was a very productive first day."

"There's some rust in everyone's game but that's to be expected at this point," said Oilers defenseman Sean Erickson. "Even though you work out hard in the offseason, there's no substitute for getting back out there with a tough, fast-paced practice. There are no surprises with Coach Ramsay, we all know what he expects, and we all have to earn our spots."

The Oilers will practice in Oklahoma City on Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:45AM-1PM. Practice will be in Wichita on Thursday, followed by preseason games against the Thunder on Friday and Saturday.

Notable names in Oilers training camp include:

Marty Standish - A ten-year veteran of the CHL, entering his third season in Tulsa, 33 points in 2010-11, finished with a +33 rating

Michel Beausoleil - Entering fourth season in Tulsa, last year scored 25 goals in regular season and added six more in ten playoff games.

Sean Erickson - Beginning third season with the Oilers, appeared in every single game last season, finished with a career-high 36 points.

Tyler Fleck - A 13-year veteran of the CHL, entering his third season with the Oilers, played in all 66 games in 2010-11, led the team with 128 penalty minutes.

Gary Steffes - 19 goals, 24 assists last season, earned a spot on the CHL All-Rookie team, scored three game winning goals and finished third on the team in total shots.

The Tulsa Oilers play their home opener at 7:35pm on October 28th against the Wichita Thunder at the BOK Center.

Tickets: Season tickets for the Oilers 20th season in the CHL are now on sale. More information is available by calling the Oilers office at (918) 632-PUCK (7825) or by visiting www.tulsaoilers.com.

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