| Oklahoma City Blazers | |
|---|---|
.gif) | |
| City | Oklahoma City,Oklahoma |
| League | Central Professional Hockey League |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Folded | 1977 |
| Home arena | Fairgrounds Arena Myriad Convention Center |
| Owner(s) | Maple Leaf Gardens Limited |
| Affiliates | Boston Bruins Toronto Maple Leafs |
TheOklahoma City Blazers were a professionalice hockey team that was based inOklahoma City,Oklahoma. They competed in theCentral Professional Hockey League from 1965 to 1977. The team played their home games in theFairgrounds Arena,[1] and later inThe Myriad.[2]
This team was created through the relocation of theMinneapolis Bruins, who began play in 1963 after originating as theKingston Frontenacs of the defunctEastern Professional Hockey League.
Initially they were aBoston Bruins farm team. The first coach wasHarry Sinden, and NHL starsBernie Parent,Gerry Cheevers,Doug Favell,Reggie Leach,Rick MacLeish,Wayne Cashman,Ivan Boldirev,J. P. Parise,Ross Lonsberry,Dallas Smith,Bill Goldsworthy andJean Pronovost played for the Blazers. The Bruins withdrew from the team in 1972, but after a season without hockey,Maple Leaf Gardens Limited announced that they would relocate theirTulsa Oilers club of the CHL to become the reborn Oklahoma City Blazers, with Tulsa getting a replacement independent team.[3][4] From 1973 to 1976 the team was affiliated with theToronto Maple Leafs and their roster includedMike Palmateer,Blaine Stoughton,Pat Boutette and all-time NHL penalty leaderDave "Tiger" Williams. Prior to the 1976-77 season the Maple Leafs decided to share theDallas Black Hawks of the CHL with theChicago Black Hawks as their affiliate, in an attempt to reduce costs.[5][6]
Gregg Sheppard was the franchise's leading career scorer. Their home arenas were theFairgrounds Arena and theMyriad Convention Center. The Blazers won the CHL championship in 1966 underplayer-coachHarry Sinden and repeated in 1967.
John Brooks, sports director of the local CBS TV affiliateKWTV Channel 9 and radio play-by-play voice for high-profile University of Oklahoma football and men's basketball from 1978 to 1992, was the on-air voice of the original Blazers in the 1960s and 1970s. His catch phrase for Blazers same-day game radio ads was "Let's play hockey... TONIGHT!"[citation needed]
| Color/symbol | Explanation |
|---|---|
| † | CHL champions |
| ↑ | Division champions |
| # | Led league in points |
| CHL season | Division | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | GP | W | L | T | OT | Pts | GF | GA | GP | W | L | GF | GA | Result | ||
| 1965–66† | – | 2nd | 70 | 31 | 26 | 13 | – | 75 | 188 | 203 | Won semifinals vs.St. Louis Braves, 1–4 WonAdams Cup vs.Tulsa Oilers, 4–0[7] | |||||
| 1966–67† | – | 1st | 70 | 38 | 23 | 9 | – | 85# | 233 | 196 | Won semifinals vs.Houston Apollos, 4–2 WonAdams Cup vs.Omaha Knights, 4–1[8] | |||||
| 1967–68 | Southern↑ | 1st | 70 | 38 | 20 | 12 | – | 88# | 245 | 174 | Lost first round vs.Tulsa Oilers, 3–4[9] | |||||
| 1968–69 | South↑ | 1st | 72 | 40 | 19 | 13 | – | 93# | 295 | 225 | Won semifinals vs.Tulsa Oilers, 4–3 LostAdams Cup vs.Dallas Black Hawks, 1–4[10] | |||||
| 1969–70 | South | 6th | 72 | 26 | 39 | 7 | – | 59 | 233 | 291 | Did not qualify[11] | |||||
| 1970–71 | – | 4th | 72 | 30 | 31 | 11 | – | 72 | 258 | 273 | Lost semifinals vs.Omaha Knights, 1–4[12] | |||||
| 1971–72 | – | 4th | 72 | 29 | 34 | 9 | – | 67 | 235 | 273 | Lost semifinals vs.Dallas Black Hawks, 2–4[13] | |||||
| 1972–73 | Did not participate | |||||||||||||||
| 1973–74 | – | 2nd | 72 | 36 | 25 | 11 | – | 83 | 280 | 230 | Won semifinals vs.Fort Worth Wings, 4–1 LostAdams Cup vs.Dallas Black Hawks, 1–4[14] | |||||
| 1974–75 | Southern | 2nd | 78 | 33 | 33 | 12 | – | 78 | 267 | 267 | Won Division seminfinal vs.Tulsa Oilers, 2–0 Lost Division Final vs.Dallas Black Hawks, 0–3[15] | |||||
| 1975–76 | – | 4th | 76 | 32 | 34 | 10 | – | 74 | 256 | 263 | Lost semifinals vs.Tulsa Oilers, 0–4[16] | |||||
| 1976–77 | – | 6th | 76 | 15 | 53 | 8 | – | 38 | 245 | 416 | Did not qualify[17] | |||||
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