Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Oklahoma City Barons? The New Edmonton Oilers AHL Affiliate

Is the Letter B set to return to Oklahoma City for 2010-11 AHL season? A post on Twitter tonight (editor note: and other good sources) has indicated, that the new name for Oklahoma City will be the Oklahoma City Barons.

After seeing this post on Twitter, a domain has been found baring the same information from the other domains from Prodigal Hockey.

No trademark has been registered with the Trademark office since the name was abandoned in October 2009. This was a candidate name for Oklahoma City's NBA team.

The Baron's name isn't nothing new to the hockey world. As the Cleveland Barons were an NHL team from 1976 to 1978. Then they were an AHL team two different times in the history of the name. The last time the Barons was used, it was the San Jose Sharks affiliate, before they were moved to Worcester, MA.

Philippe Cornet Signs With The Edmonton Oilers

Today Oilers GM Steve Tambellini announced that Philippe Cornet has been signed to a 3 year Entry Level NHL contract. Cornet was selected by Edmonton in the 5 round(133rd overall) in 2008 NHL Draft. It's expected that Cornet will be assigned to Oklahoma City to start the 2010-11 season. Cornet amassed 224 points in his 4 seasons in the QMJHL.


Monday, May 3, 2010

Prodigal Hockey Adds Another Name To The Mix For The New Oklahoma City AHL Team

Word has come to OilFieldHockey.com, that another domain name has been found as a potential name for Oklahoma City's AHL team. Oklahoma City Thunderbirds is the next in a line of domains that have been registered by Prodigal Hockey. According to the Who Is database information on okcthunderbirds.com, it has the same information as the other domains.  This name was a candidate for the unnamed Oklahoma City NBA team. As well as the Barons and Bison, being potential names for the NBA team. And from what sources have to told OilFieldHockey.com, that the list has been narrowed down to a couple of candidates. But no final decision has been made by Prodigal Hockey at the time of this post.


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Smokin' Ray Says: Great detecive work by Scott from OilFieldHockey.com. I'm hoping that Prodigal Hockey hurries up and settles on a name. I have my money set on Oil Barons.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Stockton Thunder Lose 4-0 / Game 2 Recap / Game 3 Is On Wednesday In Stockton


05/01/2010 9:50 PM

DRAWING A BLANK
Bachman's 28-save shutout lifts Idaho to 2-0 series lead

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FINAL STATS: BOX SCORE
AUDIO: Game highlights
AUDIO: Matt Thomas postgame comments


BOISE, Idaho - Richard Bachman earned the first playoff shutout of his career with 28 saves and the Idaho Steelheads used two shorthanded goals in the first period to defeat the Stockton Thunder, 4-0, in Game 2 of the National Conference Final of the 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs before 3,783 fans at Qwest Arena on Saturday.

The Thunder, who fell into a 2-0 series hole despite facing three upcoming games of the series in Stockton, were kept to an 0-for-6 effort on the power-play while Andrew Perugini fell to 7-4 in the postseason with 31 saves.

Idaho, who captured the league's Brabham Cup title with the best regular season record, improved to 6-0 in the playoffs.

STOCKTON VS. IDAHO - NATIONAL CONFERENCE FINALS
Game 1: Stockton 2 at Idaho 4
Game 2: Stockton 0 at Idaho 4
Game 3: Idaho at Stockton - Wednesday, May 5 - 7:00 p.m. (Stockton Arena)
Game 4: Idaho at Stockton - Friday, May 7 - 7:30 p.m. (Stockton Arena)
Game 5: Idaho at Stockton - Saturday, May 8 - 7:30 p.m. (Stockton Arena) *
Game 6: Stockton at Idaho - Tuesday, May 11 - 6:10 p.m. (Qwest Arena) *
Game 7: Stockton at Idaho - Wednesday, May 12 - 6:10 p.m. (Qwest Arena) *
* If necessary

"Obviously Richard Bachman's been the difference in the first two games of this series so we need to find a way to get better scoring opportunities and when do get them, to bear down," said Thunder head coach Matt Thomas. "More importantly, our power-play needs to be better. We feel confident that we're in every game, we just have to create more for ourselves and not give them lay-up goals."

Idaho built a 2-0 lead again just like the previous night, after one period but found their source of offense on two opportunistic shorthanded, outnumbered attacks. Brandan Kushniruk connected on a give-and-go at the open, left goal post with Mark McCutcheon for a 1-0 Idaho lead with 10:51 left.

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Andrew Perugini makes a sliding, post-to-post save on Evan Barlow in the first period.
(photo by Steve Conner)

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Matt McKnight then snuck a tap-in off a deflected, cross-ice pass from McCutcheon at the right post for a 2-0 cushion with 6:04 remaining in the period.

Perugini denied a series of close-range saves with the 15 shots he saw in the second period by Idaho, but an inside-out deke to the backhand by Evan Barlow boosted the Idaho lead to 3-0 at 7:30 of the second period, when got behind the Thunder defense from the left wing.

The Thunder's best chance to get back in the game was early in the third period when Chris D'Alvise caught an open lane at the left wing with a burst of speed, but his snap shot was denied by Bachman's shoulder to preserve the three-goal margin.

Marty Flichel's power-play goal made it 4-0 Idaho when he took Mark Derlago's feed into the slot and found the net on a snap shot through traffic.

The game took an emotional complexion with several scraps breaking out toward the end, with several slashing, interference, roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that were issued.

"Our emotions got the better of us at times, but that's expected," said Thomas. "We're going to play hard to the final buzzer. That's the way we play. We did everything in our power to maintain a good work ethic. We're going to make sure they know we're going to play hard to the final buzzer, because we're getting hungry for Game 3. We're a good team at home in the playoffs."

McCutcheon and Weston Tardy each chipped in with a pair of assists.

NOTES: The Thunder scratched Riley Emmerson (inactive list), Brett Hemingway (inactive list), Trevor Hunt (inactive list), Justin DaCosta (healthy) and Kelly Czuy (injury, day-to-day) ... the Thunder had never faced a 2-0 series hole until Saturday's Game 2 ... Stockton was outshot, 35-28 and has fell in the last four lifetime playoff games at Qwest Arena ... the winning team of the Conference Finals has now won 12 consecutive games of the third round, dating back to 2007 ... the game marked the second straight season the Thunder has played hockey into the month of May.

Both teams take the series to Stockton Arena, beginning with Game 3, on Wednesday, May 5 at 7:00 p.m.The game can be heard and viewed online exclusively at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B2 Networks (audio is free of charge).

Tickets for Thunder home playoff games are available by calling (209) 373-1700 or by visiting http://www.stocktontickets.com/

The Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, has led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew 223,854 fans to Stockton Arena in 2008-09. Season Tickets for 2010-11 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/

THREE STARS:

1. IDH - 31 Richard Bachman
2. IDH - 14 Mark McCutcheon
3. IDH - 20 Evan Barlow

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Stockton Thunder Drop Conference Finals Opener / A Game Recap / Game 2 Goes Tonight


04/30/2010 8:20 PM

GETTING WARMER ...
Thunder drop Conference Finals opener despite two-goal rally

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FINAL STATS: BOX SCORE
AUDIO: Game highlights
AUDIO: Matt Thomas postgame comments


BOISE, Idaho - Veteran Marty Flichel's three points (1g-2a) and Richard Bachman's 29 saves were enough to thwart a late comeback by the Stockton Thunder, who dropped a 4-2 loss to the Idaho Steelheads in Game 1 of the National Conference Final of the 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs at Qwest Arena on Friday.

The Thunder, who outshot Idaho, 31-22 and scored twice in the last 31 minutes of play to climb out of a 4-0 hole, dropped their first road defeat in the postseason since Game 1 of the first round at Alaska, snapping a four-game road win streak. Matt Robinson and Ryan Constant scored for the Thunder, while Bryan Pitton stopped all 11 shots he saw after replacing Andrew Perugini in the second period.

STOCKTON VS. IDAHO - NATIONAL CONFERENCE FINALS
Game 1: Stockton 2 at Idaho 4
Game 2: Stockton at Idaho - Saturday, May 1 - 6:10 p.m. (Qwest Arena)
Game 3: Idaho at Stockton - Wednesday, May 5 - 7:00 p.m. (Stockton Arena)
Game 4: Idaho at Stockton - Friday, May 7 - 7:30 p.m. (Stockton Arena)
Game 5: Idaho at Stockton - Saturday, May 8 - 7:30 p.m. (Stockton Arena) *
Game 6: Stockton at Idaho - Tuesday, May 11 - 6:10 p.m. (Qwest Arena) *
Game 7: Stockton at Idaho - Wednesday, May 12 - 6:10 p.m. (Qwest Arena) *
* If necessary

"We dug ourselves a hole, but let's call a spade a spade," said Thunder head coach Matt Thomas. "They got two bounce goals - one off a skate and another from a bounce off the boards. That's the difference. It wasn't nearly our best game of the playoffs, but there's a lot of positives we take out of it. I like the way we played. I can walk away from this game feeling like we're potentially in a good spot."

Idaho built a 2-0 lead after the first period on successive power-play goals, beginning with Mark McCutcheon's snap shot from off the rush with 4:02 into the game when he converted off Marty Flichel's drop pass from between the circles.

Flichel then notched his first goal of the postseason with 5:53 left in the period when his slow rolling slap shot at the left circle caromed off traffic and re-directed past the left pad of Perugini.

McCutcheon snuck a wrist shot past Perugini's glove from the short side just 45 seconds into the second to hike the Idaho lead to 3-0, and an errant bounce off a dump-in by Guillaume Monast, which trickled behind Perugini, found Mathieu Tousignant alone at the front for a 4-0 Thunder hole with 10:58 left in the second period.

After the Thunder replaced Perugini with Bryan Pitton, a Robinson second-chance rebound found its way through Richard Bachman's five hole after James Bates connected with Robinson on an out-numbered attack, closing the gap to 4-1 with 9:27 left in the period.

The Thunder continued to benefit off a tightened game after the Robinson goal and drew to within a 4-2 deficit on Constant's third goal of the postseason with 10:31 left in the game. Constant kept in a clearing attempt at the left point and drilled a wrist shot through traffic while Garet Hunt set a screen in front of Bachman.

Idaho closed out the game by picking up their third home victory of the postseason.

NOTES: The Thunder scratched Riley Emmerson (inactive list), Brett Hemingway (inactive list), Trevor Hunt (inactive list), Justin DaCosta (healthy) and Kelly Czuy (injury, day-to-day) ... the Thunder fell to 4-3 in lifetime in Game 1 situations ... Stockton was kept to an 0-for-4 clip on the power-play and Idaho converted at 2-for-6 ... the Thunder fell to 0-3 in the last three playoff games at Qwest Arena, dating back to 2007.

The Thunder will square off against the Steelheads for Game 2 of the National Conference Final series tomorrow at Qwest Arena at 6:10 p.m. Both teams take the series to Stockton Arena, beginning with Game 3, on Wednesday, May 5 at 7:00 p.m.The game can be heard and viewed online exclusively at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B2 Networks (audio is free of charge).

Tickets for Thunder home playoff games are available by calling (209) 373-1700 or by visiting http://www.stocktontickets.com/

The Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, has led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew 223,854 fans to Stockton Arena in 2008-09. Season Tickets for 2010-11 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/

THREE STARS:
1. IDH - 14 Mark McCutcheon
2. IDH - 16 Marty Flichel
3. IDH - 31 Richard Bachman


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