Professional Hockey Team Skates Back into Oklahoma City

By Jennifer Pierce, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- It has been five months since the Oklahoma City Blazers left the ice, but now Oklahoma City council members are paving the way to bring professional hockey back.

City council members have approved a lease agreement for a hockey team to use the Cox Convention Center.

"Prodigal LLC is in its final negotiation stages in an effort to bring a new hockey team to Oklahoma City," said Josh Evans, with Prodigal Hockey LLC.

And with a new team, there will be some major changes made at the Cox Convention Center.

"We've got a number of improvements that will be made to the convention center to accommodate hockey," said Gary Desjardins, Cox Convention Center.

The biggest improvement will be one hockey fans can't see, but players will appreciate.

"The one big item would be chillers for ice making equipment," Desjardins said. "To have the ability to control the temperature on the ice in that manner is something we don't have that we will have with the new chillers."

The arena will also get new seating, new lighting, there will be a team store and a new locker room.

"It's a fresh start for hockey in this market," said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett.

The new team will be in the American Hockey League, which is a larger league than what the Blazers were in. The new team may also see more success playing in the Cox Convention Center.

"When the team was playing in the Ford Center and having to deal with concerts and the NBA games, they were having a tougher time getting whatever Friday or Saturday they wanted. In the Cox Center they're pretty much going to have run of the schedule," Cornett said.

The team is expected to begin in the 2010-2011 season.

"We're excited, as is everyone in the city, is a chance to play hockey again at the Cox Center," Evans said.

Evans said he cannot say what team they are in negotiations with, but they have until the end of the year to sign a deal.

The upgrades to the Cox Convention Center will cost over $4 million. The improvements will be paid for through a $2 ticket surcharge on events held at the convention center.