Hockey is Back in Oklahoma City; Help Name the Team

NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City has a hockey team again. Months of speculation that Oklahoma City would land an affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers have been confirmed.

The American Hockey League said it's a done deal. The announcement came from Prodigal Hockey, LLC who initiated the effort.

Season ticket have already begun, and 50 season ticket sales were placed in the hour after the press conference.

Learn more about ticket sales for Oklahoma City's new hockey team.

The announcement was particularly exciting for hockey enthusiasts who were avid fans of the Blazers. The Blazers came to an end in Oklahoma City last year. Fans like Sy Overturf who rarely would miss a Blazers game showed up for the press conference.

"Hockey is my number one sport. I think it has a level of excitement no other sport has," Overturf said.

Bob Funk, Jr. is the owner of Prodigal Hockey.

"I'm absolutely thrilled. It's been a year and a half in the making," Funk said.

For city leaders, the new team is another element to boost Oklahoma City's profile.

"Hockey is big business in Oklahoma City, and Oklahoma City is not the city it used to be," said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett.

Cornett said that's why the city is investing in the Cox Center as part of the lease agreement. The city is responsible for more than $4 million in renovations to the Cox Center, but the money will not come from the general fund.

"It's actually being funded from a ticket surcharge that's put on tickets. It's not just hockey tickets but any tickets in this building," said Oklahoma City City Manager Jim Couch.

Meanwhile, Prodigal Hockey is searching for a new team name. A contest has been set up for fans to help generate ideas.

Find out more about the team's name contest.

Learn more at OKBlitz.com.