The Tulsa Jr. Oilers are showcasing the local talent with the tendering of Burch, Humphries, and Bellamy and selecting Yahola first overall in the draft. For these young men, the opportunity to play for their home team is inspiring.
Burch said: “It’s kind of a full circle moment. I started here and moved away for my 16u/18u season, so to be back home around my family and the community is something I’m really looking forward to.”
Tulsa has always been deemed a “non-traditional” hockey market, but the investment from the new ownership in growing the sport is already seeing dividends.
Coach Klage Kaebel, the Tulsa Jr. Oilers Youth Hockey Coach and former Tulsa Oiler (ECHL) said: “the addition of the junior team has set an expectation and created an excitement for kids and parents to see a kid who puts his head down and works day in and day out, year after year, to have an opportunity to play at a high level. We call it ‘The Cliff,’ what do we do with players when they hit 16 and 17 years old? Now there’s a roadmap for all of our kids to do, like Yo-Yo, Big Train, Burner [Burch], EB to stay at home, sleep in their own bed, and rally the Tulsa community.”
In the inaugural season, management wanted to make a statement by highlighting local talent and drawing attention to our youth program.
GM, Tse said: “We thought it was important to show the growth and potential that Tulsa Youth Hockey has developed and will bring to the area.”
On Draft Day, there was so much excitement amongst the Tulsa youth program! Kids gathered in their School of Hockey space and watched the announcement of the historic pick for the Tulsa Jr. Oilers. It was a special moment for the kids and coaches; they got to see one of the players they grew up watching and training with being drafted 1st overall.
Coach Desjardins said: “To have a successful program, you need to have local talent to help grow the game, grow the fan base, and teach the younger generation that they have something to strive towards. Drafting Yahola does that.”
Meet the Tulsa players that have the opportunity to play for their local team below:
Caeleb Burch, “Burner,” 3/31/2005, Left Handed, Forward.
Coach Kaebel said: “Burch started playing hockey when he was around 7 and when he would lose his face was as red as his hair, because from the first game, he cared deeply about hockey. I’ve watched Burch grow up here, play for our program, be a part of the School of Hockey, perfect his craft, and I am proud of the person he has become.”
Ryan Humphries, “Big Train,” 2/28/2006, Right Handed, Defense
Coach Kaebel said: “I talked to 5 or 6 of his teammates and they were telling me about what a leader he is out on the ice. He isn’t a ra ra leader, he’s the kind of leader who shows up everyday, puts his lunch pail on and goes to work.”
Ethan Bellamy, “EB,” 5/18/2006, Right Handed, Forward
Coach Kaebel said: “EB got a late start in the hockey world, most kids start at 3 or 4, he didn’t start till 11. He was told from early on, late start doesn’t define your career, you are just going to have to work twice as hard. He took that and ran with it. He has put in so much work to be the player he is today. Been an inspiration to kids in Tulsa who started playing late. Tulsa being a non-traditional hockey market, Ethan is a testament to putting the extra work in. He challenges teammates to work harder. I would purposely put him as a line leader to have kids jump to his level.”
Luke Yahola, “Yoyo,” 2/1/2008, Left Handed, Forward
Coach Klage said: “Yoyo has always been a gifted skater. He would go end to end, but run over goalies because he couldn’t stop. In the last couple of years, I have seen a paradigm shift in his [Luke’s] game in terms of what it takes to play hockey at a high level. He has answered the bell and now his skill is on par with his skating.”
We are looking forward to seeing the fans rally behind these local players and to see all of the other kids who work harder to try and be like these guys.
Coach Kaebel said: “Thank you to Chi for fostering a relationship with the youth program to develop kids to get to the point to play junior hockey. Thank you to Andy for bringing Junior Hockey back to Tulsa and the new facility. I am looking forward to taking a non-traditional hockey market and producing NCAA Division 1 hockey players, maybe a player for the Tulsa Oilers, and down the road a NHL player.”
We are looking forward to welcoming the Tulsa community into our season coming this September. First up is our main tryout camp July 26th-July 28th at WeStreet Ice Center. If you are interested in coming out to the try out camp, please contact General Manager, Chi-Yin Tse. For more information on our tryout camps, please check our registration site.
Are you ready to cheer on our Tulsa Jr. Oilers in their inaugural season? Be part of our inaugural season ticket holder club! Season ticket information will be released 7/8/2024. For more information, please contact info@junioroilers.com.