TULSA, Oklahoma – The holiday season. A time to bundle up around the fire, fight the crowds at the mall to find one final ‘must have’ gift, and a chance to catch up with family and friends while exchanging gifts and stories. Everyone enjoys this time of year, as most of us use it as an excuse to stuff ourselves full of turkey and pie while relaxing in front of a game on the television, or catching a game in person after all the wrapping paper has finally settled in the trash can. 
There are some, however, that do not get to enjoy the luxuries that most of us take for granted. They are hockey players, team staffers and coaches. In the Central Hockey League, the Tulsa Oilers have become accustomed to the fact that they are on center stage during the biggest holiday of the year, even though their job keeps them from their family and friends on the holy day. Players, more specifically, could have the hardest time during the holiday, as many are celebrating in a foreign country, far away from loved ones. However, that does not keep them from playing the game they love, and making life lasting memories on the ice. Former Oiler head coach Butch Kaebel recently shared a story about his first Christmas as the Oilers’ bench boss. Coincidentally, it was his first game as a head coach ( December 25, 2003) and his Oilers were scheduled to head down the Turner Turnpike for their traditional Christmas evening game with the Oklahoma City Blazers. Kaebel decided to cancel the pre-game skate so the players with families in town could instead spend the morning with them. “As the team took the ice for warm-ups I could see the excitement in the crowd,” Kaebel said. “Being my first game as coach, I wanted to win, especially against OKC in the Ford Center. Rod Branch got a 2-0 shutout and Jason Bermingham gave me the game puck for my first win as head coach of the Tulsa Oilers. That was a great, very merry Christmas present,” said Kaebel. 
According to Oilers general manager Taylor Hall, after being a player for a few seasons one gets used to the fact that you may be playing and possibly traveling on Christmas while rarely being near family. In Tulsa, one group becomes extended family of players, and does their best to make them feel at home during the holiday season. The Tulsa Oilers Booster Club has made a tradition out of it’s annual Christmas party. “With many of them being so far away from home, it is our joy to be able to have a party for them and give them a little bit of home that they are missing,” long time club member Nancy Horton said. She said that the club provides gifts for each player, and for the wives or girlfriends that live in town. Santa even takes time from his busy schedule to stop by and deliver gifts to the children. According to Horton, the highlight of the party, which also provides a traditional Christmas meal, is the playing of a game called “dirty Santa”. Gifts typically range from watches, DVD players, GPS systems and movies and are either purchased through fundraising or they are donated to the club. “Seeing the guys fight over which gift they want to end up with is fun,” she added. Her favorite “dirty Santa” memory involved what she called a “not so nice gift” that was placed under the tree. The box was full of Oklahoma City Blazers memorabilia. “What the players did not know, was that the one to end up with this gag gift was to receive $50 in cash that someone had donated.” One lucky player opened the gift and according to Horton, knew that no one would want what he opened. She said the player got so upset that he left the area, and remained upset throughout the game. Finally, they decided to divulge their secret and the player was very happy to have the cash. “We realized that we probably don’t want to that portion of the gift exchange again,” she said. The Oilers, under first-year head coach Bruce Ramsay, will be looking to make Christmas memories of their own as they will host the Wichita Thunder at the BOK Center at 7:05 P.M. on Christmas evening. This will be the first time Tulsa has hosted a Christmas game in the BOK Center. The team has recently found themselves on a skid as they have dropped ten of their last eleven after opening the season with a record of 12-3-1. The Thunder are also struggling, as they will enter the contest with a record of 3-20-3. Wichita has dropped thirteen straight, with their last win coming on November 20. With the wild nature of this rivalry, this game is sure to make many lasting memories with players and fans alike. Contact the author at john.hall@prohockeynews.com Contact the photographer at les.stockton@prohockeynews.com Les Stockton also contributed to this story.
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