Hockey in the South

TULSA, Okla. – More and more people are being introduced to the wonderful sport of hockey in areas of the country that weren’t through of as hockey territory traditionally, although anyone who visits Laredo, Texas and attends a Bucks game, will learn that hockey fans exist just about as far south as you can get without going across the border.  
Still, these fans are often discounted as not being as legitimate fans of the sport as their counterparts in what seems to be more traditional hockey territory. “If it’s not an NHL town, you’re not a hockey town”, seems to be the way we, the fans of minor league hockey are thought of.  
The truth is, we’ve had hockey in “the south” for quite a long time, and in many cases, we’ve had it longer than some of the existing NHL cities (not counting the original six).

For instance, the Tulsa Oilers have been in existence since 1926, entering the American Hockey Association as an expansion team in 1928. The team has lived on, with a break during World War II, then playing in the United States Hockey League between 1945-51, the “old” Central Hockey League from 1964-1984 and the current Central Hockey League since 1992.
In 1930, the AHA and other leagues struggled in their relations with the National Hockey League. The AHA, whose champions at the time were the Tulsa Oilers, made an appeal to the trustees of the Stanley Cup to challenge the NHL. Although the trustees recognized the challenge as legitimate, the AHA was unsuccessful in getting the NHL to accept the challenge.  
Although it’s doubtful that the Oilers would’ve triumphed in a series against the NHL’s champion Montreal Canadiens, having the chance to play for the Cup would’ve been enough for the AHA and it’s fans. Today, knowledge of this challenge known by few fans, minor league or otherwise.
Before I go too far, I should mention that some of my friends further south than Tulsa, actually don’t consider Tulsa to be “in the south”. However, I am writing this in the context of general hockey universe, which thinks of hockey further north where the frost line is at least two feet deep.
Through the decades, Tulsa as well as other teams in minor league hockey, have had players on their rosters who would later go on to the NHL, and in some cases, the Hall of Fame, including Clint Smith, Shorty Green, Bud Poile, Johnny Bower, Jim Devellano, Marcel Pronovost, Gary Smith, Bernie Parent, Jim Wiley, Cowboy Bill Flett, Gerry Cheevers and John Vanbiesbrouck, just to name a few.
There were also players from 1980’s “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey team – Dave Silk, Bill Baker, Steve Janaszak, Rob McClanahan, and Bob Suter; all but one went on to play in the NHL.
Traveling to some of the minor league hockey towns, it’s difficult to see a difference in intensity and appreciation of the sport by the fans. I n many cases, it seems that the fans are even more intense than in some of the NHL cities that this writer has visited in the last 20 years.
Hockey might not be the first sport thought of when you’re in “the south”, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have it’s place in the south. More and more fans discover the sport each year. More and more are not only flooding the arenas, but they are becoming involved in local hockey at their rinks.
Youth hockey programs in many rinks across the south are developing young players, some with the talent that will grow into what might be a future NHL Hall of Famer.  
Still, the south gets no respect from the hockey establishment, and probably never will; but the fans in the south aren’t deterred. Who needs respect from the “establishment” when there’s a hockey game going on?
Contact the writer/photographer at les.stockton@prohockeynews.com