Oilers announce season-opening roster

TULSA, Okla. – After what seemed like a never-ending off-season for hockey fans in Tulsa, the Oilers released their 2015-16 season roster Thursday, just two days ahead of their season opener.

There wasn’t much news in the way of player signings for most of the off-season, but Head Coach Jason Christie appears to have assembled a nice mixture following his first full recruitment season. Christie, the all-time winningest coach in ECHL history, took over in Tulsa in July of 2015 after the departure of previous bench boss Bruce Ramsay.

That season Christie tweaked the roster throughout the year, making several key acquisitions that produced a 37-30-5 record. With more of a focus on defense, the Oilers dropped their goals against average down to 2.65 from 3.38 the previous year. Tulsa rode a five-game winning streak to close the season, falling just one point short of the final playoff position in the Western Conference.

Highlighting the roster for the Oilers this season is 2015-16 ECHL All-Rookie Team member Dan DeSalvo. After scoring 16 goals and adding 35 assists in 55 games with Tulsa in 2015-16, DeSalvo was loaned to the Manitoba Moose. He totaled five goals and nine assists in 17 AHL games to close the season, and participated in the Washington Capitals training camp this year.

Forward Phil Brewer registered 26 goals and 22 assists in 71 games with the Oilers last season, earning him an invitation to the Rockford Icehogs’ camp this year. Brewer will look to once again lead the Oilers in goals.

Another familiar face to Oilers fans this season is Emerson Clark. Tulsa acquired Clark in a trade with Greenville last November. In 32 games he netted 15 goals and 11 assists while racking up 96 penalty minutes, earning him a call up to the AHL Chicago Wolves.

Tulsa will also have plenty of toughness on the roster with the additions of forwards Danick Paquette and Reid Halabi. Paquette, a 2008 third-round draft pick of the Atlanta Thrashers, scored 10 goals and added 13 assists while contributing 122 penalty minutes in 37 games with the Manchester Monarchs last season. Second-year pro Halabi had one goal, one assist and 104 penalty minutes in 20 games split between the Fort Wayne Komets and Allen Americans last season.

Oilers fans will see all new masks between the pipes this season as the squad begins the year with three newcomers at the goalie position. Troy Davenport, Steven Summerhays and Jamie Phillips all join the squad with previous experience at different levels.

Phillips, drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the 7th round (190 Overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft, appeared in 99 games over the last four years with Michigan Tech. He posted a 23-8-5 record last season with a 1.97 Goals Against Average and .922 Save Percentage in 36 games. Summerhays split time last season with the Alaska Aces and Missouri Mavericks, posting a record of 8-10-1 in 22 appearances. Davenport, in his seventh pro season and first in the ECHL, posted the best goals-against average (2.08) last season in the AIHL with the Melbourne Ice in Australia. He has also played in Sweden and Italy and won the Clark Cup Championship with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL in 2005-06.

The Oilers open the 2016-17 season at Wichita on Saturday night before returning home to the BOK Center for a three-game home stand next weekend.

Tulsa Oilers Season-Opening Roster:

Forwards (12): Shawn Bates (ECHL), Phil Brewer (ECHL), Emerson Clark (AHL-Chicago), Dan DeSalvo (ECHL), Reid Halabi (ECHL), Kale Kessy (ECHL), Garrett Ladd (ECHL), Christophe Lalancette (ECHL), Ben Murphy (ECHL), Darcy Murphy (ECHL), Danick Paquette (ECHL), Adam Pleskach (ECHL)