Oilers coach weighs in on off-season activities

TULSA, Okla. – It has been almost two months since the Rapid City Rush hoisted the Ray Miron President’s Cup to bring a close to the 2009-10 Central Hockey League season. Baseball is in full swing and Americans are finalizing their plans for the upcoming Independence Day holiday. It could be said that hockey is the last thing on anyone’s mind in July. However, coaches and team officials throughout the CHL are already busy trying to build their teams for the 2010-11 season that is just over three months away.

Tulsa Oilers head coach Bruce Ramsay is one of those people. Ramsay finished his first season as a CHL coach with a 28-29-7 record, missing the playoffs by just five points. Ramsay recently offered an inside look at the recruiting process. He spoke about his first season with the Oilers and talked of the proposed merger between the CHL and IHL. So what were his impressions of the CHL?
“It is definitely a league that you can’t take for granted,” Ramsay said. “It’s fast; there’s a lot of quality players here and you have to be on top of your game every game in order to be successful.” Ramsay was pleased with the 12-3-1 start that his squad got off to last season, but offered a little insight as to what caused the team to falter from there.
“Overall we had a lot of injuries or call-ups that really affected our lineup in a negative way,” Ramsay said. “After such a great start we lost nine out of ten games and that really hurt us towards the end of the year.” “We had such a great start and I was disappointed to end up not making the playoffs, Ramsay said. “It was my first year as a coach that I had not been to the playoffs – I don’t want to have that opportunity to finish the season that early again.” Despite missing the playoffs, Ramsay’s group had the second-highest point total increase in the CHL last season. While it may not have been the team’s ultimate goal, any little bit of positive news should help to build up the team that has not seen the post-season since 2005. Ramsay now has to take things a step further and improve upon the successes of last season. Ramsay has been glued to his phone and computer lately and says while it may appear to fans that he has not signed anyone, that is not the case.
“We have signed quite a few and we will be releasing those (names)throughout the summer,” Ramsay said.On Tuesday, the team announced that they have re-signed defensemen Derek Eastman, R.J. Linder and Sean Erickson.
“This is a great nucleus for our blueline; all three of these guys bring something special to the table,” Ramsay said.
Erickson was named to the CHL post-season all-rookie team last season. He added that the team will be much younger next season as he looks to tap into the young talent out there that is looking to improve and move on to higher levels. One way he hopes to do that is by becoming an affiliate of an AHL team. While nothing has been finalized, Ramsay said that the team has been receiving some “positive feedback” from some unnamed higher level teams. “In order to get great quality young kids you need to (make it known) as an organization that you are willing to (send) players up to higher levels,” Ramsay said. Some might think that the uncertainties surrounding the CHL/IHL merger might be impeding recruiting, but Ramsay assures fans that it has not slowed the process.
“That hasn’t affected anything that I’ve been doing,” Ramsay said. “I’ve been focusing on the youth movement with good young, strong players that are capable of great improvements throughout the season and are kids that want to move up the ladder.”   Ramsay, who has coached and played in the IHL, welcomes the move.
“I view it as a very, very positive note – Now this gives our league greater numbers and strength,” Ramsay said. “Minor-professional hockey has to get together and separate the attitudes of the leagues in order to make it successful in this day and age of hockey and the economy.” Ramsay admitted that he is not privileged to know how the negotiations are going, but thinks it should all be resolved soon. In relation to conference alignment, he expects to see the Oilers playing in the North and mixing in some games with the teams from the IHL.
“It would be exciting for me…It would be nice to get back to the Northern country, just for a little while; not too long, I don’t want to be cold,” Ramsay said with a laugh. While we are still in the Summer months, Ramsay appears to be ready for the upcoming season. A little more youthful energy could be just the thing this team needs to get over the hump and back into the playoffs.
“We’ve got some exciting things on the horizon,” Ramsay said. Contact the author at  john.hall@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at robert.keith@prohockeynews.com