TULSA, Okla. – In a sport dominated by numbers, one that is rarely seen is the number 1,000. In hockey, we obsess with statistics – goals, assists, saves, wins, the list goes on.
Every season, in just about every league, a player or coach hits a milestone number. However, the number 1,000 is hardly ever eclipsed. In the ECHL’s history, no player has passed the 1,000-point mark. In the long, storied history of the NHL, it has only happened 98 times.
Simply stated, 1,000 of anything is a lot. That’s what makes photographer Les Stockton’s recent accomplishment historic.
PHN Photographer Les Stockton drops the first puck for the Oklahoma Warriors Feb. 25 NAHL game in commemoration of his 1,000th hockey game he has photographed / Photo courtesy Oklahoma Warriors
Stockton, a photographer for Pro Hockey News, photographed his 1,000th career hockey game on February 25. The figure includes all levels of hockey from college to juniors, and minor leagues to the NHL. He accomplished the feat at an NAHL Oklahoma Warriors game at the Blazers Ice Center in Oklahoma City.
Stockton joined PHN in 2008 as a photographer assigned to cover the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League. He has also been an Oilers season ticket holder since 1993.
“I just liked hockey, and was also interested in photography, so I started photographing the games,” Stockton said.
Since then, Les has expanded the scope of his hockey career. He has shot games in venues as small as community rinks, and as large as the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
“The favorite event I did was probably the NHL Winter Classic in the Cotton Bowl,” he said.
As he improved his skill, Les began taking ‘roadies’ to photograph not only his assigned team, but also some Oilers rivals and college teams in his region. On more than one occasion, Stockton has left his Okmulgee County home in the early afternoon, drove as far as the DFW metroplex, shot a game, and returned home in the early morning hours.
The majority of his trips over the years have been on his own dime, which speaks to Stockton’s love of the game of hockey.
He also expanded his portfolio, shooting just about anything you can think of from dirt track racing to roller derby. He served as Chief Photographer for the National Champion Oklahoma Thunder of the Gridiron Developmental Football League and currently is a team photographer for the Oklahoma Warriors of the NAHL.
“I like being able to capture the action,” Stockton said of sports photography. “Anyone can snap a photo, but there’s definitely a knack to be able to capture the action.”
Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to join Les on road trips to places such as Kansas City, Wichita, St. Louis, Allen, Fort Worth, Dallas, and Laredo, Texas. Each trip resulted in lots of hilarious stories and tons of great photos.
“We have been privileged to have so many incredible photojournalists at PHN,” Said Lou Lafrado, ProHockeyNews publisher. “Les is one of the most professional, reliable, and outstanding photographers on staff. His eye for hockey action is so finely honed by his years.
“We are a better publication for his presence on our pages, and we are thankful for his continued submissions, even after 1,000 games.”
In the thousands of miles that Les has logged while traveling from rink to rink, he’s also built relationships across the industry.
“I’ve known him (Stockton) for many years. Les is a class act and a great photographer,” said Allen Americans President of Hockey Operations and Broadcaster Tommy Daniels.
“Congratulations Les on an amazing accomplishment, and thank you for all you’ve done for our sport,” Daniels added. 
Laredo was home to one of Stockton’s favorite memory while shooting hockey. While in town to shoot the CHL All Star Game, he witnessed the border town put their own flare on the festivities when a mariachi band performed both the Canadian and American National Anthems.
Other favorites include an exhibition game between the Buffalo Beauts and Minnesota Whitecaps of the Premier Hockey Federation at the BOK Center and the Women’s Frozen Four in St. Charles, Missouri. He also added that all of the All Star Games he’s photographed were near the top of his list, including the NHL mascots game.
Over the years, Stockton has continued to add to his arsenal of equipment. Any given game day, he can be found hours before opening face off setting up remote cameras and a goal box camera. Those tools have added to the quality of Stockton’s images and play a big role in the standard he maintains.
The Oklahoma Warriors are just one organization that have taken notice of Stockton’s work ethic and production quality.
“From our very first home game in October 2022, Les Stockton has been there to capture the moments and memories that make Warriors hockey special,” the team said in a statement.
“We are grateful to have hosted Les’s 1,000th hockey game as a photographer and thank him for being an integral part of the Warriors family,” they said.
Les has became a person that other staff members others look to for advice to improve their craft. His contributions to Pro Hockey News and the game of hockey are greatly appreciated. We at Pro Hockey News are grateful for Les’s contributions, and are proud to call him our friend.
Congratulations on photographing 1,000 games, Les. Keep up the great work!
Contact the writer: John.Hall@prohockeynews.com
To share your congratulations with Les, email him at: Les.Stockton@prohockeynews.com
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