Tulsa Oilers committed to youth movement

TULSA, Okla. – While four teams left the Central Hockey League during the current off-season, the Tulsa Oilers are still alive and well heading into their 20th CHL season. Oilers Head Coach Bruce Ramsay, who signed a two-year contract extension a few months ago, brought us up to date on the current state of the Oilers during a recent interview. One thing that will not change from last season – Tulsa will once again field a young roster during their quest for the Ray Miron President’s Cup. Last season, the Oilers posted a 35-25-6 regular season record before being knocked out of the playoffs in the Berry Conference Semi-Final by the eventual league champion Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. Despite that heartbreak, the season was clearly the most successful campaign for Tulsa in 17 years. Forwards Chad Costello and Jack Combs finished in the top ten in CHL scoring, posting 84 and 82 points respectively. Tulsa also found a gem in net minder Ian Keserich. After an 0-3 start with the Wichita Thunder, Keserich was released, allowing Ramsay to sign the 25-year old from Parma, Ohio. Keserich went on to post a 22-10-2 record that included eight wins in his final 10 regular season games.

Blue-liners Derek Eastman and Sean Erickson also enjoyed a great year. Eastman scored 51 points and was named an all-star while Erickson posted 36 points and maintained a plus/minus rating of plus 11. It goes without saying that this is the type of young talent that the Oilers want to retain moving forward, therefore it is no surprise that Eastman, Erickson and Keserich have all been re-signed for the 2011-12 season. “As a coach I like to recruit from the back end first, I want to make sure that I am solidified there (defensemen) and in goal,” Ramsay said. “Those are the two areas that are very important.” Unfortunately for Ramsay, the Oilers will have to look elsewhere for firepower from the forward position since the announcement last week that both Costello and Combs have signed with the Colorado Eagles of the ECHL. “When these guys have good years and put up the numbers that they did, obviously finances comes into play and a lot of other teams have recruited these players too,” Ramsay said. “That makes it tough to compete with some of them, but that’s part of the business and we have to move on.” He added that while there are several quality players available, the team is sticking with their commitment to youth. With the loss of Bossier-Shreveport, Mississippi, Odessa and Colorado, several veteran players became free agents, but that is not necessarily the direction the team wanted to go. “For the most part when you look at a lot of those teams, they had quite a few veteran guys and the best players were the older players,” Ramsay explained.  “I went in a different direction and I recruited a lot of players that I think have a high potential; the guys that I’m looking for (are those) that are going to exponentially improve.” Players coming out of the college and junior ranks should fit that mold according to Ramsay. The team is also still in talks with the American Hockey League’s Lake Erie Monsters about renewing an affiliation. Ramsay said to be safe, he has continued his recruiting as if an affiliation agreement will not be reached. “It’s nice to have that notoriety for other players to see,” Ramsay said. “I think we gained some good players just because of the affiliation last year, but either way, as a coach I can’t count on it when I‘m recruiting.” Ramsay added that he expects a decision on the affiliation to be made in the near future. While he continues to be committed to centering the team around younger players, Ramsay also said fans should see some players from last year’s squad return to the lineup. He also added that size will be another area where the Oilers will make an upgrade. “We’re going to be a lot bigger and when you start seeing some of the signings that we have you will understand what I mean,” he said. On Tuesday, the team announced three players that fit that billing. Forwards Ryan Cramer (6’2”, 210 pounds), Mike Ulrich (6’2”, 200 pounds), Dylan Clarke (6’2”, 200 pounds), and Kevin Fukala (6’2”, 220 pounds) will add skill, scoring and muscle to the lineup. Cramer was an amateur addition to the playoff roster last season and Ramsay expects him to be one of the top rookies in the league. Ullrich scored 139 points in 81 games as a center with the South Alberta Institute of Technology while Clarke averaged over a point per game for four seasons at the University of Plattsburg. Fukala, who Ramsay says is the type of player that will be a fan favorite, will add some toughness. In 23 games with the Augusta RiverHawks of the SPHL, Fukala scored four points while accumulating 136 penalty minutes. “Last year we started off slow and we got better as the season went on and that’s what we’re looking at this year too,” Ramsay said. “We’re going to have our learning curve at the start of the year…we definitely don’t want to start like we did last year, but I think that with the kind of team we’re going to have we’re going to get better as the season goes on.” Contact the writer at john.hall@prohockeynews.com Contact the photographer at les.stockton@prohockeynews.com