TULSA, Okla. – There hasn’t been a whole lot coming out of the Tulsa Oilers front office since the 2019-20 season came to an abrupt end, but that all changed in a big way on Wednesday afternoon with several announcements.
First on the agenda was the the first signing of the offseason: forward Charlie Sampair. Sampair has been a hero for the club during his time in Tulsa, notching 21 goals and 17 assists last season for 38 points. 2020-21 will mark his third year with the Oilers and fourth year as a professional.
The big news though is a change in NHL and AHL affiliates.
After two years with the St. Louis Blues as an NHL affiliate, the Oilers will join the Anaheim Ducks farm system, becoming the club’s ECHL affiliate behind the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.
Tulsa has enjoyed a sort of secondary affiliation with San Diego and Anaheim previously, having had players like Scott Moldenhauer and Jared Thomas on board in the last two years. Oilers Head Coach Rob Murray is excited and impressed with the new agreement.
“I’m extremely pleased to have Anaheim as our main affiliate. In all my years in the ECHL, I have never had an affiliation agreement longer than one year. This being a three-year affiliation really shows their commitment to the Tulsa Oilers, and I’m looking forward to it being a great partnership.”
Oilers GM (and former San Diego Gull) Taylor Hall echoed his sentiments, adding:
“We had a great working relationship with the Ducks and Gulls the last couple of years, and we’re very excited to continue our partnership for the next three years. The Ducks are truly committed to player development, and I feel this is a great fit for all three organizations.”
All of this coincides with the announcement of the teams qualifying offers, which were extended to Oilers players Cam Knight, Miles Liberati, Nolan Gluchowski, Jake Bolton, Danny Moynihan, Jack Nevins and Cory Ward.
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