The competition is still a couple months away, but it’s already confirmed that the Tulsa Jr. Oilers 18U AA hockey team has qualified for the USA Hockey National tournament March 25-29 in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
After coming up just short in their attempt to make it to Nationals last season, knowing that they’re in it this year is a big thrill.
“It feels like it will be a great experience,” says Gavin Hoskin, a 16-year-old defenseman who has been playing hockey in Tulsa since he was 4. “If we play our game, I think we can do really well. I’m just excited to go.”
Typically, teams have to play a series of elimination games to qualify, but coach Jake Hanson described the process that led to the Jr. Oilers securing their spot at Nationals.
The team during a recent practice
“USA Hockey has three divisions: A, AA and AAA, and Oklahoma — being a tiny hockey market — (typically) falls in A. So we would typically have to play any other team in our state to go,” Hanson explains.
“Last year Oklahoma City had an 18U team, we played them and lost 3-2 (so) they got to go and they made it to the semifinals. This year Oklahoma City didn’t have enough players for a team, and we actually got a couple of their guys that came here. So, we don’t have to play anybody and we get to go. That’s not to say that we don’t belong. We’re good enough to go compete.”
The Jr. Oilers play in the 18U AA division in the Texas Hockey League against teams mostly out of the Dallas area, which means a lot of travel throughout the season.
But since the new WeStreet Ice Center at 4143 S. Yale Ave. opened in March 2024, it’s easier for them to also entice elite squads from around the country to come to Tulsa. For example, in November, the Jr. Oilers hosted a tournament that included elite AA and AAA squads such as the St. Louis Sting and the Nashville Jr. Predators, both considered among the top 50 of the 406 teams eligible for nationals.
“When we go to Nationals, we’ll play teams from markets that are smaller like ours and be highly competitive,” Hanson says.
The team’s roster consists primarily of players from Tulsa, along with the recent additions from Oklahoma City.
The team during a recent practice
“Lots of us have been playing together most of our lives, so we all have good chemistry,” says Hoskin, who is a junior at Jenks High School. “It’s like a family. And the guys that we didn’t have last year that we now have, I think they enjoy the team quite a bit.”
“We’ve got a great group,” adds Hanson, who has coached the team for the past three years. “They’re super good kids. We work hard but we have a ton of fun. There’s not a lot of dull moments when you’re with a bunch of 15, 16, 17 and 18-year-olds.”
Hockey fans in Tulsa can support the team during the National tournament by coming out to the team’s watch parties at WeStreet’s Puck’s Sports Bar and Grill, or by streaming through the USA Hockey website, usahockey.com.