A couple weeks ago, my son and I went to the first National Hockey League preseason game to be held at the BOK Center. It was also the first NHL preseason game in Tulsa in 40 years. The Florida Panthers won the game in overtime, 4-3.

I thought the turnout was fantastic, as 11,235 fans seemed to all be cheering for the Stars, and why not? Dallas is the closest city with an NHL franchise. However, some accounts said the BOK Center management and Stars management were disappointed with the turnout.

Although the game was billed as a neutral site game, the Stars controlled the atmosphere as if it were a home game at the American Airlines Center. The Stars brought their ice girls and their P.A. announcer. The crowd was obviously very knowledgeable of all the Dallas Stars chants and cheers, making me think many in attendance had been to several games in Dallas. Plus, the representation of hockey jerseys in the crowd was decidedly Stars uniforms to the tune of about 80-percent of those in attendance.

I think over 11,000 fans for the first NHL game in Tulsa in decades speaks volumes for the amount of interest there is in our area. Rare are the nights that even the Tulsa Oilers draw more than 11,000, and they’ve been in Tulsa since 1992.

Stars President Brad Alberts was quoted as saying, “I think maybe we can start something here [in Tulsa] and we’ll see about maybe coming back.”

I believe that would be a good idea, in fact, I think the Stars should take it a step further and commit to playing a preseason game in Tulsa every year. That’s the hockey fan in me speaking.

From a personal standpoint, I am not a Dallas Stars fan, and on this night my son and I were wearing our Buffalo Sabres hockey jerseys, cheering for the Panthers.

My disdain for the Stars goes back to the 1999 Stanley Cup Championship, which the Stars beat the Sabres 4 games to 2. It was that sixth and deciding game that still burns in my memory. The game went to a third overtime period before the Stars’ Brett Hull scored what was ruled the winning goal at 14:51 of the third overtime, making it the second longest Finals game in NHL history. Hull’s goal was highly contentious, and to this day I believe it should not have counted.

It appeared Hull’s skates were in the crease before the puck as he lifted the puck over the Sabres sprawling goalie, Dominik Hasek, and into the net. The referees ruled it was a legitimate goal, and didn’t bother to review it. This was a season in which video review of goals was under scrutiny because it seemed the officials were using it too often, and on the most important goal of the season, it wasn’t reviewed. That’s what still gets me heated today, and the Sabres have not been back to the Stanley Cup Finals since.

I have another idea regarding Tulsa hosting an NHL preseason game that I believe should really be explored. Since the Tulsa Oilers are the ECHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, why wouldn’t the Blues be interested in playing a game in Tulsa each year? That would help build the interest for Tulsa’s second closest NHL franchise, and at the same time, cross-promote the local team. Direct promotions between the Oilers and the Blues could help both teams win over the local hockey fans.

Whether it’s the Stars or the Blues that play the next preseason game in Tulsa, I’m sure I’ll be there, and if it’s both teams playing each other that would fantastic, but of course you know who I won’t be rooting for.

The Stars open the NHL regular season tonight at home against the Arizona Coyotes.