In a goaltender dual Friday night at the BOK Center, the Fort Wayne Komets shutout the Tulsa Oilers, 1-0. It was only the second time these two teams have met in Tulsa, and the first time in three years.

Fort Wayne goalie Cole Kehler faced 31 shots on goal, and made some great saves to preserve the shutout. Tulsa’s Devin Williams stopped 32 of 33 shots in the game.

I had the opportunity to see and speak with the Komets broadcaster Shane Albahrani before the game. I hadn’t seen him since I last did the Oilers broadcasts during the 2014-15 season.

On a road trip to the Midwest that year, the Oilers played a game at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, in Indiana.

While walking around the arena before the game, I was thrilled to find a Tim Horton’s in the concession area. Tim Horton’s is a chain of donut/coffee shops that originated in Canada, and has migrated south into the norther part of the U.S. There are several in my hometown in Jamestown, New York, but none here in Oklahoma. Thus, I was happy to get some Tim Horton’s Tim-bits donuts and coffee before the game.

While watching the Oilers game last week, my daughter pointed out some interesting things in the game notes, including the fact that current Tulsa captain Adam Pleskach is among the all-time Oilers leaders in many categories. This is his eighth professional season, and seventh with the Oilers.

Pleskach has played in more games (424) than any Tulsa player in history, except Doug Lawrence who played 428 games in an Oilers jersey. Barring any unforeseen injury, Pleskach is set to tie Lawrence’s game record on Dec. 19 at home against Utah, and surpass Lawrence on Dec. 20 at Wichita.

To date, Pleskach is second all-time in goals with 176, behind Luc Beausoleil who played 363 games with Tulsa and scored 286 goals.  He is third all-time in the points category with 348 points, behind Lawrence with 713 and Beausoleil with 553.

One thing that really stood out in the franchise records was the fact that most of the players in the top spots were members of the very first team when the Central Hockey League was reestablished in 1992, with six teams; Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Fort Worth, Dallas, Wichita and Memphis.

Tulsa won the Championship that first season with four of the top five goal scorers in franchise history; Beausoleil, Lawrence, Sylvain Naud and Taylor Hall. Pleskach being the fifth on that list.

In the all-time points list, only three of the top eight were not around in the early 1990s; Pleskach (2013-present), Michel Beausoleil (2008-2014), and Nick Harbaruk (1964-69). The players who were on the first-year team and beyond were Lawrence (713 points), Luc Beausoleil (553), Naud (325), Mike Berger (274), and Hall (269).

That just tells you what great teams Tulsa had during the early years of the “new” CHL, and why so many of those players stayed in Tulsa; they found success here both on and off the ice.

Pleskach is certainly in great company, and if he sticks around much longer, he’ll continue to rise up the all-time records lists; no doubt about it.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

I have been honored to perform the National Anthem on trumpet before several minor league baseball and soccer games, as well as a few college baseball games. Although I used to be the Oilers play-by-play broadcaster, I never thought to ask about playing the anthem at one of their games, until this season. Last Friday night, before the game,

I did just that, for the first time ever in the BOK Center and the first time in front of the Tulsa Oilers fans. It was a thrill, and I hope to repeat it many more times in the future.