JEFF LUND WAS in on the revival of the Tulsa Oilers and Central Hockey League from the start.
Walking away after more than 20 years as one of Tulsa's longest-tenured professional sports execs did not come without some sadness.
"I love hockey and I love Tulsa," Lund said. "So, helping to bring hockey back to Tulsa, helping to get the Central Hockey League back up and running, was a big deal to me.
"So, leaving it is a big deal, too. I have mixed emotions, but it is time. I've reached that age when it is time to move on and do some other things. I'm ready for a new chapter in my life."
Lund, who bought the team 14 years ago after seven years as general manager, sold the Oilers this week to a group from Wichita.
The Oilers won the league title in 1993, the first season of the revived CHL, but have not won it since.
In 1994, the Oilers sold out 23 of the 34 games and averaged 7,100 fans, the high point in Tulsa hockey attendance.
The winning and attendance have been in decline for a number of years.
"It is a tough market out there these days," Lund said. "There are a lot of competitors out there for the entertainment dollar.
"I'm not just talking about sports.
"There are so many entertainment options for folks around Tulsa. There are lots of entertainment venues. There are a lot of sports options, too. You add in a tough economy and some other factors and it is a difficult business environment for a minor league hockey franchise."
There are a lot of reasons for the decline of the Oilers that led to Lund's decision to get out as owner.
Lund admits a series of dismal seasons were a huge factor.
"I understand that and I understand the frustration of some fans," Lund said. "We won it that first season after we got the CHL up and running. That was a great thing. But we were never able to get back to that level and that hurt.
"Look, I understand that fans go to minor league sports for a number of reasons. For instance, you have a number of fans who could care less if the Drillers win or lose baseball games. But you have a group of fans that really do care about the team and baseball. Those fans come out to see future big leaguers. They come out and want to see you win. The same is true in hockey. We had fans that really cared about winning, too."
Those fans were very frustrated. The Oilers struggled to play at a high level.
As a result, from those lofty days in the early 1990s, attendance had dipped to less than half of the 7,100 they drew as an average in 1993-94.
"I think we had a good core group of about 3,000 fans here in the past few years," Lund said. "That's a good core group of fans, but it wasn't enough.
"That was the problem throughout the CHL. The business model we originally set up for the CHL was for franchises that could average a little over 4,000 per game. So, that business model no longer works for the Oilers or teams in the CHL. That needs to change. You have to adjust to the times and these are far different times, not only in Tulsa but all over the CHL."
In addition, Lund's attempts to tie the Oilers to a National Hockey League teams did not work as well as hoped.
"To be honest, I feel like all of professional hockey needs to undergo some major changes to help the sport from the lowest minors to the NHL," Lund said. "Baseball does it right and they have true affiliates in the minors. You have a parent club in the big leagues and that parent club is invested in all of the minor league teams.
"It would be great if hockey had a similar system for all of the minor leagues. For instance, when we had an affiliation with an NHL team, we would occasionally get a player assigned to us. But when they moved that player, we wouldn't always get a replacement. It was a difficult relationship."
Lund, who battled cancer in recent years, said the decision to sell the team was not health-related.
He plans on working to start an amateur hockey league and several other hockey-related businesses in Tulsa.
"I feel good about the future of hockey and the Oilers in this town," Lund said. "It was just time for me to move on. ...
"I think this change was the best for both hockey and Tulsa."
Original Print Headline: For Lund, 'It is time to move on' from Oilers
John Klein
Oklahoma State needed a game. The players needed to play. The coaches needed to coach. The fans needed to cheer. Everyone needed a break from the daily barrage of wild accusations and nasty allegations in a Sports Illustrated series of stories about OSU football.
The tone of Oklahoma State's response to allegations has been serious and determined.
