Confirmed with Link: Bakersfield the Oilers New AHL Affiliate Starting in '15-16!

[Hoodaha]

Good question. I wonder what town / city those little islands belong to?

Seems random.

No city, it's county. Yeah, it's really random.

 

[Hoodaha]

I'd rather go to Bakersfield than Oklahoma, and so would you.

Bakersfield is an hour from LA and about 2 hours from the beach. You can golf and wear shorts year-round. I don't think anyone will be complaining much about Bakersfield.

The main complaint you'll hear about Bakersfield is that it's a bit of a boring place. Even so, it's a good, quiet, city that has more of a "small town" feel than most cities its size. People are mostly nice and there isn't a ton of traffic. It's not particularly scenic and the air sucks, but there's something bad about every city.

 

[OilTastic]

just went to Google Maps to check it out....ok place, but it looks like the Kern River has dried up!

 

[Tyrolean]

I drove past Bakersfield about 10 times on my way to SF or LA. It didn't seem like anything unusual. Just an plain city that has nice spots and grimy ones as well.

 

[Hoodaha]

just went to Google Maps to check it out....ok place, but it looks like the Kern River has dried up!

Yeah, it does that. It's dammed north of town. Most of the water goes to agriculture (the central valley provides a huge chunk of the food grown in the US).

 

[Hoodaha]

So the team is going to have a contest to name the team. I'm really hoping that they stick with Condors. I wouldn't mind them wearing Oilers colors. Here are the details if you want to vote:

http://www.bakersfieldcondors.com/news/name-the-bakersfield-ahl-team-contest/

 

[The Head Crusher]

I drove through it once, gorgeous town.

But hideous Jersey concepts

 

[Hoodaha]

But hideous Jersey concepts

This has my vote:
https://twitter.com/tc_661/status/561306903305674752/photo/1

 

[rboomercat90]

This has my vote:
https://twitter.com/tc_661/status/561306903305674752/photo/1

Looks awesome. Hope you guys keep the Condors name.

 

[McDNicks17]

This has my vote:
https://twitter.com/tc_661/status/561306903305674752/photo/1

That's pretty sick, although the black on blue has to go.

If I even had Paint skills, I would change the black to the newer vibrant blue and change the blue to white. Then I'd widen the wording and remove or shorten the tail on the D. The lines down from the lettering would kind of make it look like wings.

 

[Up the Irons]

Nothing wrong with Bakersfield, jesus. Are you tools just addicted to whining about something?

This will be fantastic for the development of our guys. Not only that, but the most noteworthy part of that press conference is when Kevin Lowe said the Oilers organization will be emulating the development policies and systems of the Detroit Red Wings. Not sure why no one is talking about that, as it's a big deal. MacT coming out to say "the NHL is not a development league" was not him showing that he doesn't have very good memory of his own actions, it was to announce that he'd been ordered to change his policies.

Hmmm. I'd never thought of it that way. I saw it as just an admission by Mact of his own foolish ways, but you never know. Maybe, after it was clear to the world that Draisaitl wasn't NHL ready, the order came from on high to snap out of it (just as what may have happened with the Eakins firing). Though, if that's true, that means he had to be told by his boss(s) to do what so painfully, obviously need to be done.... twice in about a month!!! How many chances can he get? oh wait...

Bakersfield will be cool, though i thought of making a trip to OKC for a Barons game, Thunder game, Sooners game.

oh well. Can't see me flying into LAX and bothering to drive to Bakersfield.

 

[Tyrolean]

So the team is going to have a contest to name the team. I'm really hoping that they stick with Condors. I wouldn't mind them wearing Oilers colors. Here are the details if you want to vote:

http://www.bakersfieldcondors.com/news/name-the-bakersfield-ahl-team-contest/

Hope it's nothing to do with Oil.

 

[McAsuno]

Eric Rodgers ‏@ericrsports
Well now. Patrick LaForge just went and straight up blamed the fans for the #OKCBarons leaving. Nice. #Oilers

 

[rboomercat90]

Eric Rodgers ‏@ericrsports
Well now. Patrick LaForge just went and straight up blamed the fans for the #OKCBarons leaving. Nice. #Oilers

I guess he finally got tired of blaming the weather for people not showing up.

 

[iCanada]

I guess he finally got tired of blaming the weather for people not showing up.

I think he's just shocked that the people of Oklahoma didn't bend over backwards for them like we always do.

 

[Oilfan2]

I think he's just shocked that the people of Oklahoma didn't bend over backwards for them like we always do.

Bend over backwards? What an asinine comment. The team in OKC was great and had many good years and players. If the team wasn't supported or it made more sense to go elsewhere, so be it. Quit blaming everything on the organization..

 

[iCanada]

Bend over backwards? What an asinine comment. The team in OKC was great and had many good years and players. If the team wasn't supported or it made more sense to go elsewhere, so be it. Quit blaming everything on the organization..

You're right.

The organization is terrible and its everyone elses fault that they are bad at absolutely everything.

Sound logic.

 

[Oilfan2]

You're right.

The organization is terrible and its everyone elses fault that they are bad at absolutely everything.

Sound logic.

How old are you? It's like listening to my 25 year old who thinks he actually knows everything... I said nothing about the Oiler organization as a whole. Just because you hate everything about the Oilers doesn't mean the AHL team is an issue...

 

[iCanada]

How old are you? It's like listening to my 25 year old who thinks he actually knows everything... I said nothing about the Oiler organization as a whole. Just because you hate everything about the Oilers doesn't mean the AHL team is an issue...

Never said they were an issue, but why does the team need to go out and say it was the fans fault? What does the team gain from that?

All this does is burn a bridge with any fans they did have from OKC and make them look like a pissy spurned ex-lover.

Why couldn't they just leave with some class, thank the fans they did have there for their support, and say that the move was facilited by the potential for much more practice and development time in Bakersfield and the new AHL west?

The issue i have is the organization went out of its way to trash OKC. Whats the point. Thats bush league and reflects very poorly on a very poorly run franchise and its holier than thou attitude. Its unnecessary.

 

[McAsuno]

Never said they were an issue, but why does the team need to go out and say it was the fans fault? What does the team gain from that?

All this does is burn a bridge with any fans they did have from OKC and make them look like a pissy spurned ex-lover.

Why couldn't they just leave with some class, thank the fans they did have there for their support, and say that the move was facilited by the potential for much more practice and development time in Bakersfield and the new AHL west?

The issue i have is the organization went out of its way to trash OKC. Whats the point. Thats bush league and reflects very poorly on a very poorly run franchise and its holier than thou attitude. Its unnecessary.

Shouldn't expect anything nice from Laforge who blames Rexall's empty seats on the weather. He's as delusional as the katz and old boys club regime.

 

[Bank Shot]

LaForge is a piece of crap and always has been. The guy is just another part of the embarrassment that is this franchise.

He called Doug Weight a prissy (actually used something more vulgar) at a tier one gathering. The same Doug Weight that praised Edmonton and the Oilers org at every opportunity throughout the years, even after leaving town.

Yeah....

 

[iCanada]

I just think that is incredibly petty. They shouldn't feel the need to waste their breath on stuff like that.

I find it kind of embarrassing, tbh.

 

[McDNicks17]

I'd like the hear the original quote before I jump to conclusions.

Logically, the only "fans" he would be blaming are the ones that didn't actually go to the games. Blaming those people isn't that harsh.

A lack of attendance probably didn't help OKC's chances.

 

[Mr Positive]

Eric Rodgers ‏@ericrsports
Well now. Patrick LaForge just went and straight up blamed the fans for the #OKCBarons leaving. Nice. #Oilers

I don't even get it. Isn't the move to Bakersfield part of a multi-team move so western affiliates are closer to their parent clubs?

Sounds like Laforge wants to throw a parting shot at OKC. It is true that the team never took off there even while they were winning a lot of games, but it is quite petty.

It kind of reminds me of how Stauffer would say that lack of fan support in OKC was a big reason why the Oilers told coaches to give prime minutes to our prospects rather than focus on winning since the fans didn't come out whether they won or not. Umm, aren't we giving prime minutes to our prospects to develop them better??