End of the road for Blazers: Team suspends operations; AHL franchise could be coming

Little steps have been taken in the last year about the possibility of an American Hockey League franchise coming to Oklahoma City.

A major one was taken Thursday, when the Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League announced they were suspending operations for an indefinite period.

The decision coincides with Express Sports filing paperwork to start negotiations with a "prospective AHL franchise,” according to city documents.

The city council is scheduled to vote Tuesday to approve a "letter of intent” between the city and AHL Hockey Club, LLC.

The AHL is considered a Triple-A hockey organization. The CHL is comparable to Double-A.

The most probable scenario would be an AHL farm club for the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton currently has two AHL teams, one in Springfield, Mass., and a dormant franchise.

Representatives for the Oilers visited Oklahoma City last summer and in February but declined to comment.

The Blazers organization decided to not renew its lease Wednesday with the city and SMG, which manages the Ford Center, after months of negotiations. According to city documents, the city and SMG, were going to grant the Blazers a three-year renewal. The Blazers retracted the deal.

The Blazers notified the CHL on Wednesday.

CHL commissioner Duane Lewis said he was shocked and hurt by the news.

In their 17 years in the CHL, the Blazers won two championships (1996, 2001) and routinely led all North American minor league hockey teams in attendance.