The Tulsa Oilers have played in the ECHL since the 2014-15 season, after the Central Hockey League shut down just days before what would have been its 23rd season. Since then, the Oilers have lived through four NHL affiliations, two ownership changes, a pandemic-shortened season and the deepest playoff run in modern franchise history. This guide covers Tulsa Oilers ECHL history season by season, so you can see how the 2026-27 team fits into the bigger picture.
Quick answer: Tulsa joined the ECHL in October 2014 along with six other former CHL clubs. Through 2024-25, the Oilers made the playoffs five times in the ECHL and won one division title. Their best season came in 2018-19, when they went 42-24-6, won the Mountain Division and reached the Western Conference Final. Since 2020 the club has been affiliated with the Anaheim Ducks and the San Diego Gulls.
How the Oilers Ended Up in the ECHL
The modern Oilers were a charter member of the Central Hockey League when it launched in 1992, and they won its first championship. Our story on the history of hockey in Tulsa covers that era and the decades before it. The Oilers were one of only two clubs, along with Wichita, to play all 22 CHL seasons.
By 2014, however, the CHL had shrunk. On Oct. 7, 2014, the ECHL announced that it had accepted the remaining CHL teams as new members for the 2014-15 season, effectively ending the CHL. According to an account of the announcement, the ECHL saw the move as a way to strengthen its presence in the central United States and give it a truly national footprint.
Seven former CHL clubs made the jump together: Allen, Brampton, Missouri, Quad City, Rapid City, Tulsa and Wichita. Several of those names still fill the Oilers’ schedule today, which is one reason the rivalry with Wichita has never had a break.
Tulsa Oilers ECHL History: Season-by-Season Results
The table below lists Tulsa’s regular-season record and playoff result for each ECHL season. Records are shown as wins, regulation losses, overtime losses and shootout losses.
| Season | Record | Points | Division finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 37-29-3-3 | 80 | 4th, Central | Lost division semifinal to Allen, 4-1 |
| 2015-16 | 37-30-3-2 | 79 | 3rd, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2016-17 | 27-37-6-2 | 62 | 5th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2017-18 | 31-29-3-9 | 74 | 5th, Mountain | Did not qualify |
| 2018-19 | 42-24-4-2 | 90 | 1st, Mountain | Lost Western Conference Final to Toledo, 4-3 |
| 2019-20 | 29-26-7-1 | 66 | 4th, Mountain | Season ended early; no playoffs |
| 2020-21 | 30-28-11-3 | 74 | 5th, Western Conference | Did not qualify |
| 2021-22 | 36-30-3-3 | 78 | 4th, Mountain | Lost division semifinal to Utah, 4-3 |
| 2022-23 | 22-41-8-1 | 53 | 7th, Mountain | Did not qualify |
| 2023-24 | 30-33-8-1 | 69 | 4th, Mountain | Lost division semifinal to Kansas City, 4-0 |
| 2024-25 | 40-24-5-3 | 88 | 4th, Mountain | Lost division semifinal to Kansas City, 4-2 |
| 2025-26 | 29 wins | 63 | Finished ahead of Wichita | See note below |
Sources: Tulsa Oilers season records compiled on Wikipedia, cross-checked with Tulsa Oilers releases for 2018-19 and 2025-26. For 2025-26, the club’s season-finale recap reported 29 wins and 63 points; we have not listed a full record or playoff result because that release did not include them.
The Early Years of Tulsa Oilers ECHL History (2014-2018)
To begin with, Tulsa’s first ECHL season went better than many expected. The Oilers posted 80 points in 2014-15 and reached the playoffs, where Allen eliminated them in the division semifinal. The next three seasons, however, were tougher. Tulsa missed the postseason each year, and the 2016-17 club finished with just 62 points.
Meanwhile, those years were unsettled off the ice. The Oilers worked with the Winnipeg Jets and their AHL club, the Manitoba Moose, for the 2015-16 season, then began a partnership with the St. Louis Blues in 2017-18. As a result, changing affiliates often meant changing the pipeline of prospects, which makes it harder to build continuity.
2018-19: The Best Season of the ECHL Era
Eventually, everything came together in 2018-19. Under head coach Rob Murray, Tulsa went 42-24-6 with 90 points and won the Mountain Division by two points over Idaho, according to the club’s playoff primer. That season the Blues also added the San Antonio Rampage as Tulsa’s AHL partner.
Even so, the playoff run was more memorable still. First, Tulsa beat Kansas City in seven games in the division semifinal. Next, the Oilers eliminated Idaho in six games, as noted in the ECHL’s conference final preview. It was the first time the modern Oilers had played into May and the first time they had reached a third playoff round. Their season ended in the Western Conference Final, when the Toledo Walleye won the series in seven games.
Today, for many fans, that spring remains the high-water mark of the BOK Center era. Our profile of Rob Murray looks at how he built that team.
The Pandemic Years and a New Partner (2019-2022)
The 2019-20 season stopped in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports across North America. Tulsa was fourth in the Mountain Division at the time, and the ECHL did not hold playoffs that year.
By the time hockey returned, Tulsa had a new affiliate. Beginning in 2020-21, the Oilers partnered with the Anaheim Ducks and their AHL team, the San Diego Gulls, a relationship that continues today. That season was unusual, with a realigned schedule and a single Western Conference standings table. Then, in 2021-22, the Oilers returned to the playoffs and pushed Utah to seven games before losing in the division semifinal.
Ownership Changes
In fact, ownership has shaped Tulsa Oilers ECHL history as much as any trade. In 2013, longtime owner Jeff Lund sold the club to the Steven brothers, who also owned the Wichita Thunder. Later, in 2021, the team was sold to Andy Scurto and NL Sports, LLC. Under the current ownership, the club opened the WeStreet Ice Center in 2024, giving the Oilers a practice home and adding two sheets of public ice. Our WeStreet Ice Center guide explains what the building offers fans and local skaters.
Recent Seasons (2022-2026)
The 2022-23 season was the low point of the ECHL era, with 22 wins and a last-place finish in the Mountain Division. Since then, the rebound has been steady. Tulsa returned to the playoffs in 2023-24 and then posted 40 wins and 88 points in 2024-25, its second-best total in the ECHL. Unfortunately, both of those seasons ended against Kansas City, which has become the division’s dominant club.
In 2025-26, Tulsa finished with 29 wins and 63 points. The Oilers closed the season strongly, going 16-9 over their final 25 games, and won the finale 7-6 in overtime in Wichita, according to the club’s recap.
What the ECHL Era Tells Us About 2026-27
Looking at Tulsa Oilers ECHL history as a whole, a few patterns stand out:
- Division strength matters. Tulsa has spent most of its ECHL life in the Mountain Division, where Kansas City and Idaho have set a high bar.
- Stability helps. The best stretch of the era came with a settled coach and a consistent affiliate. Tulsa now has both, with Murray in his 10th season and the Anaheim partnership in its seventh.
- Playoff runs are earned in the regular season. Home-ice advantage made a real difference in 2018-19.
For this season’s outlook, read our 2026-27 season preview and our explainer on how the ECHL works.
Published Oct. 23, 2026. Season records come from the sources linked above. If you spot an error, please let us know and we will correct it.
