UPDATE: Due to overwhelming fan complaints and the unfortunate nickname of the 'Flaming O's', the Okotoks Oilers will keep with the tradition of the Foothills and continue to be known as the Okotoks Oilers. Happy April Fool's Day everyone!
The Okotoks Oilers are proud to announce that in celebration of their upcoming Tenth Season of Junior A Hockey in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, they will be permanently changing their name to the Okotoks Flames.
After a heated debate at last Sunday’s Board of Directors meeting, a split decision was made in favour of the name change. The team is well aware that this decision may raise a stir in the community – especially with those that have been in town for a long time. The Okotoks Oilers name does indeed have a great deal of history attached to it, but the decision was made to help bring the team into a new era of Junior A Hockey in Okotoks.
Oilers Marketing Manager Brenden Anderson stated this morning that “A name change such as this is a huge undertaking, especially for a team like the Oilers whose name has such historical significance”. He went on to say that “Although this rebranding will likely take the majority of the summer, it will be very exciting to see red and yellow out on the ice instead of the green and gold – change isn’t always a bad thing, is it?”
As part of the rebranding deal, the Okotoks Flames have been granted permission to hold their season opener at the Scotiabank Saddledome versus the Calgary Mustangs. A date has not been set, but wait for an announcement later on in the summer with final details.
When looking for a new name for the team, The Flames was without a doubt the clear choice in the minds of many. Even though the Okotoks Oilers were around long before the Edmonton Oilers, there has always been an ugly stigma attached to the team name. Questions continually arise as to why the team would choose to name itself after the NHL team from Northern Alberta and not the South.
When Head Coach James Poole was asked about the name change, he said that “Maybe this is exactly what our team needs for next year. We have a long summer ahead of us, and our Tenth Season needs to be a big one.”
Please direct any questions or media inquiries to Okotoks Flames Marketing Manager Brenden Anderson at marketing@okotoksoilers.com or 403.995.2255.