The Tulsa Oilers announced that defenseman Tom Maldonado was traded to the Missouri Mavericks for defenseman Tyler Fleck and future considerations.
The big defenseman from Carlyle, Saskatchewan joins former Oklahoma City Blazers teammates Mike Beausoleil and Marty Standish and give the Oilers size and power in the defensive corps, something they desperately need going into the middle part of the season. Fleck has played 10 seasons in the CHL, nine with OKC before moving to Missouri where in 20 games he has one goal and two assists for 3 points. Fleck is expected to be in uniform for the Oilers next game on Friday night in the BOK Center when the Oilers face the Amarillo Gorillas.
Coach Bruce Ramsay had high praise for his newest defenseman. “Tyler Fleck is a tough defenseman who has become a standout player for a number of years in this league,” he said, “He’s the kind of player that will sacrifice every part of his body to make a play.” In Oklahoma City the 5-10, 210lb solid blue liner became known as one of the hardest body checkers in the league, delivering devastating “Fleck Checks” to his opponents.
Tom Maldonado heads to Missouri after appearing in every Oilers game this season, posting 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points and eight penalty minutes.
The Oilers begin a 3 game weekend on Friday night when they host the Amarillo Gorillas in the amazing BOK Center at 7:35pm, followed by a game with the team they are chasing in the standings, the Rapid City Rush, on Saturday night. The Oilers then travel to the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, Louisiana to take on the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in a 4:05 matinee game on Sunday.
Tulsa has not won a game since they beat the Texas Brahmas 6-2 at home on November 27th, though they maintain a respectable 3rd place in the North conference standings with 25 points. The team is riddled with injuries at this point, with Rick Kozak and Dallas Steward on the 14 day injured reserve, but their biggest scoring weapon Rob Hisey is back in the lineup and back at his craft scoring two goals, one of which was a league leading 4th shorthanded marker and an assist.
Jake Riddle scored a shorthanded goal on Saturday night, and that gave the Oilers eight total shorthanded goals for the season and tied them with Texas on shorthanded goals. Even with the slump, most Oilers fans are optimistic that the team’s fortunes with turn around and the winning will return.
Tickets for this weekend’s home games, and all the Tulsa Oilers home games can be purchased at the BOK Center box office, tulsaoilers.com and all Reasors locations.