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The Copper & Blue member "Suffering in Springfield" writes
I was at a Springfield Falcons get together on Wednesday night. To nobody's surprise, President & GM Bruce Landon during his opening comments stated that:
"It won't be official for a couple of weeks, but the Oilers will not be returning to Springfield next season. They will be moving their AHL club to Oklahoma City."
And with that, we finally have someone in a position of authority admit that the deal we've talked so much about is done. I left a voicemail with the Falcons and Prodigal Hockey and will update the story if they have a comment.
The Roadrunners will be reactivated, likely renamed,and will begin play as the Edmonton Oilers AHL affiliate for the 2010-2011 season in Oklahoma City.
Take heart, Falcons fans. With Syracuse Crunch owner Howard Dolgon holding out hope for a Rangers affiliation, there is a possibility that the Columbus Blue Jackets will soon need a new affiliate. The Anaheim Ducks continue to look for an exclusive affiliate, though it would difficult to imagine the Ducks using an affiliate so far east, an affiliation swap may be in order. The Blue Jackets & Ducks couldn't possibly saddle Springfield with teams worse than the last six years, can they?