Edmonton Oilers General Manager Craig MacTavish announced today the Edmonton Oilers have reached a one year affiliation agreement with the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL for the 2013-14 season.

The Condors become the Oilers ECHL affiliate after the club spent the past seven seasons affiliated with the Stockton Thunder.

Craig MacTavish says, "We are very pleased to welcome the Bakersfield Condors into the Edmonton Oilers family and look forward to working with General Manager John Olver and his staff as we continue to develop our players and prepare them for the National Hockey League."

Edmonton becomes the third NHL affiliate in Condors history after previous affiliations with Anaheim (2008-10) and Minnesota (2010-11). The Condors have won two Pacific Division titles when affiliated with an NHL team and have had 10 players advance to the NHL ranks.

Bakersfield's first local hockey team was actually named the Oilers, who began play in 1940 and were reborn in 1994-95, paving the way for the birth of the Condors.

“This is an exciting day for Condorstown and the City of Bakersfield deserves an affiliation of this calibre,” says John Olver. “The Edmonton Oilers represent one of the most storied and respected franchises in the NHL. This partnership will immediately enhance our on-ice success and will contribute greatly to restoring our winning tradition."

The Bakersfield Condors are owned by Chairman and CEO Jonathan Fleisig and enter their 16th season in 2013-14. Under the direction of Team President Matthew Riley, the organization has raised more than $4.6 million dollars for charity in Bakersfield and Kern County. The team plays at the state-of-the-art Rabobank Arena and are consistently among the league leaders in attendance.



Edmonton Oilers hockey is presented in part by the Rexall Family of Pharmacies, Molson Canadian, TELUS and Ford.