Top Scorers Sign With Oilers
 
Tulsa Oilers head coach Dan Hodge doesn’t mind the occasional card game. And on Wednesday he landed a pair of aces for the 2008-09 Central Hockey League season. 

Hodge announced the Oilers have re-signed center Brendon Hodge (younger brother to the coach) and have also added left winger Michel Beausoleil, a two time 40-goal scorer in the Central Hockey League. 

“I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘You’ve got too much goal scoring on your team,’ and these guys really give us a dynamic offensive flair,” Hodge said. “Last year we saw a big improvement on our power play when Brendon came back from his injury, and Mike (as Beausoleil is known as) is just a pure goal scorer. He can really snipe.”

The younger Hodge is entering his sixth professional season and second with the Oilers. He was limited to just 35 games last year after suffering a knee injury at Bossier-Shreveport in the Oilers seventh game of the season. Still he managed nearly a point a game, with 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points.

Beausoleil, a veteran of seven professional seasons played last year for the Flint Generals of the International Hockey League, leading the team in scoring with 36 goals and 46 assists for 82 points in 76 games. Prior to that, he played three seasons for the Oklahoma City Blazers, scoring 45 goals in 2004-05, and followed that up with a 40 goal campaign. In 2006-07, hampered with a knee injury most of the season, he still managed to score 19 goals.  

“This year I talked with Dan and Taylor Hall, and this is the best situation for me to play here,” Beausoleil (who is no relation to former Oiler Luc Beausoleil) said. “I think we’re really going to have a good team this year.
The main thing is not how many goals Mike Beausoleil is going to get or how many points I get. The main thing is how many wins the Tulsa Oilers get.”

Brendon Hodge has been impressed with the team’s off season activity, including his newest teammate. 

“Bringing in a pure goal scorer like Mike Beausoleil is huge. I’ve had a chance to skate with him a lot this summer,” Hodge said. “He’s a 40 goal scorer. I don’t care what league you’re in, that’s something. You can be playing Play Station and 40 goals is impressive.

“With the core of guys we have back from last year, it seems like the right fit for me to stay here and help Tulsa win a championship. That’s what it’s all about, winning championships. And the BOK Center helps a little bit too,” he added with a laugh.