Photo Courtesy of the Tulsa Oilers The Tulsa Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/game-day/oilers-best-mavericks-for-third-straight-win]have added an NCAA [https://thehockeynews.com/ncaa/]Champion to their blueline. The club announced the signing of skilled defenseman Michael Davies for the 2025-26 season. The 28-year-old Davies joins the Oilers off a multi-year hiatus from professional hockey. The off-season training partner of Oilers’ forward Tyler Poulsen last played pro in 2022 with Kalamazoo [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/k-wings-to-bring-back-street-hockey-camps-this-summer], notching eight points (2-6-8) in 30 games with the Wings. Davies also attended Colorado Avalanche [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche]development camp in 2020. It was Poulsen who brought Davies to the attention of Oilers Head Coach Rob Murray. “He’s (Davies) been training with him in the summers, and while he’s stepped away from the pro level for a couple of years, he is hungry to get back into things,” Murray stated. “He hasn’t been sitting on the couch this whole time — he’s been on the ice coaching and played some Senior A as well. It’s not unusual for a player to come back to the pro game after several years away, but Murray hopes Davies can contribute this season. “Michael has played at this level before and had a great college career and won a title with a blue blood program,” Murray said. “He will have to show he still has it and can bring it out the gate, but the potential and upside is there. We really look forward to getting him out here.” Prior to turning pro, Davies was a standout at the University of Denver, producing 47 points (9-38-47) and a +72 rating in 159 Division 1 appearances. The St. Louis, Missouri native burst onto the scene as a freshman, registering 17 points (3-14-17) and leading the National Champion Pioneers and all NCAA freshmen with a +32 rating — the second-best among all Division 1 players. The first-year student athlete was a key piece in Denver’s first title claim since 2005, finding the score sheet in three of four NCAA Tournament battles. The skilled lefty sealed the run with a pair of assists and a +3 rating in a 3-2 victory over Minnesota-Duluth in the National Title game, finishing the Tournament with five assists and a +7 rating. Davies received the Keith Magnuson Award as Denver’s top defensive player twice, finishing top five in plus-minus rating in all four seasons and ranking second among the defensive corps in assists on two occasions. Striking balance on and off the ice, Davies was named to the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team three times and served as an alternate captain as a senior. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound blueliner also won Gold at the 2013-14 Five Nations Tournament, representing Team USA alongside future Denver teammate and current Anaheim Duck [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks]Troy Terry, as well as former Oilers and Ducks’ selections Brent Gates and Steven Ruggiero. Davies produced at both ends of the ice in a 111-game USHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ushl/]career, logging 48 points (11-37-48), 117 PIM and a +28 rating with Dubuque and Waterloo. The power-play quarterback recorded 34 points (7-27-34) and a +20 rating during the 2015-16 season, leading all Black Hawks defenseman in all four categories, while his 66 PIM and 27 assists, both ranked third among all skaters regardless of position. Davies is the first announced blueliner in the 2025-26 class, joining forwards Josh Nelson, Tyler Poulsen and Keegan Iverson as announced Oilers’ signings.
