Tulsa Oilers defenseman Jarod Hilderman is heading overseas to France after spending the past three seasons in the ECHL with the Oilers. The 27-year-old defenseman is coming off a breakout year in which he put up nine goals and 35 assists for 44 points in 65 games last season as he led all Tulsa blueliners in all offensive categories. Over the course of his three seasons with the Oilers, Hilderman has put up 13 goals and 64 assists for 77 points in 157 games; he’s added five assists in 10 career Kelly Cup Playoff Games. Hilderman also played in 16 games at the AHL level during the 2022-23 season with the San Diego Gulls and Chicago Wolves, where he picked up two assists. Prior to going pro, the Calgary native spent four years at the University Of Minnesota, playing in 67 games while putting up one goal and 10 assists for 11 points; he would also win two National Championships while with the Gophers. He would spend a year in the SPHL with the Birmingham Bulls, where he put up six assists in 41 games before making the jump to the ECHL.
This is a huge loss for the Oilers, who announced their first signing for the 2024-25 season yesterday, bringing back a defenseman. Hilderman becomes the fourth Oiler and first defenseman from Tulsa to take the overseas route, joining Julian Junca, Austin Albrecht, and Kishaun Gervais. With the loss of Hilderman, expect the Oilers to be in the market for a high-scoring defenseman to replace his contributions from last season.
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