Sunday, July 5, 2026

Tulsa Oilers Add Ex Viper McNelly To Protected List:

The ECHL Tulsa Oilers have thirty four players listed on their

Protected List, one is former Vernon Vipers defenceman Cade McNelly.

Teams are allowed to protect as many players as they wish provided the players protected meet the guidelines as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association.


The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The league serves as a farm system to the AHL and the National Hockey League (NHL).

Souce: https://tulsaoilers.com/


McNelly spent the 2025-26 season with the ECHL Tulsa Oilers, his second season with the Oilers. In 41 games, McNelly collected (3-goals-0-assists-3-points).

McNelly played one season at SAIT (Southern AB Inst. of Tech) during the 2022-23 season before the ECHL Fort Wayne Komets signed McNelly to a tryout agreement August 28th 2023. McNelly never played a game with the Komets, was released October 18th 2023. The Oilers added McNelly to their training camp roster October 7th 2024 before suspending McNelly October 15th 2024. The Oilers signed McNelly December 19th 2024 upon visa approval.

McNelly attended the Los Angeles Kings 2021 training camp.

McNelly played parts of five seasons in the Western Hockey League from 2017-22 with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Vancouver Giants.

McNelly played parts of one season in Vernon with the 2021-22 Vernon Vipers. The Vernon Vipers signed McNelly January 10th 2022. In 19 games with the Vipers, McNelly collected (3-goals-0-assists-3-points).

Cade McNelly's Player Profile:

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