Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Wranglers don't disappoint big crowd in home debut

New ECHL club tops Bakerfield before 7,208

By ROYCE FEOUR
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Ryan Christie, left, of the Wranglers stickhandles around Randy Perry of the Bakersfield Condors in the first period of Las Vegas' 4-2 victory in its home debut Tuesday at the Orleans Arena. Photo by Craig L. Moran.

In practically every way, the Wranglers' home debut and the return of pro hockey to Las Vegas were a rousing success Tuesday night.

After opening with three games on the road, the expansion ECHL franchise defeated the Bakersfield Condors 4-2 before an announced crowd of 7,208 at the Orleans Arena.

Not since the Las Vegas Thunder of the defunct International Hockey League folded in 1999 after a six-year run has the city hosted a pro hockey team. The Wranglers gave the big home crowd plenty to cheer, even if the attendance fell more than 500 short of the sellout predicted by team president Billy Johnson.

"This is a great start," Johnson said. "Now we have a lot of work to do. It is satisfying, but at 12:01 a.m. we start over.

"I think if we can get through those first eight games averaging 4,200 to 4,400, that would be good."

He said the Wranglers have a season-ticket base of about 1,900.

"Our big turning point will be after Jan. 1," Johnson said. "That's when hockey traditionally takes hold. If we finish the year (averaging) over 5,000, that would be a good season."

In the first of eight straight home games, the victory lifted the Wranglers' record to 2-1-1. They registered a win, a shootout loss and a regulation loss in their weekend series against the Idaho Steelheads in Boise.

Las Vegas scored first and never trailed, leading 3-0 through two periods.

The Wranglers' Greg Day scored from the high slot at 12:00 of the first period on an assist from Justin Kelly, beating Bakersfield goalie Peter Hirsch.

Ryan Christie made it 2-0 on a second-period power play, backhanding one under the crossbar, and Kelly scored at 18:35 of the period between Hirsch's pads.

After a third-period goal by Bakersfield's Quinn Fair, Chris Kenady scored for the Wranglers at 5:17 to make it 4-1. Johan Astrom scored for the Condors at 7:27.

Wranglers general manager/coach Glen Gulutzan praised his penalty-killing unit, which held Bakersfield 0-for-5 on power plays, including a two-man advantage in the second period. Goalie Marc Magliarditi had 35 saves for Las Vegas.

"I thought we played pretty well," Magliarditi said. "I don't think we played as well in the third (period), but we got the win and our two points. That is the most important thing."