Wranglers chief Johnson leaving team

There’s still an outside shot the Wranglers will return next season, but team president Billy Johnson won’t be with them.

Johnson, who has helmed the minor-league hockey franchise since its inception in Las Vegas in 2003, has resigned from the team. He said he’s accepted a fundraising position in town that’s unrelated to sports.

Johnson, who spearheaded such popular promotions as the annual midnight games, the “Indoor Winter Classic” and “Dick Cheney Hunting Vest Night,” said his departure doesn’t mean the Wranglers won’t be back.

“I’d say the chances are 50-50. I know there are proposals on two different tables,” he said. “I’m an optimist that something could happen.”

The Wranglers were notified by Boyd Gaming in December 2013 that their Orleans Arena lease would not be renewed after the 2013-14 season, their 11th there.

In February, the team announced an agreement with the Plaza to play its home games in a new facility there starting this season. But, in May, the Wranglers canceled the plan because it cost too much and suspended operations for this season.

Team owner Gary Jacobs said he is still searching for a home for the Wranglers, who need to have an arena agreement in place by Jan. 21, the date of the ECHL’s winter meetings.

“We continue to push forward,” he said. “We’ve worked as hard as we can to find a place.”

As for any current proposals, Jacobs said there is “nothing that is close enough to talk about.”

Jacobs, who has owned the team since 2010, said he doesn’t plan to replace Johnson unless he secures an arena deal.

“Once we have an arena locked down, then we’ll start hiring again,” he said. “For now, we’re going to bring in a consultant to help see if he can find anything.”

Johnson, a native of Louisville, Ky., came to the Wranglers after five years as vice-president and general manager of the Nashua (N.H.) Pride, an independent Atlantic League baseball team.

A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Johnson began his career in pro baseball as “Billy Bird,” the mascot for the Lousville Redbirds, Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Jacobs said Johnson was instrumental in the success of the Wranglers, the second-longest running pro sports team in Las Vegas behind the 51s, the Triple-A franchise that has played here since 1983.

“He really took the Wranglers brand and grew it tremendously,” he said. “He made it a part of the Las Vegas community. He really got the team involved.”

If the Wranglers do return and the city eventually lands an NHL franchise, Jacobs and Johnson believe the two pro hockey teams can successfully co-exist.

“We’ve always angled the Wranglers to be ready for such a thing. Not only could they co-exist, but they could thrive,” Johnson said. “I think there’s an audience for both. They’re two different businesses and two different price points. There’s a need for it. Not everybody can afford a Cadillac.”

The Wranglers advanced to the ECHL Kelly Cup Finals in 2008 and 2012 and have helped develop several NHL players, as well as former Dallas Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. Despite finishing with a franchise-worst record of 20-44-8 last season, the team averaged 4,581 fans per game.

“Coming into town 11 years ago, they said that we would fail,” Johnson said. “I’m most proud of doing things out of the box and of changing people’s minds of what works.

“It did work. We had 11 years and if given the chance, we could’ve been here 20 or 25 years.”

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33.