Wranglers entrenched on local scene

Teams from the ABA to the XFL have rolled the dice in Las Vegas and crapped out, but the ECHL’s Wranglers are still in action nearly a decade after setting up shop here.

The second-longest running pro sports franchise in Southern Nevada history – behind the 51s, who wrapped up their 30th Triple-A baseball season in September – the Wranglers will host Stockton today in their 10th home opener at Orleans Arena.

So how has this minor league hockey team succeeded where so many other squads have failed?

“A lot of our fans won’t like the answer, but our biggest key is thinking beyond being a sports team,” Wranglers president Billy Johnson said. “We’ve really worried about being relevant in ways that speak to people who aren’t sports fans. Because of that, we’ve created an activity for a lot of people.”

Las Vegas saw its attendance increase last season, to 4,339 fans per game, for the first time in five years. The franchise has catered to locals by hosting annual midnight games featuring entertainment by the likes of Mini Kiss, and has attracted national attention for politically charged promotions such as “Dick Cheney Hunting Vest Night” and “Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich Prison Uniform Night.”

While winning isn’t the only thing that’s enabled the team to establish staying power here, it certainly has helped.

The Wranglers have compiled winning records and advanced to the playoffs in eight of their nine seasons – including the last seven – and are coming off their second trip to the ECHL Kelly Cup Finals, where they fell to Florida in five games last season and lost to Cincinnati in six games in 2008.

Las Vegas also has featured 11 players who went on to the NHL in goaltenders Dany Sabourin, Brent Krahn, John Curry and Mike McKenna; defensemen Adam Pardy, Tyler Sloan, Tyson Strachan and Deryk Engelland; and forwards Adam Cracknell, Charles Linglet and Matt Watkins.

“Guys want to play here,” Wranglers coach Ryan Mougenel said. “We’ve been the leader in guys getting called up to the American (Hockey) League and going to the NHL. Agents and players see that and know this is a good place to play to advance their career.”

Las Vegas also has produced an NHL coach in Glen Gulutzan, who guided the Dallas Stars to a 42-35-5 record last season.

Gulutzan compiled a 254-124-55 mark in the Wranglers’ first six seasons, guiding them to an ECHL-record 18 consecutive wins in 2007 and to an unprecedented three straight 100-point seasons from 2005-08.

Mougenel has continued the winning tradition, compiling a 114-81-21 mark the last three seasons, including a 42-22-8 record last season.

“Guys who want to play here want to win, first with Gully and now with Mouge – he’s followed the same standard of winning games,” said team captain Mike Madill, a veteran defenseman who has played for both coaches.

Of course, the prospect of living and playing – in more ways than one – in Las Vegas also is a strong lure for young players.

“It’s not like we don’t use it to our advantage,” Mougenel said. “But that being said, we can’t get athletes here that that’s their No. 1 priority. We need young, committed guys.”

The Wranglers have assembled another strong squad this season, with a plethora of returnees from last year’s Western Conference champions – including their top two goaltenders (Joe Fallon, Mitch O’Keefe) and six of their top eight scorers (Eric Lampe, Judd Blackwater, Josh Lunden, Madill, Chris Francis, Scott Campbell).

Madill will anchor a solid corps of defensemen featuring returnee Jamie Fritsch and newcomers Nolan Julseth-White and Charlie Cook, who scored a goal Sunday in Las Vegas’ season-opening 3-2 comeback victory over Bakersfield.

Blackwater and promising newcomer Adam Hughesman also scored in the win.

“Our back end’s going to be real strong, our goaltending is one of the tops in the league and up front we have two lines that can really contribute offensively,” Mougenel said. “We got to the Finals because we worked. That’s got to be our common denominator.”

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.