First, the Las Vegas Wranglers announced the signing of goaltender Mitch O’Keefe. He will be familiar to ECHL fans from the 2009-10 season, when he played for Western Conference rival, Utah Grizzlies. While last season saw O’Keefe head to Jesenice of the Austrian league, O’Keefe had established himself as a premium goaltender by doing very well in eight AHL games with both
In news that many Wranglers fans expected, but still came as a huge blow, last seasons team captain, Tyler Mosienko, has signed a contract with the Nippon Paper Cranes in Japan. Mosienko leaves the Wranglers after four seasons and is currently the Wranglers all-time leading scorer. Mosienko switches places with defenseman Mike Madill, who returned to the Wranglers from the same Paper Cranes in a signing announced July 26.
Mosienko previously left the Wranglers for overseas pastures during the 2009-10 season, when he signed with the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga where he tallied 19 points in 56 matches before returning back to
With already eight Wranglers from last season that have decided to make overseas their new home, this adds to an ever expanding list of former Las Vegas Wranglers and players from the Western Conference of the ECHL that have decided to make the trip over the oceans to continue their hockey careers.
A part of the Wranglers organization that most fans do not know about, or if they do now, it is mostly only in passing, is the Las Vegas Wranglers Super Rooter Club. Run by dedicated fans of the organization, the clubs main goal during the season is to provide the players a better life, both on road trips and back in their apartments.
During the season, there are many social events with the team and the club also makes their presence known by running some of the Chuck a Puck sessions, planning group road trips and hosting an annual fireworks booth near the Fourth of July. Membership to the club is minimal and there are new club officials elected every season. Run by professionals and true Wranglers fans, it is a great way to be able to have a little more to do with the organization than just watching the games.
Yet another reason to look forward to another season of Wranglers hockey, if you needed any more, is the return of the promotional “Hockey Experience.” This special opportunity gives the fan unprecedented access to the operations of the Wranglers for game day. To start, while every other fan is still waiting in the lobby of the Orleans Arena or in the Orleans Hotel parking lot, the fan is escorted into the team offices where there is a one-on-one session with the Wranglers head coach which only ends when it is time for the team to take to the ice for the pre game warm-up. The fan then heads out on the ice, to the visiting teams bench where they watch the warm-ups from the bench, along with a Wranglers ticket representative. After this, the fan is then shown to their seats, situated between the two team’s benches, where they can experience the sweat, swearing and general mayhem that occurs on the ice during a hockey game. In addition to this, the fan is also given a fifty dollar food and drink voucher to use during that night’s match.
In more former Wrangler “where are they now” news, it has been announced that former Wrangler goalie John DeCaro, after a CHL championship winning season last year with Bossier-Shreveport, has decided to head to the England for next years campaign. Joining him in Europe will be former Wranglers, Jim Jorgensen (
In other moves, Matheiu Beudoin has signed a contract with the Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL, along with former Wrangler Matt Watkins. Former Wrangler assistant coach Brent Biladou spent last season as assistant coach for the Tri-City Americans of the WHL and he expects to return to that club when the WHL season restarts.
Also, look for original Wrangler, former captain and NHL veteran of 64 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Mike McBain to return to the ice next season in his new role as a linesman for the ECHL Western Conference matches.
With the signing season in full swing and more and more players thinking past their summer jobs and where they will spend next season, look for many more announcements on the addition and subtraction of many of your favorite players from all over the league and the world.
You must be logged in to post a comment.