Wrangler training camp update

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – ECHL clubs all over the country are dusting off the cobwebs from a long off-season and more players begin funneling into various training camps, more transactions than ever are coming through the hockey news pipeline. A great signing for Wranglers fans is the return of super talented center, Adam Miller. Miller, whose family resides in Las Vegas, returns to the Wranglers following a season overseas, with Assat-Pori of the SM-Liga and Troja-Ljungby of the Allsvenskan. In the Northern Europe leagues, Miller played 52 games, earning 54 points and 36 penalty minutes. Miller was first a Wrangler from 2007-2010, suiting up for 178 games, earning 170 points and 199 penalty minutes. Miller started his hockey career at Ferris State University, suiting up for 146 games, earning 77 points and 76 penalty minutes there. During the 2008-09 season, Miller split his time between Nevada and Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, suiting up for 10 games for the Wisconsin club. Miller is currently third all-time in points, fifth all-time in goals, third all-time in assists and first all-time in points-per-season in Wranglers history. With this, expect Miller to be recalled at some time to an AHL club as Miller has some of the fastest skates in the entire ECHL.

Another great signing of a Wrangler from last season, is left wing Geoff Paukovich. Paukovich started his hockey career with University of Denver and suited up for 61 games in Las Vegas, earning 23 points and 83 penalty minutes last season. Paukovich also pads his hockey resume with a full season in the AHL with Springfield and a 76 game stint as a member of the Stockton Thunder, from 2007-2009. Paukovich played an integral part of last season’s Wranglers squad, bringing the experience of international hockey to Vegas. Paukovich suited up for six games with the U.S. under-18 squad and seven games for the U.S. under-20 squad too. A few players listed on the Wranglers training camp tryout roster include defenseman Brian Cooke and Forwards Kyle Laughlin and Evan Mladenoff. Cooke, a native of Los Angeles, California, has a relatively unimpressive hockey resume. Suiting up for only two games with Troy State University in two full seasons, Cooke spent the most of his playing time in the AAHL as a Troy Bruin. With Troy, Cooke suited up for 17 games, earning five points and 47 penalty minutes. Cooke also had a tryout with Stockton of the ECHL in October 2010, but did not make the final cut for a place on the team at that time. Laughlin began his hockey career in 125 games with Providence College, comes to Las Vegas from Huntsville Havoc of the SPHL. With Huntsville last season, Laughlin suited up for 58 games, earning 31 points and 14 penalty minutes. Laughlin had previously played with both Reading and Johnstown of the ECHL, suiting up for 28 games combined. Laughlin may have hockey in his genes.   His father is Craig Laughlin, who suited up in an impressive 549 games played NHL career from 1981-1989 with Washington, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Montreal. Mladenoff played 144 games for Sacred Heart University, earning 30 points and 78 penalty minutes. He counts the New Jersey Hitmen of the EJHL as his only other hockey team of note, playing 25 games for the Tier-III club. In addition, the Wranglers increased their on-ice staff with assistant coach Rob Pallin. Pallin had been the head coach of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas hockey club since 2006. He is the first assistant coach for the Wranglers since former Wrangler great Mike McBain held the position during the 2008-2009 season. Pallin played his collegiate career at the University of Minnesota and Western Michigan University and spent some time in European hockey with Bad Toelz of the German Second Division. From 1994-99 Pallin played with former teams such as Las Vegas Aces, Reno Rage and the Fresno Falcons.   He even played some roller hockey   with the Las Vegas Flash and Coyotes. During his time in the Pacific Southwest Hockey League with the Las Vegas Aces, Pallin shared ice time with former Bakersfield coach and current Medvescak Zagreb head man, Martin Raymond, first female goaltender Manon Rheaume and current ECHL linesman Wally Lacroix. Goaltender Matt Keetley was reassigned from Abbotsford of the AHL to the Bakersfield Condors. Keetley suited up for seven games during the 2008-2009 season with Las Vegas and had a 1-3 record. Keetley split his Wranglers season with Quad City Flames of the AHL and appeared in one NHL game with the Calgary Flames, making two out of two saves. One of the more successful Wranglers, post Las Vegas, goaltender Mike McKenna, has been assigned to the Binghamton Senators of the AHL. After being placed on waivers from Ottawa, McKenna heads to Binghamton to begin yet another year climbing the pro hockey ladder. McKenna played in Las Vegas from 2005-2007, suiting up for 63 games and winning 46 of them.   He has played in 17 NHL games with Tampa Bay and New Jersey. Another former Wrangler and great skater Shawn Limpright, has decided to stay in the CHL with Rapid City Rush. Limpright, as a member of the now defunct Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs won a CHL championship last season.   He was a key member of the Las Vegas line-up from 2004-09. During that time Limpright suited up for 289 games, earning 200 points and 648 penalty minutes, and still holds many team records in the Wrangler organization. Limpright is currently second in all-time points and assists, first all-time penalty minutes and third all-time games played.   He was elected a fan favorite, and was considered an extremely talented member of the organization.Pugilist and ECHL veteran, Trevor Hunt recently decided to move from Las Vegas to Bakersfield for next season. Hunt, whose brother Garet is a long time Stockton Thunder player, came to Vegas last season on an ECHL contract from Wheeling Nailers, eventually suiting up for three games, earning 12 penalty minutes. Hunt, who also played for Stockton along with Wheeling for a combined 45 games, heads to Bakersfield on a tryout basis. Short time Wrangler from last season, Philip Ischi suited up for only three games as a Wrangler, heads back to his hometown Alaska Aces for a tryout. Ischi, who previously had an unsuccessful tryout with Alaska in October 2010, spent the last three seasons in the NLB and Swiss third league with Visp, Saastal and Crans-Montana. One of the more successful former Wranglers in history, Adam Cracknell was reassigned to the Peoria Rivermen of the AHL. Cracknell, a 92 game Wranglers veteran from 2006-2008, heads to Peoria after a good last season, splitting time between the AHL and St Louis Blues, suiting up for 24 games with the latter. Cracknell was an instrumental part of the Wranglers and is still fifth all-time in goals per season with the Nevada club. Colin Reddin, who suited up last season for five games in a Wranglers sweater, has relocated to the Eastern Conference of the ECHL with the Florida Everblades. Reddin started his hockey career off in a big way, playing 76 games total from 2006-2008 with the Under-18 team of the U.S. National Team Development Program. Reddin came to Vegas last season from Regina of the WHL, playing a total of 69 games for them after 163 total games with Portland (Oregon) of the same league.Another Wrangler from last season making moves is Justin Bernhardt. Bernhardt suited up for 81 games from 2009-2011 for the Wranglers. Bernhardt was reassigned to the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the CHL following training camp with Florida Panthers and AHL San Antonio. Former Wrangler, Chris Higgins was recently dealt by the Wranglers to South Carolina of the ECHL. Higgins moved to Sweden during the off-season with fellow former Wrangler Sean McMonagle to Tingsryd of the Allsvenskan. Higgins played a shortened last season in Las Vegas, with the club putting him on the protected lists until this recent trade of rights to South Carolina. In South Carolina, Higgins joins former Wrangler Jerry Pollastrone. Tyler Sloan, another former Wrangler suited up in 99 games with the Washington Capitals post Las Vegas, has recently been sent down to Milwaukee of the AHL. Sloan skated in 48 games with the Wranglers in 2005-06 season.   He was also a member of the AHL Hershey Bears team contributing to two Calder Cups, since leaving Las Vegas. Sloan is one of the few former Wranglers to break into the NHL. Contact the writer at Joel.Hoopaugh@prohockeynews.com