LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Fans that witnessed the Las Vegas Wranglers season-ending run deep into the Kelly Cup Finals last season against the Florida Everblades, will have good reason to be equally optimistic about the upcoming campaign.
Returning to the Wranglers lineup for the 2012-13 campaign will be defensemen Channing Boe and Bretton Stamler. Joining them on the run to another Kelly Cup Final will be forwards Sean Wiles, Chris Francis, Scott Campbell and Joe Schiller. Also coming back, so far, is goaltender Mitch O’Keefe.
While this by itself, is a pretty impressive list of returning stars, particularly in a league that sees quite a turnover of players every season, third year Coach Ryan Mougenel, is not done with his roster yet, expecting even more returners to Las Vegas.
However, with the departures of Peter MacArthur (Germany), Adam Miller (EBL), Michael Busto (Ligue Magnus) Jeff May (LM), Ash Goldie (EIHL), Barry Goers (AHL) and Ryan Weston (Retired), leaves the roster short.
New this season to the Wranglers are defensemen Nolan Julseth-White and Cameron Cooper. Joining them as first timers to the Wranglers roster are forwards Andrew Sarauer, Eric Springer and Locke Jillson.
Julseth-White, a rookie from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, comes to Nevada from Union College of the NCAA. Spending his last collegiate year as the team Captain, Julseth-White played 100 games for the Dutchmen, earning 18 points and 62 penalty minutes. Previous to that, Julseth-White earned himself a Silver Medal at the 2004-05 Under-17 World Hockey Championships and the honors as BCHL Most Points by a Defenseman with the Chilliwack Chiefs.
Cooper, a technical second year professional, suited up for nine games last season for the Toledo Walleye of the ECHLs Eastern Conference, earning five penalty minutes. Cooper joins the Wranglers from Toledo, after a successful collegiate career at the Minnesota State University-Mankato, where he was teammates with Wranglers veterans Boe and Schiller. In his time as a Maverick, Cooper spent his last season as an Assistant Captain, earning a total of 15 points and 93 penalty minutes in 111 games.
Sarauer, the most experienced of the new Wranglers so far, enters his fourth professional hockey season in Nevada. Prior to becoming a Wrangler, Sarauer spent time in the ECHLs Eastern Conference with Johnstown and Reading, earning 176 points and the same amount of penalty minutes in 180 games over three seasons. Sarauer was also awarded the ECHL Player of the Week during the 2010-11 season with Reading. Sarauer spent a bit of time in the AHL with Lake Erie, Norfolk, Rockford and Hershey. Prior to this, the Saskatoon native spent four seasons with Northern Michigan University, appearing in 112 games. Last season saw Sarauer trying out the international hockey season with the Frederikshavn Hawks of the AL-Bank Ligaen.
Springer, a rookie American from Wisconsin, comes to the ECHL from the University of Wisconsin, where he spent four years as a Badger, appearing in 84 games and earning ten points and 66 penalty minutes. Prior to this, Springer had only laced up for the Sioux City Stampede of the USHL, skating for 60 games in the Tier 1 league.
Jillson, the latest new Wrangler to date, comes to Las Vegas after a good career with Cornell University. As a member of the Big Red squad, Jillson was a member of the NCAA ECAC hockey championship with former Wrangler and current Cincinnati Cyclone Blake Gallagher. In his collegiate career, the 5’9” Texan suited up for 124 games, earning him 45 points and 16 minutes.
With most of the stars from that last campaign that took the Wranglers to their longest ever post-season run coming back to Nevada for the upcoming season, there are many reasons to be excited about the chances for a repeat performance. And the Wranglers and Coach Mougenel aren’t even done yet.
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