It’s Hockey Night in 100 Mile House.
No longer a pipe dream or a coffee shop wish list, Junior B hockey is coming to 100 Mile, and we can feel the excitement working its way through town and into the surrounding communities.
It started last December when club president Tom Bachynski announced the 100 Mile House Wranglers Junior B Hockey Club was going to be icing a team this fall in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
After the original rush of excitement, the club members got down to work and started getting ready for the 2013/14 season.
They have been working hard to pull everything together and there is a lot more going on in the background than one might suspect when you are building a first class franchise.
A major decision was made when they hired the Wranglers first general manager and head coach – Doug Rogers.
He is a man with a lot of connections, which will help the club develop players, and he is an affable man who will not only provide a good hockey club but he will also be a great community member.
Earlier this year, the Wranglers hosted a KIJHL game between the Penticton Lakers – the team the Wranglers purchased – and the Kamloops Storm, which will be the Wranglers’ closest rivals this year.
It gave the volunteers a dry run of what to expect this fall, and spectators got a taste of the uptempo hockey they can expect to see.
This past weekend, the Wranglers held the Spring Tryout Camp and some 200 folks went to the arena on Friday night to cheer on the hopeful players, some of whom were local lads.
It was an opportunity for the players, and their parents, to see the arena, the organization and the community enthusiasm that will be available for them should they be chosen and if they accept the invitation to play in 100 Mile House.
So excitement is definitely building in not only the hockey community but also for everyone else in the surrounding communities.
To make the 100 Mile House Wranglers a storied franchise in the KIJHL, we have to step up to the plate and help build the organization.
Financing is going to be a big chore because the Wranglers are starting from scratch – the team has to buy everything from hockey tape up.
Obviously, fundraising is going to be key component of the team’s success, so we have to be prepared to help with the effort.
The immediate need for the club is for folks to purchase either exclusive Founders Club tickets or season’s tickets for home games.
