The 100 Mile House Wranglers Junior B Hockey Club has achieved a number of its goals after putting a team on the ice three years ago.
The Wranglers have won its first Doug Birks Division title in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL).
Five years ago, 100 Mile House Wranglers club president Tom Bachynski and some other folks in town had a vision of bringing Junior B hockey to our community.
They worked hard to make the vision come to fruition.
It took them two years to convince the KIJHL board of directors that 100 Mile House would be ideal for a northern franchise for the league.
The local board had to convince these directors the Wranglers could produce a hockey entertainment product that would fill seats in the arena at the South Cariboo Rec. Centre.
They had to convince the KIJHL directors that 100 Mile House would build a team that would not only be competitive in its division, but also be competitive in the rest of the league.
The local club got turned down when it tried to get a team in the first year.
However, the local board persevered and made another bid the following year.
During the negotiations, the local board told the KIJHL directors the Wranglers would prepare its players to make the jump to the next level in hockey and education, while producing community-minded young men.
The Wranglers came to life that year and the real work began for Bachynski and the rest of the executive board.
During the Wranglers’ rookie year, the spirit of the franchise started to develop with the stands being filled with cheering fans most nights.
Overall, the Wranglers have the largest attendance night in and night out in the league.
It is our biggest entertainment package during three-quarters of the year, and it is definitely a family fun event as was promised by the local executive when Wranglers Nation was born three years ago.
The Wranglers have made the playoffs every year, so they have been competitive.
Now, for the first time, the Wranglers have skated into the playoffs as the Doug Birks Division champion.
The Wranglers have turned the page in the team’s short history.
The vision has been turned into reality and the KIJHL has a solid northern franchise.
Players are jumping up to the next level in junior hockey.
Players are getting an education playing college hockey.
Players are involved in the community, and an alumni has been created.
Bachynski put it best when he said, “It takes an entire town to raise a champion.”
So thank you to everyone who has supported our Junior B hockey team.
Go Wranglers Go!
