Hosting a league game between the Junior B Penticton Lakers and Kamloops Storm at the South Cariboo Rec. Centre on Jan. 11 was the best dress rehearsal the 100 Mile House Wranglers could have had for the 2013/14 hockey season.
That’s when the newly formed hockey team steps onto the ice for the first time the home club as a member of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
So says Wranglers club president Tom Bachynski who was overwhelmed with the fan support of more than 700 people who packed the stands for the Wrangler-hosted game.
He’s considering it a sell-out, even though the official maximum capacity in the arena is 847. With the attendance the game saw, there was hardly a seat left for another person.
“There was great fan support, especially for watching hockey between two teams they don’t know.”
The game opened with a short crowd-pleasing scrimmage among players from the 100 Mile & District Minor Hockey Association’s Timbits division. Josslyn Ryan sang the national anthem preceding the opening puck-drop.
The pace was fast and furious from then until the game’s end, with the Lakers on the scoreboard first on a goal by Reilly O’Connor late in the first period. Paulsen Lautard put another one away for Penticton in the opening minutes of the second period, giving the Lakers a 2-0 lead.
Kamloops tightened the gap with a marker from Blake Culbert at the back end of the third, but Lautard scored an empty-netter while lying on his stomach with seven seconds left on the clock to clinch the Lakers a 3-1 victory.
The game’s first star was O’Connor, Lautard was the second star and Culbert was named the third star.
Bachynski says the club learned a lot by hosting the game and the majority of it was good. On the down side, it was made apparent that parking for games next season will have to be addressed as some people had to park as far away as the Safeway parking lot.
The club also needs to focus on getting fans in and out of the building in a more streamlined manner, he says.
One other bothersome glitch was having the Internet service go down during broadcasting of the game, which Bachynski says is a required element that must be in order before next season.
He notes the game also gave the organization a good understanding of how many volunteers will be required to run games. Those wishing to volunteer next season can call 250-945-4455 or email the club at info@100milewranglers.com.
Feedback from both teams was good, he adds, and that was apparent by Penticton giving an appreciative stick salute to the crowd before leaving the ice.
“The teams were overwhelmed. Penticton said that all season; they hadn’t played in front of a crowd like this. Normally, they get less than 100 people at a game.”
To raise revenue for next season, the Wranglers club is soliciting membership for its Founders Club, which is an opportunity for 65 people to purchase season seats at centre ice that will be good for three seasons. This will not be bench seating, but rather, new, standard seating which will be installed at the higher level in limited numbers.
The cost for Founders Club membership is $1,500 and can be ordered by e-mail at tickets@100milewranglers.com, or by phone at 250-945-4455.
The Wranglers will hold a spring tryout camp April 20-22 at the South Cariboo Rec. Centre. Deadline to register is April 10 and a registration form can be downloaded on the Internet at www.100milewranglers.com, which will be available by Jan. 18.
