No one knew what to expect, and that's why this season was special.
The 100 Mile House Wranglers started from scratch this year in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL), and by all kinds of markers – player development, wins and losses, fans in the stands – it was an impressive few months.
The local Junior B hockey club not only made it to the post-season, they won a round, beating the Chase Heat, which finished two points ahead of them in the standings, in five games.
In Round 2, they met the Kamloops Storm, which as its moniker suggests, are a daunting force in the world of junior hockey in British Columbia.
One day after a 3-1 elimination loss in Game 4 on March 12, Wranglers coach/general manager Doug Rogers sat down at the South Cariboo Rec. Centre to talk about the series, and the season.
The Wranglers had a number of injuries going into Round 2, so they were in tough no matter what, but Kamloops is a great team, Rogers says.
“They're Junior A calibre in my opinion. I'd be surprised if they didn't win the whole thing.
"I thought our kids played really well. I thought they worked hard, as they did all year, right up until the last buzzer in the last game.
“I couldn't be more proud of them, to be honest with you. It's a little tough for it to end just all of sudden.”
Rogers, who coached previously with the Columbia Valley Rockies, was awarded 2013/14 coach of the year in the Doug Birks Division in February. The Wranglers finished third in that division with 54 points, which puts them somewhere in the middle of the KIJHL pack.
For a first-year club to have played at that level already is a testament to its players' work-ethic, Rogers says, adding the fans in 100 Mile House, who have rallied behind the team from the start and packed the rink at home games, deserve a lot of credit, too.
“It's almost overwhelming the amount of support we have in the community. 100 Mile House really needs to be proud of itself in how it supported this team. It certainly makes a difference for the guys when they walk out of the tunnel and the stands are full.”
Later this month, Rogers is returning to Prince George to resume a career with the RCMP. He won't be behind the bench next season, but will stay on as the club's general manager.
As far as the 2014/15 season goes, Rogers says a lot depends on which players return.
“If we get eight or nine guys back, I think that's a good core group to start with, and we just build from there.”
Spring camp starts the last weekend of April, so it's almost like next season is starting already, the coach adds.
“There's still a lot of work to do.”