Starting this season with an atom development team, the 100 Mile & District Minor Hockey Association will be adopting the logo and colours of the 100 Mile House Wranglers.
It will take a few years to phase in new apparel for the entire association, but in the next couple of weeks, the atom team should be wearing navy blue, gold and grey.
“It's a community thing and one day our minor hockey players can aspire to play for the Wranglers,” says Denise Balbirnie, president of parents auxiliary.
“That's really exciting. It's nice for all the levels of hockey in the community to support each other.”
The logo – a cowboy hoisting a hockey stick atop a steer – will be tweaked slightly to reflect it's a minor hockey team jersey.
Wranglers president Tom Bachynski says the whole executive is flattered with the gesture.
“I think we all hoped at some point down the road that would happen. For it to happen as quickly as it is and the way the community has embraced it, it's almost overwhelming.”
The Wranglers, an expansion Junior B club in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, are the most senior team in 100 Mile House and are in the midst of their first season. When the new jerseys arrive, the Wranglers plan to mark the occasion with some sort of display during a home game at the South Cariboo Rec. Centre.
“For minor hockey to want to take on the Wranglers colours, the Wranglers logo, it's pretty cool,” Bachynski adds. “It's flattering as heck.”
As far as purchasing the new apparel, the phasing in process will cushion the financing. To change over the entire program at once would be a big expense, but the jerseys in use currently will be worn until they would have needed to be replaced anyway, regardless of the changeover.
“In the end, it's a wash,” Balbirnie explains.
“The only extra charge will be having to re-digitize the logo. That end of things will be pretty nominal.”