The red and blue lines still look fresh on the new ice at the South Cariboo Rec. Centre, but the 100 Mile House Wranglers have already made their first big play of the season.
Coach Dale “Duner” Hladun committed a roster spot to 108 Mile Ranch skater Micky Turner on Aug. 11.
For the last two seasons, Turner, 20, played in the United States for the Bellingham Blazers, the 2013/14 champions of the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NPHL) based in Washington and Oregon. The forward tallied 50 points in 36 regular season games, while adding some clutch points in the playoffs.
The level of play in the NPHL is comparable to the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL), but there are far less teams in the NPHL, Turner explains.
He hopes his last year of junior hockey, skating for the top team in his hometown, is a good one.
“I think it will be pretty exciting playing in front of all my friends and family. Coming out every night and playing for everyone, it will be nice.”
Turner is listed at 5 feet 8, 160 pounds, on the Blazers' website.
Announcing the acquisition of a local veteran is a pretty good start to the pre-season, coach Duner says.
“I think it's important to have 20-year-old men who are character people. It helps off the ice, it helps in the dressing room, and Micky is such a good guy, and respected. He'd be important for us. For me, it's a no-brainer to have him involved in our club.”
On the ice, Turner is a well-built and strong skater, the coach says.
“He's not intimidated out there. He'll probably be valuable killing penalties. He's got the speed.”
Duner is replacing former coach/general manager Doug Rogers, who guided the Wranglers to a record of 23-21-0-8 and a second round playoff berth last season in the club's inaugural year.
The Wranglers start the 2014/15 season on the road.
The Wranglers play the Grand Forks Border Bruins on Sept. 12, the Beaver Valley Nitehawks on Sept. 13, and the Spokane Braves on Sept. 14.
The Wranglers host the Summerland Steam on Sept. 19 in their home opener at 7 p.m. at the South Cariboo Rec. Centre in 100 Mile House.
The local club plays exhibition games against the Chase Heat on Sept. 5-6; against the Kelowna Chiefs in Chase on Sept. 6; against the Kamloops Storm in Williams Lake on Sept. 9; and against the Storm in 100 Mile House on Sept. 10.
Tryouts are on Aug. 22-24 and the Wranglers offering a junior prep camp on Aug. 19-22.
Duner is a longtime bench boss in the KIJHL. He coached the Fernie Ghostriders to a 24-22-0-6 record last season, and coached the Princeton Posse for eight seasons before that. He talks about the Wranglers' long-term prospects, about taking care of alumni and leaving a legacy.
“Having Micky involved is one of the pieces that's working towards the big puzzle.”
The Wranglers organization, whose home games saw some of the biggest attendance numbers in the league last season, is off to a great start, Duner adds.
“The way they ran the franchise, the community involvement, it was a home run. This is a flagship program for Junior B hockey. I kind of feel the pressure to live up to all the hype.”
Turner was asked what a successful season would look like to him.
“The team coming together and winning games and having fun,” he replies. “That's pretty much all there is to it.”