Wranglers find new home in Sylvan Lake

Dallas Hand was looking over his shoulder last season.

Someone was coming for him.

Hand piled up an HJHL-record 79 assists with the Rimbey Rock in

2004-05.

But the way Airdrie Thunder star Jordan McConnell was lighting up the scoreboard, the record was in jeopardy.

“I hadn’t paid attention to it for awhile,” said Hand, now the vice-president of the Sylvan Lake Wranglers. “A buddy of mine sent me a message about it.

“He was doing some scouting for another team and said I should try to get a hold of this one kid who was knocking on the door of that record.

“But it’s a different game nowadays. It’s so much faster and more skilled so I’m sure it won’t be long before someone surpasses that.”

McConnell fell just shy of Hand’s mark, but did set a new league scoring record with a spectacular 125-point campaign with the provincial-champion Thunder.

Hand’s attention is firmly focused on the Wranglers as they set up shop for their first season in their new home.

The Wranglers moved out of Blackfalds when rumours of an AJHL team’s imminent arrival became louder.

“The rumour is that (an AJHL team) will move to Blackfalds,” Hand said. “There’s been some moves made at the Tier II level, so it’s a good possibility.

“But we’re excited not to just have a franchise for Sylvan, but an established franchise that has over 30 years of history in the league.”

The Sylvan Lake community has been interested in adding a junior franchise for years.

The excited group jumped at the chance to welcome the Wranglers to town.

“It’s a crime for a town like Sylvan to not have some sort of hockey team past minor hockey,” Hand said.

“I was fortunate enough to be part of the group last year that started a senior team in Sylvan. I think that got things pumping and got people excited to have something more than minor hockey.

“Just the facility alone – the Nexsource Centre is a really cool atmosphere to watch a game.

“This is a team for the town to celebrate and rally around and enjoy the facility that we have.”

The Nexsource Centre opened in May 2017 and will be one of the newest buildings in the HJHL.

“I know there’s a ton of excitement,” Hand said. “I don’t think it’s a secret that Sylvan is a hockey hotbed, just looking at the number of people who have gone through the hockey system.

“We’re pretty excited with the group of hockey minds that have jumped on (with the team). We have a nice mix of about half of the original group that was with the Blackfalds Wranglers and half that is a new group from Sylvan that has the connections in the community. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Head coach Pat Garritty has been involved with the sport in Sylvan Lake for nearly 30 years.

Hand says that experience make Garritty the perfect man to lead the Wranglers.

“He’s been at the helm of the West Central midget AA for a couple of years so we see that as a feeder program into this Wranglers program,” Hand said.

The Wranglers kicked off training camp on the weekend. It will continue throughout the week.

And when the puck drops for real – the Wranglers host the Red Deer Vipers in the club’s home opener on Sept. 22 (7 p.m.) – Hand is confident the stands will be packed with excited hockey fans.

“We’re pretty confident in the support that we’re going to get and, quite frankly, we plan on earning that support,” Hand said.

“It’s going to be an amazing product on the ice, and after this year, everyone is going to see the value in this program from a hockey perspective and from and exposure and partnership perspective.”