School’s in, and Wranglers brass is on the phone

By Ron Kantowski

Monday, Aug. 24, 2009 | 2:56 p.m.

NOW

For the sake of this blog, imagine if Alice Cooper played a concert in your town every year and you could buy season tickets. And when you didn't renew, or were tardy in so doing, your phone rang and it was Alice himself, wondering what the heck was taking you so long and that he and the band were working on a new CD and you should check it out.

That's basically what has been happening to Wranglers season-ticket holders over the past couple of weeks. New head coach and general manager Ryan Mougenel and player development director Keith Primeau -- yes, that Keith Primeau -- have been contacting Wranglers' season ticket holders who have been sitting on the fence to introduce themselves and talk hockey.

Maybe it's not the second coming of Rod Blagojevich Prison Jersey Night when it comes to marketing your product, but it beats another bobblehead cast in Mayor Goodman's likeness.

THEN

The last time I talked to Alice Cooper (which, granted, was a long time ago) he told me to call him Vince (his real name) and asked if I remembered Norm Ullman and Alex Delvecchio.

Got no class, got no principles, got no innocence, can't even think of a word that rhymes.

But he did have an allegiance to the Detroit Red Wings of his youth.