Wranglers begin building team

Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2003 | 9:10 a.m.

Las Vegas Wranglers coach and general manager Glen Gulutzan has been staring at a list of about a dozen young hockey players for more than a month.

Late Tuesday afternoon, he sounded eager to begin calling each of them after receiving word that the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players' Association had agreed on a new three-year contract.

"We're going to start moving forward right away," Gulutzan said. "And we'll release their names as soon as we can."

The PHPA went on strike Aug. 22, three months after the last pact had expired, to force the ECHL into negotiations for a better deal. Those talks did not progress until about 10 days ago.

Gulutzan, 32, had been a player-assistant coach in Fresno, helping the Falcons win the West Coast Hockey League's Taylor Cup two years ago and finishing a victory away from defending that title last season.

As of Tuesday afternoon, he could begin acquiring players.

"I kind of knew they'd get it done," Gulutzan said of the contract talks. "I'll try to nail down those (aforementioned dozen) first and go from there."

He has been logging 8 a.m.-to-midnight workdays, which will only increase with the season opener a bit more than two weeks away, at Idaho, on Oct. 17. The Wranglers make their Orleans Arena debut Oct. 21, against Bakersfield.

By the end of the week, Gulutzan said he hopes to have a full roster. Saturday, he's planning to have a free skate at the Orleans. Sunday, the main training camp will commence and Gulutzan invited the public to attend every practice.

"It's all open," Gulutzan said. "It's a community team. We want to see people out there. I don't know if Orleans (officials) will close it, but I doubt it. Me? No. It's wide open."