Wranglers face familiar foe, former leader

Nick Christensen

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2005 | 9:22 a.m.

The last time Chris Kenady led the Ice Dogs in points, life in Long Beach wasn't nearly this good.

Then a 28-year-old center for the then-WCHL franchise, Kenady scored 35 points with 34 assists in 68 games, leading the Ice Dogs in points in the last year that team made a postseason appearance.

That's a good omen for the Ice Dogs, who have the second-best record in the ECHL thanks in part to Kenady's 43 points in 46 games. The Ice Dogs play the Las Vegas Wranglers tonight at the Orleans Arena.

Now 31, Kenady has the game-winning goal in seven of Long Beach's 29 wins.

Not bad for a guy on the brink of retirement a year and a half ago.

"I wasn't going to play, the situation in Long Beach wasn't what I thought it was going to be or what I wanted to be," he said. "I didn't know what was going on."

He'd been traded to Fresno during the 2003 season, his wife still working in Southern California after he'd had 30 points in 32 games.

Instead of hanging up the skates for good, Kenady found an ideal situation in Las Vegas, an expansion team heavy on older players.

"It got me rejuvenated and back into hockey," he said. "It's always nice because, when you get older, people said 'Oh, he's lost it, he should retire, he's too old to play.' The fact is you can still go out and produce."

Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan said he could tell Kenady wasn't ready to quit just yet.

"The difference between Chris Kenady and other guys that are thinking about retiring, Chris Kenady keeps himself in good condition, he's a good player," Gulutzan said. "The most important aspect of Chris Kenady, he's a real competitor. You don't lose your competitive edge, you're still going to compete and be successful."

He turned out to be a vital part of Las Vegas' playoff run last year, leading the Wranglers in goals and finishing second in points while playing all but one game.

The Ice Dogs parted ways last summer with then-coach Kevin Kaminski, bringing on Malcolm Cameron and a talented group of younger players, and bringing back Kenady to lead the way.

He's led them to the top of the scrum that is the ECHL West standings and toward what would be the Ice Dogs' first first-place season since the team was in the International Hockey League in 1997.

"With a new coach coming in, you never know what's going to happen when a team was that bad one year," Kenady said. "Bringing in all new personnel, you've got to get everybody working under the same page. I had a feeling we'd be good, but I don't think anybody thought we'd have the success we have right now."

Long Beach put together a 12-5-1 January run, highlighted by Marco Rosa's plus-17 plus-minus rating with 21 points. Even though seven of those games were the other part of Victoria's now 22-game losing streak, it was still enough to propel the Ice Dogs to the top.

In the process, Kenady is helping the young Long Beach lineup learn the ropes. Only three Ice Dogs are older than 25.

"It's different because the young guys, they're so naive they don't really know what's going on," Kenady said. "As long as they're good students of the game, it makes it fun to kind of teach them and show them the ropes, and hopefully see them go to the next level. It keeps the old guys young."

And back with his wife where he's had his best hockey days, Kenady is sounding like he may just stick around a little longer.

"They bring new life to it. When everyone else is excited, it's hard not to be excited," he said. "It's a great game. If you think about it, there's good times and bad times - why would you want to quit when you don't have to?"

A 79-game veteran of the NHL, Bonsignore has had only one season in the past six years in which he played more than 30 games, compiling 21 points and a -13 rating in 37 games with Springfield of the AHL.

"I think he's a guy that can play center; he's a skilled centerman for us," said Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan. "Playing with Dustin Johner and Shawn Limpright, hopefully he can help those two create some offense."