Wranglers will continue to feed the Flames

By Rob Miech

Wednesday, June 14, 2006 | 7:14 a.m.

The Las Vegas Wranglers can expect to remain a minor league franchise of the Calgary Flames.

The National Hockey League team began its affiliation with the Wranglers when the team formed three years ago. Las Vegas is part of the ECHL, considered the Double-A level of minor-league hockey.

The deal between the Wranglers and Flames expires July 1, and both parties expect its extension to be a mere formality.

"We're pretty happy with the setup," said Ken King, the former newspaper executive who has been the Flames president and chief executive since 2001. "We'll kind of look it over before we make a decision, but I think our program will be pretty much the same."

King said he has talked with Darryl Sutter, the Flames coach and general manager.

"He sounded pretty satisfied with the way things are with Las Vegas," King said. "They are the way we hoped they would be and should be. I'm not trying to be cute. You can never anticipate there won't be any (surprises).

"But we don't anticipate any."

Don't be surprised if King replaces Sutter, who played for Chicago for eight seasons, as Calgary's coach this summer. That way, Sutter could concentrate on his GM duties.

The junior Flames

Wranglers coach and general manager Glen Gulutzan said he and team President Billy Johnson are happy to be part of the Flames organization.

As part of the contract, the Wranglers stock their roster with up to five players from Calgary's system. That figure might be the only alteration in the new pact.

"I don't see any problems with it," Gulutzan said. "Player personnel changes could affect us, somewhat ... but I don't think they're not happy with the situation."

King said the Wranglers' main charge is to develop talent for Omaha, Neb., where the Flames have an American Hockey League affiliate, which is the next step before the NHL.

The players are in Las Vegas, instead of Omaha, for a reason, King said.

"There's that developmental aspect to it," he said. "We're happy with it because we continue to do it, but I don't think we've trapped any superstars yet."

So close

One point in the regular season might have made all the difference for the Wranglers in 2005-06.

They finished 53-13-6 (112 points). Alaska ended 53-12-7 (113 points). The Aces defeated Las Vegas in six games in the West Division playoffs, and then beat Fresno in seven games of the National Conference playoffs.

Alaska then won the ECHL's Kelly Cup, taking four out of five games from Gwinnett. The Aces became only the second team in the 18 years of the league to finish with the best record and with the Kelly Cup in the same season.

"No, it wasn't a surprise to me," Gulutzan said. "I figured (the Aces) would win it after they had one heck of a series with Fresno. They're just such a strong hockey team."

As he spends most of the summer scouting and recruiting, Gulutzan said he might think, once or twice, about what his club might have done had it just gotten by Alaska in the playoffs.

"For sure," he said. "I try not to pay too much attention, right? Try to kind of let it go ... but they deserved to win. They played well, and they played all the best teams in the league to get there."

Slap shots

Defenseman and team captain Mike McBain and goalie Marc Magliarditi are two Wranglers who are year-round Las Vegas residents. McBain is mainly working out to prepare for camp in the fall, while Magliarditi is working in real estate ... left wing Matt Dzieduszycki is believed to be washing windows in Canada, possibly on the taller buildings of Calgary ... defenseman Christian Chartier, who applied stucco to homes in Canada last summer, is rehabilitating a hand injury and will remain in town for at least another week.