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Wranglers hire Stockton assistant to replace Gulutzan
Ryan Mougenel set to become second head coach in Las Vegas franchise history
Courtesy Las Vegas Wranglers
Newly hired Las Vegas Wranglers head coach and general manager Ryan Mougenel (left) is seen here instructing his former team, the Stockton Thunder.
Published Thursday, June 25, 2009 | 11:36 a.m.
Updated Thursday, June 25, 2009 | 3:25 p.m.
Former Stockton Thunder assistant coach Ryan Mougenel shouts on the bench during last season. Mougenel was recently hired to replace Wranglers head coach and general manager Glen Gulutzan.
Hockey Talk
Welcoming the new coach
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Las Vegas Sun reporters Steve Silver and Ray Brewer analyze the Las Vegas Wranglers' newest hire, head coach and general manager Ryan Mougenel.
The Las Vegas Wranglers new head coach and general manager Ryan Mougenel.
Expanded hockey coverage
The wait is over.
The Las Vegas Wranglers have hired former Fresno Falcons and Stockton Thunder assistant Ryan Mougenel to replace outgoing head coach and general manager Glen Gulutzan.
The Wranglers have scheduled a press conference to introduce Mougenel as the second coach in franchise history on Tuesday at 11 a.m. inside the Orleans Arena. Team owner Charles Davenport and president Billy Johnson will be on hand Tuesday to discuss the search process for Gulutzan's replacement.
"Obviously it's a great opportunity for myself and I'm very excited about joining this team and the city of Las Vegas," Mougenel said from Montreal, where he is currently scouting players at the NHL Draft.. "Taking over the program Glen Gulutzan has built over the years leaves me big shoes to fill, but it's also a big opportunity and I think it will be a great tool for recruiting the best talent to the Wranglers."
Mougenel, a 33-year-old Scarborough, Ontario native, entered coaching in 2005 as an assistant with the Fresno Falcons under Matt Thomas. That 2005-06 season was the final year that Davenport owned the Falcons.
Shortly after the franchise folded due to financial instability last season, Stockton hired Thomas in December of 2008. Thomas brought Mougenel with him to finish the 2008-09 season in Stockton. The Wranglers knocked the Thunder out of the playoffs this season in seventh game of the Pacific Division finals.
"I think Las Vegas is a hockey town," Mougenel said. "I have a past relationship with (Davenport) and from talking to him I know that the Wranglers' fans have a lot of passion. They expect a winner and so do I. The team I’m going to build is going to be exciting for the fans. I’m going to build it on speed. We are going to go North to South and play fast hockey.
After six largely successful years with the Wranglers, Gulutzan accepted a promotion to the American Hockey League to be the head coach of the Texas Stars, an affiliate of the NHL's Dallas Stars.
Mougenel will now inherit a team that has made the playoffs four consecutive years, including five of the last six seasons.
"Coming into a culture of winning is always a little easier than having to create something from scratch," said Mougenel, who plans to hold a transitional meeting with Gulutzan this weekend.
As a player, Mougenel bounced around various leagues and cities in a 10-year career. He spent four years in the Ontario Hockey League before turning professional. He reached the AHL with the Rochester American in 1999-2000 and in the same season made a brief stint with Team Canada.
In five seasons in the ECHL, Mougenel played for the now defunct Hampton Roads, Chesapeake, Jackson and Atlantic City franchises. He won the Kelly Cup with Atlantic City in 2002-03 prior to retiring as a player.
Now, Mougenel hopes to win another Kelly Cup -- this time from behind the bench.
"Absolutely, that is 100 percent my goal," Mougenel said. "I know of all of Gulutzan's successes he wishes he could have won the Kelly Cup. I think the Wranglers are capable of winning a championship and that's what I intend to do."
Along with former NHLer’s Wayne and Keith Primeau, Mougenel is owner and operator of the Durham Hockey Institute, a hockey school in the Toronto area. He is also a part owner of the Durham Fury, a member of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League (OPJHL).
Steve Silver can be reached at 948-7822 or steve.silver@lasvegassun.com
Discussion: 12 comments so far…
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Saw him play in Atlantic City. He's a scrapper. He should do a great job.....
Glad to see that no time was wasted in finding a replacement(though in my opinion no one can replace Gully).
I hope the transition goes smoothly, for the new coach,for the returning players and new players of the Wranglers.
Good luck to Gully and good luck to Coach Mougenel.
Go Wranglers!!!
So far it seems like Gully is doing everything he can to help Mougenel in the transition.
I imagine this will be a high-scoring, offensive-minded team. Probably not a lot of brawlers.
I've seen Moug coach alongside Matt Thomas with our Falcons, and with the Thunder. Las Vegas is getting one heck of a coach. Moug is a defensive mastermind, so I expect the LV defense is going to be tough. It's going to be interesting watching LV and Stockton play against each other!
I said when Gulutzan left that I was sure that Davenport would've wanted to pick up Matt Thomas as the team's next coach after how Fresno started and how he made Stockton into a good team after taking over mid-season. Unfortunately for Davenport, Thomas had already signed an extension with Stockton so why not go with his right hand man?
srwilder I hope you're right about him being a defensive mastermind, b/c the Wranglers defense last year was very inconsistent (I think it was more b/c of McBain coaching them instead of their youth) and I too can't wait to see the Wranglers and Stockton to play each other as they are becoming our third biggest rival behind Alaska and Idaho, especially of the past two playoff series we've played against them (Stockton).
Now Moug has six days to get ready for the free agency period. Hopefully he can keep a good core of our guys and pick up some veterans, maybe Kimbi Daniels since Phoenix folded (yeah he's old, 36 to be exact, but he can produce points and would be a good veteran for the 23-24 year olds we will likely sign in the offseason).
Steve have you heard anything about Calgary extending the affiliation with the Wranglers? So far we've been their most stable minor league affiliate.
Segelrj, all I can say right now is watch out for many changes in the near future for the Wranglers. Front office moves, expiring lease with the Orleans Arena, financial problems, etc.
I do not think the Flames would pull their affiliation, but Calgary did already move the AHL squad from Quad City to Abbotsford. I actually think that only solidifies Las Vegas' place with the Flames, however, since the ECHL and AHL teams are now both near the West coast.
Steve, I thought the Wranglers just signed a new lease with the Orleans this past year. Am I wrong?
Vagman, the Wranglers have two years left on their lease and a three-year option after that.
Hopefully the post-Gulutzan Wranglers don't lose any love for the Alaska Aces and their fans in this deal.
And if Mougenel is going to build a Wrangler team on speed, Kimbi Daniels is NOT your man.
Steve, you know about financial problems and what their next staff moves? Why would say the Flames would pull their affiliation? From what I saw the Flames have never helped them with talent so why wouldnt it be the other way around? Are you holding out on us? Tell us more!
All I know is nothing is going to change for this upcoming season other than obviously the coaching staff and radio broadcasts. After that, I'm not too sure.
I'm not a math genius, but an average of 3,470 fans in the playoffs and 4,621 fans in the regular season can't sustain a team for too long. The Wranglers were 11th in attendance in the ECHL last season. That shouldn't happen in a major city like Las Vegas...especially when the team is one of the must successful in the city. When is the last time UNLV or the 51s have made deep postseason runs?