ECHL final has links to Thunder - Stockton Record

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Former Thunder assistant coach Ryan Mougenel has the Las Vegas Wranglers playing for the ECHL title.Courtesy

May 14, 2012 12:00 AM

Ryan Mougenel is hoping to hit the hockey jackpot in Las Vegas.

The former Stockton Thunder assistant coach took over the Las Vegas Wranglers three seasons ago and has his team in the ECHL Kelly Cup Finals against the Florida Everblades. The best-of-seven championship series begins at 7:05 p.m. today at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Mougenel has built a winner in Vegas with a roster that includes former Thunder players Judd Blackwater, Geoff Paukovich and enforcer Adam Huxley, and Florida forward Matt Marquardt also played for Stockton. The Wranglers beat Utah, Idaho and the defending Kelly Cup champion Alaska Aces to claim the Western Conference title and advance to the finals.

"It's very exciting to have a chance to bring a championship to Las Vegas, and one thing you have to have is a little luck," Mougenel said. "I think we've been very fortunate to get bodies back from injuries and from (American Hockey League) call-ups. We've come together, and we've been playing very well."

Mougenel, 36, played six years in the ECHL and AHL as a forward and spent four seasons as an assistant under current Thunder coach Matt Thomas, mostly with the defunct Fresno Falcons and with Stockton in 2008-09.

He credits Thomas for renewing his passion for the sport and for honing his coaching skills.

"I had a hard time after I retired appreciating the game, and one of the things Matty taught me was to love the game again," Mougenel said. "He's been a great friend and a great mentor in many ways."

The Thunder was eliminated in the second round in five games by Alaska, and Thomas is rooting for his friends.

"We're best buddies. Obviously you want to win, but if you aren't going to win, you would like to see your friends do it," Thomas said. "This is a credit to how hard Moog really has worked. He's done a great job of creating a good cultural there."

The Wranglers do not have an NHL affiliation, but Mougenel said he doesn't really need one because Las Vegas is an easy sell to prospective players.

"It definitely is an advantage because we reap the benefits of young players who want to play in Las Vegas," Mougenel said. "But it can be a slippery slope. I learned from my first year to my second to look for guys that want to play here but also are real serious about the game and want to win."

The Wranglers and Everblades did not meet in the regular season, but Mougenel has been busily building a scouting report.

"For coaches, that's what video is for," Mougenel said. "We'll look at some tendencies, and I'll talk to some coaches I know."

Contact reporter Scott Linesburgh at (209) 546-8281 or slinesburgh@recordnet.com.

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