Being part of the 100 Mile House Wranglers is more than just playing a few games every week.
It also requires hours of training, solid team chemistry and mental focus from every player on the team. Spending this time together is what forges players like goalie Ivan Tolsma, defencemen Trent Thiessen and Ethan Hofstrand into an effective team.
“It’s like a big family, basically, you only get once a year and then there’s a new one the next year,” Hofstrand explained. “I feel it’s good to get us all together so we’re not divided in the room. It gives us chemistry on the ice and you feel confident with each other.”
Hofstrand, Tolsma and Thiessen have all been playing hockey for most of their lives. Now all 18, the trio agree that trusting their teammates is one of the most critical parts of playing hockey.
“Games are fun obviously but the brotherhood we form is great,” Tolsma said. “It’s a bunch of guys you have things in common with and we just get along and mess around with.”
To build that trust the Wranglers do all their training and much of their leisure activities together.
The Wranglers typically start off each day with practice from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. On Mondays and Wednesdays, they follow that up with a spin class in the evenings at Action Fitness to keep themselves in condition.
On Tuesdays, they go through boot camp which Thiessen describes as a “full body workout.” They’ll do arm exercises, core exercises, weight lifting and stretching.
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“It’s pretty typical. Most teams I’ve been on we workout once a day or have some kind of stretch, just to keep the body moving until games,” Hofstrand said.
Throughout the week the Wranglers will also volunteer their time in both an organized and informal manner. Sometimes Hofstrand said they’ll visit local schools and volunteer at FreshCo while others help out with 100 Mile Minor Hockey teams, passing on their experience to their billet family’s children.
“It’s a lot of community engagement and working out and if not that, then we’re hanging out with each other,” Thiessen said.
As new players come into the team Hofstrand does his best to bring them out of their shells and integrate them into the group. Including them in group activities and employing some friendly chirping are Hofstrand’s favoured methods.
Tolsma remarked that in addition to the discipline imposed by head coach Dale Hladun, the Wranglers also hold their own court off-ice. Whenever one of them messes up in some way they’ll be fined $2 that will be put into a team jar.
Thanks to KIJHL’s partnership with FloHockey every game the Wranglers play is recorded. After a game, Thiessen said they’ll be sent their game clips which they can review to learn from their mistakes and successes.
“It tracks every player’s shifts so we can click on our name and just watch our shifts. We’ll even see our in-depth stats,” Thiessen said, remarking the videos can give him a better idea of how much time he has to make key plays.
Hofstrand and other players will sit down before games and discuss their plans so they can correct any “mental mistakes.” Tolsma especially tries to do this, giving advice to his fellow players both off and on the ice. Thiessen explained that a “silent goalie” isn’t fun to play with and he appreciates Tolsma’s voice.
Immediately after a game, the Wranglers do a group stretch and share a meal. Hofstrand said his billet family will often make a home-cooked meal they’ll warm up in a crockpot to eat right in the dressing room.
“We eat right away after we get undressed. It helps because your metabolism is at its peak right after games. It’s best to eat right then and there,” Hofstrand said.
Maintaining physical health is a team effort. The Wranglers ensure they get plenty of sleep, to avoid getting sick. If a few players get sick and they have an away game pretty soon the entire team can get sick, which almost guarantees a loss.
“Lack of sleep will get ya by Friday when the games come down,” Thiessen observed. “Then you get sick and the whole team gets sick, and you’re screwed.”
Staying comfortable while on the bus is also important for the team. Thiessen likes to bring along a pillow so he can take a nap. Hofstrand observed that a lot of the younger players have taken to playing cribbage on the bus while the older veterans enjoy a few hands of poker “to keep the mind moving.”
After the weekend’s games, Sunday tends to be when the Wranglers relax and take a break. Thiessen, Hofstrand and Tolsma all like getting together with other players to play video games and just decompress during their downtime. Hofstrand remarked he’s a big nap guy and enjoys using a massage gun to keep his muscles limber.
While this season has been challenging, they all agree that playing for the team has been the most fun they’ve had in hockey. With the KIJHL upgrading to a Junior A League this year they said the competition is growing more intense.
“I just love to compete in hockey. It fires me up,” Hofstrand said. “There’s nothing like Junior Hockey. Last year when we made the playoffs it was the most fun I’ve ever had and that’s the goal this year again, to make it and hopefully go deeper.
“We’ve had a tough start which none of us really liked but now we’re starting to rebound.”
