The Amarillo Wranglers are an absolute mystery. Scouts don’t understand what is going on, fans don’t understand what is going on, and it looks like the team does not know what it is doing, or how to fix the wheels on the bus.
The Amarillo Wranglers started the season winning six games straight. They looked like an absolute powerhouse that not only had talent, but they had depth.
Since that hot start to the season, Amarillo has only won one game out of its last six games. While some might say this is simply a chance occurrence, history would say otherwise.
In the 2021-2022 season the Amarillo Wranglers started out fast as well going 17 and 4 over the first 21 games. Once again, they were seen as being one of the top teams in the NAHL that had talent and depth.
But when December of 2021 came around, the wheels fell of the Amarillo Wranglers and nearly everyone in the hockey world was scratching their heads as to why.
Finishing the 2021-2022 season with a run of 11 wins and 28 losses, was not the way anyone in the hockey business would have guessed Amarillo could have ended the season.
There are only a few players on this year’s team that were on last year’s team. With so much roster change over it is impossible for it to be a returning player issue.
On paper, and with advanced scouting, Amarillo should be in the top four or five teams in the NAHL this season and last season. Size, skill, skating and hockey IQ are all present within the players assembled.
Predictable is also what can be seen. The game plan is simply predictable and in game adjustments almost never happen. The competition has got this figured out and it is the primary reason this team starts out hot and then cools off in successive years.
A roster loaded with talent that was getting a lot of attention at the Blaine showcase from scouts is now not getting the looks it should be getting. In the end it’s all about production, and how you use the assets you have at your disposal.
With so much talent in the stable, maybe it’s time the Wranglers let the horses out of the barn.
