Valley officially home of Junior A hockey

June 3, 2005

JEREMIAH BARTZ/Frontiersman sports editor

WASILLA - It's official. Junior hockey is returning to the Mat-Su Valley.

Earlier this week, the North American Hockey League approved the move of the Springfield (Mo.) Spirit to the Valley.

"It's a done deal as far as the league is concerned," Jack Tragis said. "Now, the work has started."

Tragis, the president of Alaska's other NAHL team, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, was instrumental in bringing a second Junior A squad to the 49th state. Tragis will represent the ownership in Alaska and act as the team's operating manager for, at least, the near future.

Also, for at least the near future, the club will be called the Mat-Su Spirit. Tragis said the name is not a final decision, but will be used on, at least, a trial basis.

Originally, the league's board of governors were set to vote on the potential move of the Spirit to Alaska in a meeting on June 7.

"We asked for it to be done as quick as possible," Tragis said. "We have so many things that need to get done, and had reached a work stoppage."

Tragis said the organization had a difficult time recruiting and fund raising for a team that could possibly play its games next season in the Valley.

To meet the team's needs, the league held a teleconference call to seek approval of the move.

Now that the approval is official, the club is moving forward.

The organization will sign a lease with the Wasilla Multi-Use Sports Complex next week, Tragis said, and the Spirit will play all of their home games next season at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena.

The coaching and management staff is also official, Tragis said. Former University of Alaska Anchorage and Anchorage Aces star Dean Larson is the head coach and assistant general manager. Former National League Hockey forward Corey Millen is the team's general manager and assistant coach. Another former Aces standout, Steve MacSwain, will help with player development.

Tragis, who has another leader of the Alaska hockey community, Rob Proffit, running the Ice Dogs, is thrilled to have found three coaches with great experience and reputation to make up the Spirit staff.

"Rob is a super guy and super coach, but I wish we had three guys like that in Fairbanks," Tragis said.

With the staff complete, the Spirit has began to make the abundance of preparations needed before the team can drop the puck in September.

"It's like taking a drink out of a fire hose," Tragis said.

fund raising and filling the roster are the top priorities, Tragis said.

The club hosts its first player camp on June 16 at the Palmer Ice Arena.

The Spirit is the first Junior hockey team to take the ice in the Valley since the Alaska Sinbad Sailors of Mat-Su Junior B squad folded in 2000.

The Spirit have already tendered contracts to a group of Alaska players. Late last month, Mat-Su signed former Houston High School star Wade Williams, and have invited Williams' brother Jake, a Junior B player with the Dubuque Thunderbirds, to the team's first camp. In addition to Wade Williams, the Valley squad also tendered contracts to Dimond High School goaltender Spencer Alvarez, West High forwards Geoff Mies and Neil Walsky and West defenseman Jonathon Smith. They also drafted Dimond defenseman Arnie Krogh.