The Wenatchee Wild played their first season as members of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in the 2023-24 season.
“I think overall, I think we’re very happy,” General Manager Bliss Littler said.
He touched on how they were able to introduce the Western Hockey League to the Wenatchee Valley. Littler thought people were very excited about the level of play as well as the ability for their fans and other fans to travel throughout the US Division and beyond.
“It was nice seeing our fans travel to other buildings, starting to build rivalries with these teams,” Littler said.
As far as the talent went, Littler acknowledged how they were able to a month with Matthew Savoie and about two months Conor Geekie before trading them. In order to build for the future and fill their cupboards up with some draft picks, they had to deal those two. However, with their time in Wenatchee, talked about how people were able to see elite players like them. He said they were able to see what those players bring to the league is pretty special.
While it was tough to lose star players like them, Littler touched on how they knew going in they’d have to make moves to replenish their cupboards with draft picks.
“I thought we did a pretty good job at replenishing the draft picks,” Littler said. “Moving the 20-year-olds at the start of the year or before the start, I thought we started to recover some picks there. Obviously with the Geekie and Savoie deals we recovered a whole bunch and I think with that we were able to also add players to our roster that made us better.”
Littler touched on the defensive side of things noting additions such as Josh Fluker, who he said was arguably one of their top two defensemen once he arrived.
“Sam Ward helped make us better, part of that deal, Maddix McCagherty up front, he’ll be a good middle-six forward in this league,” Littler said. “Besides getting the draft picks, I think it put us in a spot where we won’t be a horrible team next year, that we have a chance to be pretty decent.”
Littler thought they accomplished quite a few things there and noted how along the way they were able to continue to win games throughout the second half of the year. He also noted how the team even held on for home ice in the playoffs, which he didn’t think many people thought would happen.
“Overall, it was a very good season,” Littler said.
Littler had high praise for one player in Graham Sward, who was a key player for the team down the stretch. He noted how he fit in well with head coach Roy Sommer’s system. That system Littler is referring to is how Sommer really lets his players play without a whole bunch of structure.
“That was absolutely perfect for how Graham plays, that he had all kinds of freedom,” Littler said. “Offensively there weren’t too many nights where he wasn’t a difference maker. I’m really happy for what he was able to do on the ice and provide that veteran leadership.”
As far as the coaching staff went, Littler had high praise for head assistant coach Chris Clark and the work he did.
“I think Chris did a great job,” Littler said. “He ran the D and the power play. I think he grew a whole bunch. I think being able to work for about two months with Kevin Constantine you get a world-class education on how to teach hockey. Then when Coach Sommer came in, I think Roy is a world-class person.”
Littler said Sommer’s strength is developing relationships with players. He said Sommer had a much different style than Constantine did.
“I think Chris did a great job learning from two high-end coaches,” Littler said. “I was very happy with where the power play was at.”
He emphasized Sommer’s ability to develop relationships and with that, he gets kids to want to play for him. Littler also emphasized Sommer’s loose play style.
“He wants to defend, but he allows players to make plays,” Littler said. “I think he definitely was awesome, for puck-moving defensemen, I think a lot of those guys, they didn’t worry about turning the puck over, they just tried to make plays and with that, I think some of those guys really grew.”
When it comes to the biggest differences between the major junior and Junior-A ranks, Littler said in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) when you need a player, you can always find one. He said a player may not be happy and you can talk to their agent and you can find a player. Littler said the same thing goes for the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
“If he’s not on your list in the Western Hockey League, it’s tough,” Littler said.
It was evident from Littler that was the biggest adjustment from the Junior-A ranks with everything the CHL comes with as far as certain items provided to players.
“As soon as you sign a kid, you’re giving them education,” Littler said. “Just to bring a player in to take a look at him it’s $10, 12 thousand dollars in education, you’re also taking his NCAA eligibility.”
He talked about how the player has to be a really good person and if you’re not sure about the kids, don’t take their NCAA eligibility away just to have an extra D for that weekend.
“When you make a commitment like that, you’re financially committed to the kid,” Littler said.
With the CHL, he said you’re basically at the top of the mountain of junior hockey. He said you either have to trade for that player in your league or take a younger player from your list and develop them.
Going forward into the future, Littler emphasized how they have a 50-player protected list to work with and how you can’t just go to other leagues and steal their best players. He said kids in the USHL likely already have a scholarship, so they’re most likely not going to give that up to play in the WHL.
Littler hopes Kenta Isogai will be back, but acknowledged that he could turn pro, which is what the WHL is made for. If he goes pro, he said they’ll have to add a big-time player from the import draft.
“We’re going to have to probably do a better job at playing with a little more structure than what we have in the past and developing the players that we do have making the guys that are on our list better,” Littler said. “That’s always the goal is to make those guys better but we’re probably going to have to be a little more accountable in how we play.”
Finding a good European player can be a bit difficult with what goes into scouting and dealing with agents. He explained how you have scouts who are able to see a lot of games and have agents calling saying that their player would be a good fit.
“You just have to do the work and then hope when the draft comes, the players that you want are on the draft board,” Littler said.
When asked where he wants the team to be three to five years from now, Littler said he wants the team to be a destination. He wants players drafted by Wenatchee or traded to Wenatchee to be excited about coming there.
“I’ve always said Wenatchee is a very special place to play,” Littler said.
He touched on the community and the support they get from their fans. He said it can be a real true special place to play.
“When we got the team we looked at it as a four-year plan,” Littler said. “We saw that the team was very top-heavy with 20s, that we’re going to have to trade a lot of 20s. We were extremely loaded with some players as far as at the start you looked at Benson, Geekie, Savoie, at those three knowing that at some point, they’d have to get traded.”
Benson would eventually make the cut at the NHL level with Buffalo and thus not return to Wenatchee. But with that, he again emphasized how they were able to showcase elite talent to their fan base.
“Then we’d have to make some moves to acquire some of those draft picks and build with some more sixes and sevens,” Littler said.
In the short term, Littler said the deal will be to try to acquire some 2007-born players whether through free agency, maybe an unhappy college kid in the portal or flip a kid who at the moment might think he’s going to college and then flip him to the WHL.
However, he made it clear that they understand that’ll be tougher in the next couple of years. But he emphasized they want to be a destination place for players.
Northwest Sports Desk 