Pull down to select an ECHL team here. Alaska Aces Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies Augusta Lynx Bakersfield Condors Charlotte Checkers Cincinnati Cyclones Columbia Inferno Columbus Cottonmouths Dayton Bombers Florence Pride Florida Everblades Fresno Falcons Greensboro Generals Greenville Grrrowl Gwinnett Gladiators Idaho Steelheads Johnstown Chiefs Las Vegas Wranglers Long Beach IceDogs Louisiana IceGators Mississippi Sea Wolves Pensacola Ice Pilots Peoria Rivermen Reading Royals Roanoke Express San Diego Gulls South Carolina Stingrays Texas Wildcatters Toledo Storm Trenton Titans Wheeling Nailers

Meet The McBain Brothers
Currently having a blast skating for the ECHL's Las Vegas Wranglers, Jason and Mike McBain are in no hurry to leave Sin City.

By Marc David
MinorLeagueNews.com

02. 24. 04 - Las Vegas, NV – Having experienced life in the National Hockey League, Jason and Mike McBain would both like to be back, though neither obsesses about it.

Nor are the two brothers looking for a call-up to the American Hockey League.

As they toil in relative obscurity for the Las Vegas Wranglers, life in the ECHL is just fine for the McBains.

If this is as good as it gets, so be it.

The duo is on the ice together, for the first time since the days when they were growing up in Kimberley, British Columbia and are happy to be playing for a franchise that appreciates their efforts.

"Jason's best quality as a leader is his desire to win," said Wranglers Head Coach Glen Gulutzan. "He competes every night and that rubs off on the younger guys. He had a chance to go to the AHL (this season) and he decided against it.

"Mike is a guy who never gives anybody a free ride," added Coach Gulutzan. "He's not as flashy as Jason but he's a warrior."

Though they both play defensemen on the same team and the bond they share is very strong, there are some differences between the two brothers.

At 29, Jason is two years older than Mike and is married with three young children, while Mike is single.

As far as playing style, Mike loves to mix things up and shoots with his left hand, whereas Jason is smoother on the ice and shoots with his right hand.

Physically, both weigh in at 210 pounds, but Jason is listed an inch taller at 6-foot-3.

"They're very close," Gulutzan says. "You see them bicker like anyone else, have their brotherly spats. Everyone just sits back and laughs."

Though the sibling's careers started off on unique paths as well, both roads eventually led to Nevada desert.

Now in his 10th professional season, Jason was initially drafted by the Hartford Whalers (now Carolina Hurricanes) in the fourth round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.

Jason never thrived in Whalers uniform and would play in only nine games over the two seasons that he was in Hartford.

He went on to find much more success in the minors, winning titles as a member of the 2001-02 Taylor Cup champion Fresno Falcons in the WCHL, and a member of the 1998-99 Calder Cup champion Providence Bruins in the AHL.

Mike, meanwhile, is in his seventh professional season after being a second-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 64 games with the Lightning between 1997-99, picking up seven points (all on assists).

Though he tasted life in the NHL longer than his older brother, Mike left with a sour taste, feeling he never got the opportunity he deserved.

In fact, after splitting the 2000-01 season between the IHL and AHL, he went to Europe for two years to try and re-kindle his passion for the sport.

"I bumped around to different farm teams," said Mike, who has two goals and 11 assists through 35 games this season. "It was never really a steady life. One of the main reasons I went to Europe for two seasons was to rejuvenate myself. When the opportunity came to play here, I jumped on it."

Even though the brothers do harbor some hopes of returning to the NHL, each has purchased a home and have settled into the Las Vegas community.

Jason, who played during the 1998-99 season with the Las Vegas Thunder of the now defunct IHL, took on an unofficial role last summer as a salesperson for the team, selling younger players on the advantages of being in Sin City.

"It was surprising to me that some of the younger players didn't know how good of a town it is," said Jason, who has eight goals and 20 assists through the first 35 games this season. "I love it here. You never have to sit at home with nothing to do. I wanted to come back. When this opportunity came up, I jumped on it."

"I've played long enough that it is not a prestige thing to play in the AHL," Jason continued. "I played seven years there. I'd rather be some place where I am happy. Here, I'm happy."

So what would happen if an NHL team came calling?

"If an NHL team signs me and says I'll play, I will go," Mike says. "But as far as that crap about being told one thing and then not playing, that's not for me."

"This is not so much a straightforward business," Jason added. "They tell you what you want to hear. They're keeping that carrot in front of you. I don't need that. I'm almost 30. I would rather be where I want to be, where I am wanted."

Gulutzan feels both McBains could be playing in the NHL, though he is more than happy by their presence on the Wrangler's squad.

Consequently, the brothers have embraced the leadership role that has been thrust upon them because of their experience and abilities.

"With the veteran role we have, I enjoy being around the young guys," Mike said. "It's a good change. I can razz these guys and they don't give it back. When I was younger, I was the one receiving it."

"This is a lot of fun," Jason said. "The young guys bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm."

Despite their status as an expansion franchise, the Wranglers have been among the leaders in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference all season. That comes as no surprise to Jason.

"Glen did a good job of bringing in quality guys," Jason stated.

That includes the McBain brothers, who still enjoy taking their shots even if it is a far cry from the NHL.