West Michigan Wolves era in NA3HL to begin in 2014-15
April 1, 2014
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) has announced that the Battle Creek Revolution have been rebranded and renamed to the West Michigan Wolves and will continue to play in the NA3HL for the upcoming 2014-15 season.
The Wolves moniker has historical significance as it also served as the name of southwest Michigan’s North American Hockey League (NAHL) franchise that competed during the 1988-89 season before becoming the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings. The new edition of the Wolves will use The Rink in Battle Creek, Michigan as home ice. The colors for the team will be announced in the coming weeks.
A seasoned coach with an extensive resume highlighted by player development, Marc Fakler takes the reins as General Manager and Head Coach of the West Michigan Wolves for the 2014-15 season. He will be in charge of all hockey operations and serve as a governor on behalf of the club on the NA3HL’s Board of Govenors.
“The NA3HL and its brand continues to grow and become more competitive each and every year, so it is a step in the right direction to see this club rebrand and reinvest into the product and community,” said NA3HL President Mark Frankenfeld. “We wish Marc Fakler and the Wolves the best in rebuilding their program.”
“It was time to turn the page and make a fresh start and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to get a person of Marc’s high-end level to guide our team to new heights,” said team Owner Dr. Joseph Burkhardt. “Marc’s ability to recruit and his connections with the professional and collegiate levels of players should help us get the caliber of players we’re looking for, that we need to have in order to be successful in the NA3HL.”
Fakler has a strong familiarity with junior hockey in West Michigan as he most recently led the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings (NAHL) as General Manager/Head Coach from 2010-2013. “I enjoy working with players to prepare them for the next level of play. The NA3HL provides a great training ground for player development and I look forward to putting my personal stamp on this program,” stated Fakler.
In his first season he impressively built the roster of the expansion Jr. K-Wings that finished with a regular season record of 37-19-4, one point out of first place in the NAHL's North Division in 2011-12. Under his guidance the Jr. K-Wings soared to a regular season record of 72-38-10 over its only two seasons. Both seasons the team advanced in the NAHL playoffs and 22 players earned opportunities at NCAA Division I and III collegiate hockey programs. For his efforts, he was selected to coach at the NAHL Top Prospects tournament in both 2012 and 2013.
Fakler was an assistant coach at Western Michigan University from 2006-10. Other coaching stops for Fakler include working as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level with Robert Morris (2004-06) and Wayne State (2002-04). Wayne State captured the College Hockey America Tournament Championship and advanced to the 2003 NCAA Tournament. Fakler also served two seasons as assistant general manager/assistant coach for the Junior A Compuware Ambassadors of the NAHL and assistant coach for the Junior B Grand Rapids Owls of the CSHL (now NA3HL). He helped Compuware capture the 2002 national championship and NAHL Regular Season and Robertson Cup Playoff Championships.
