The 2003-04 Las Vegas Wranglers season was the Las Vegas Wranglers' inaugural season in the ECHL. The West Coast Hockey League had originally awarded an expansion franchise to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1999 were supposed to start play in the 2000-01 WCHL season, but were unable to find a home arena until signing a deal with The Orleans Hotel and Casino to play in their new arena that they were in the process of constructing in 2003. During the 2002-03 WCHL season, the league announced that it would be folding but six of their current franchises (Anchorage, Bakersfield, Fresno, Idaho, Long Beach, and San Diego) and three of their expansion franchises (Las Vegas, Ontario, CA, and Reno) were approved for membership, with all but the Ontario and Reno franchises to take the ice during the upcoming 2