When the Ice were in Cranbrook I remember thinking that this should of been done there. As much as most of us hate to admit it Wenatchee is a hockey town. They will have no issue supporting the WHL. Idaho Falls could be next on the list of places a team could go down there. But anyway.
The Western Hockey League (WHL) has announced the sale and relocation of the Winnipeg ICE franchise to Wenatchee, Washington. The team will now operate under the new ownership of David White, who is associated with the California-based Shoot the Puck Foundation. The WHL Board of Governors has approved the sale and relocation, and it will be effective immediately. This move will make Wenatchee the sixth U.S.-based team in the WHL and a part of the league’s U.S. Division and Western Conference for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
The decision to relocate the Winnipeg franchise stems from the inability of the ICE ownership to construct a WHL-standard arena facility within the agreed-upon timeframes in Winnipeg. Despite their success in building a highly successful hockey program, the ICE ownership faced challenges in meeting the WHL’s requirements, leading to the relocation to Wenatchee.
The WHL expresses its gratitude to the Winnipeg ICE fans for their support and acknowledges the ICE organization’s accomplishments, foreseeing a promising future for the team in Washington State.
Previously known as the Kootenay Ice, the franchise moved from Cranbrook, British Columbia, to Winnipeg in 2019. The team played its home games at the Wayne Fleming Arena on the University of Manitoba campus. In their final season in Winnipeg, the Ice reached the WHL final but fell short against the Seattle Thunderbirds. As the franchise moves to Wenatchee, it will be rebranded as the Wenatchee Wild.
David White, the new owner of the franchise, also owns the BCHL’s Wenatchee Wild. Following the relocation, the BCHL released a statement confirming that the Wenatchee Wild would no longer be playing in Wenatchee. The BCHL, which recently became an independent league separate from Hockey Canada, is evaluating options for players on the Wild’s roster and addressing schedule implications for the 2023-24 season. Although I have heard many rumors the team will just stop existing. Which sucks for the players. Should move the team to Quesnel? Remember the Millionaires🤔🤔
Considering the proximity of the Wenatchee Wild and the potential challenges of hosting two junior teams in a city with a population of 33,000, the BCHL’s decision to find an alternative for the Wenatchee franchise is not only understandable but common sense. Meanwhile, the WHL’s addition of the Wenatchee team will necessitate a schedule revamp, impacting the upcoming season for the Western Conference.
While there have been rumors about the WHL potentially returning to Chilliwack and replacing the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs, the owner of the Chiefs, has consistently refuted such speculation. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold. Which is mind boggling to an extent it doesn’t.
The sale and relocation of the Winnipeg ICE franchise to Wenatchee will enable the WHL to achieve conference balance, with 11 member clubs in both the Western and Eastern Conferences starting from the next season. T