The 2022-23 WHL Conference Champions Winnipeg ICE announce it’s sale to Darren White, owner of Wenatchee Wild (BCHL) and subsequent relocation to Wenatchee, Washington. The move follows their failure to construct a new arena as proposed in the earlier relocation from Cranbrook, BC in 2018.
The team made WHL debut as Edmonton Ice in 1996 where they played for two seasons before relocating to Cranbrook in British Columbia. Renamed as Kootenay Ice and recieved major sucess include three championships. In 2017, Chynoweth Family sold Kootenay Ice to Winnipeg-based “50 Below Sports and Entertainment” and eventually mved to Winnipeg in 2019. Also Read: Avalanche leads the 2024 Stanley Cup Odds, Two Canadian Outfits Follow Avs
One of the clauses in the 2017 sale was the construction of a brand new arena to host the game in Winnipeg. However, the requirement never saw the light of the day as the owners failed to meet the said requirements. They had been playing at the Wayne Fleming Arena at the University of Manitoba Campus, a possibility which have died down since.
In the years of Winnipeg Ice, They have made big moves and played very dangerously. Managing less than 20 losses in the last two seasons, Winnipeg ICE have had a good run. They made Conference finals in both 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, eventually qualifying for the unfortunate finals in 2024. Amidst the Winnipeg ICE moving to Wenatchee, It also marks the possible end of Wenatchee Wild who are playing in BCHL, whose moniker might bleed to the new relocating team.
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