After a couple years of relocation speculation, the Western Hockey League announced the sale of the Ice franchise on Friday. The team will move to Wenatchee, Washington where they'll become the Wenatchee Wild, replacing the city's existing BCHL team.
The Ice moved from Cranbrook, BC to Winnipeg in 2019 on the promise of a major junior sized arena being built in the Manitoba capital's suburbs. No solid agreements were ever reached on a new rink and shovels were never close to being put in the ground. After four seasons of playing at the University of Manitoba's 1,600-seat rink, the Ice have been sold and are moving back to the Pacific time zone.
— Winnipeg ICE (@WHLWpgICE) June 16, 2023
The entire situation is likely a cautionary tale for all three CHL circuits: it's probably best not to relocate a team unless a suitable rink is already built or shovels are in the ground.
The Wenatchee WHL franchise will play out of the Town Toyota Center, a 4,300-seat facility that opened in 2008. Wenatchee is located between Seattle and Spokane and north of Kennewick (where Tri-City plays), making the team a natural fit in the league's American division.
While the Ice could never get things sorted off the ice, they were quite successful on it. The team has had back-to-back 50-win seasons and lost to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL final this year. They have some pieces returning but are likely in for a long rebuild at some point due to a lack of draft picks.
The Wenatchee Wild and OHL's Brantford Bulldogs (formerly the Hamilton Bulldogs) will be the only CHL teams in new homes in 2023-24.
A few other news and notes...
- While Winnipeg's Wayne Fleming Arena made for a unique major junior experience (it was truly the Mullett Arena of the CHL), it certainly wasn't close to being a suitable WHL venue even with renovations. The University of Manitoba gets a nice U Sports facility out of all of this, at least.
- It's perhaps a good time for the Wild to leave the BCHL and join the WHL given some of the uncertainty surrounding the BCHL's decision to become an "outlaw league."
- Speaking of relocation rumours, there seemed to be no real news or updates on the future of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at last weekend's QMJHL Entry Draft which... is good news?
- Danny Dupont has been named the new general manager of the Rimouski Oceanic.
- Simon Gagne has been named the new general manager of the Quebec Remparts, replacing Patrick Roy. The team has not named a new head coach yet.
- Zachary Boudreau of the Moncton Flyers was taken first overall by the West Kent Steamers in this year's MHL Draft.
- While there are no direct Saint John Sea Dogs connections on the Stanley Cup Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, let us never forget that Jack Eichel was a 10th-round pick of Saint John in the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft.
- The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in their sixth season much like the Sea Dogs won the Memorial Cup in their sixth.
- Former Remparts president Jacques Tanguay told media recently that he'd be interested in helping Quebec City's Laval University add U Sports hockey. The Universite du Quebec Chicoutimi, meanwhile, could add hockey in 2025.
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