Report: WHL’s Winnipeg Ice sold, relocating to Wenatchee, Washington

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Western Hockey League’s Winnipeg Ice has been sold to David White and will be moving to Wenatchee, Washington State, for the 2023-24 season. White also owns the Wenatchee Wild, which plays in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).

Rumours swirled around the Memorial Cup in Kamloops a couple of weeks back about the potential relocation of the Ice, all eyes were on Chilliwack at the time, but an ownership group from Washington State has bought the club, and the Ice are officially headed south.

The Ice were initially from Edmonton and started as a WHL franchise in 1996, but in 1998 they relocated and began playing their home games in Cranbrook, British Columbia. The Ice won the WHL championship and Memorial Cup in 2002 and also won WHL titles in 2000 and 2011.

In 2019-20, the Ice once again was sold and, this time, relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba. They played out of the Wayne Fleming Arena at the University of Manitoba. Part of the condition of the sale and relocation of the team from Cranbrook was to get a new arena, but that did not happen. In four seasons in Winnipeg, the Ice compiled a 166-49-8 record, including a 57-10-1 record last season and an appearance in the WHL Final. They have been loaded with talent in recent years that, include first-round picks Matthew Savoie (Buffalo Sabres), Conor Geekie (Arizona Coyotes) and 2023 top prospect Zach Benson.

It is assumed the Wenatchee team will play in the U.S. Division of the WHL alongside the Everett Silvertips, Portland Winterhawks, Seattle Thunderbirds, Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans. There is no word of whether or not a name change will be applied or if the new ownership group stays with the “Ice” name.