CALGARY, AB — Washington state will have yet another professional hockey franchise beginning in the fall.
In an announcement Friday, the Western Hockey League (WHL) said the Winnipeg Ice had been sold to David White and the team will relocate to Wenatchee, beginning with the 2023-24 season.
White of the California-based Shoot The Puck Foundation becomes the new owner of the franchise. White and the Shoot The Puck already own the Wenatchee Wild, which plays in the British Columbia Hockey League.
The Wenatchee franchise becomes the sixth U.S.-based WHL team and will play in the U.S. Division and Western Conference. The U.S. Division already features western Washington's Everett Silvertips and Seattle Thunderbirds, as well as the Portland Winterhawks, Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans.
"Unfortunately, multiple attempts by the Ice ownership to construct an arena facility of acceptable WHL standards in Winnipeg, based on the agreed upon timeframes, were unsuccessful, leading to the relocation to Wenatchee," said the league's statement explaining the sale. "The Western Hockey League would like to thank the Winnipeg Ice fans for their support and the Ice organization for building a highly successful hockey program that we expect will have a great future in Washington State."
The former owner of the Winnipeg Ice released a statement on the team's Twitter account following the announcement.
The WHL is among the world's best junior hockey leagues, consisting of 16 Canadian teams, as well as the U.S. Division mentioned above.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington.
