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OT: Winnipeg ICE sold - Moving to Wenatchee, Washington renamed Wenatchee Wild

Yeah have to figure out where the fine came from. Maybe in by-laws that league can do that but also should be voted on by governors. Can’t imagine they’d levy the fine as there is no market/owner waiting in the wings like there was previously with Lethbridge and Kootenay when they were struggling.

As long as the ICE owners are willing to eat the loss I’m not sure why the WHL (meaning the other teams) would care. If nothing else Winnipeg stops give their teams easier exposure to scouts/NHL GMs (along with Calgary/Edmonton) which is a selling feature.
 
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BigZ65 said:
Yeah have to figure out where the fine came from. Maybe in by-laws that league can do that but also should be voted on by governors. Can’t imagine they’d levy the fine as there is no market/owner waiting in the wings like there was previously with Lethbridge and Kootenay when they were struggling.

As long as the ICE owners are willing to eat the loss I’m not sure why the WHL (meaning the other teams) would care. If nothing else Winnipeg stops give their teams easier exposure to scouts/NHL GMs (along with Calgary/Edmonton) which is a selling feature.
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That last part is what I found confusing too. I get that Wayne Fleming Arena is not a great look for the league and it probably undermines the league's case when they try to persuade markets with older rinks to build something newer and bigger, but by the same token there is some value in having a franchise in a NHL city like Winnipeg for the reason you noted, among others.

And honestly, I don't think the ICE owners intend to use Wayne Fleming forever... so if it takes a few more years to get an arena built then what's the big deal? Is it any worse than the alternative of a hasty midnight move to some other town? Where would they even go? There are decent markets, but they all have inadequate arenas like the ICE and are therefore no better (Grande Prairie, Nanaimo, Lloydminster) or they have solidly entrenched junior A teams that won't give up the market without a fight (all the places I mentioned, plus Penticton).

So it's hard to believe the WHL would punish the ICE while they continue working on things. But why would the Free Press report it? What were they going on? The Free Press owes readers a bit of an explanation here because right now their credibility has been strained.
 
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jetsmooseice said:
That last part is what I found confusing too. I get that Wayne Fleming Arena is not a great look for the league and it probably undermines the league's case when they try to persuade markets with older rinks to build something newer and bigger, but by the same token there is some value in having a franchise in a NHL city like Winnipeg for the reason you noted, among others.

And honestly, I don't think the ICE owners intend to use Wayne Fleming forever... so if it takes a few more years to get an arena built then what's the big deal? Is it any worse than the alternative of a hasty midnight move to some other town? Where would they even go? There are decent markets, but they all have inadequate arenas like the ICE and are therefore no better (Grande Prairie, Nanaimo, Lloydminster) or they have solidly entrenched junior A teams that won't give up the market without a fight (all the places I mentioned, plus Penticton).

So it's hard to believe the WHL would punish the ICE while they continue working on things. But why would the Free Press report it? What were they going on? The Free Press owes readers a bit of an explanation here because right now their credibility has been strained.
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Not well acquainted with Grand Prairie but know Nanaimo well from football and I can’t imagine a team doing well there. That city is a shithole. I don’t see it being a WHL market. I can’t see them adding a small market that is isolated on the league map like Lloydminster. I think they’d do well to hang onto some of the small markets they already have in Sask over the next number of years.
 
BigZ65 said:
Not well acquainted with Grand Prairie but know Nanaimo well from football and I can’t imagine a team doing well there. That city is a shithole. I don’t see it being a WHL market. I can’t see them adding a small market that is isolated on the league map like Lloydminster. I think they’d do well to hang onto some of the small markets they already have in Sask over the next number of years.
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Nanaimo briefly had the WHL before and they'd like it back again, the WHL is one of the few significant and somewhat high-profile leagues available to a smaller city. I think the league would like to have a team there too to provide another stop for teams visiting the Island. And it is a fairly bit and growing city.

A place like Lloydminster is an example of a smaller AB/SK city that would also probably like to land a WHL team to reach a higher tier, so to speak.

Fort McMurray is a place that was rumoured to be looking for a team in the past, although I'm not sure where that is now.

The point is, there are some potential WHL markets that the ICE could theoretically move to. But none of them are clearly better than Winnipeg, and none of them are a slam dunk given that they'd pretty well all need a new arena too. The only places in Western Canada with WHL-calibre junior rinks but no team that I'm aware of are Penticton (home of a well-loved jr A team), some in the BC Lower Mainland (which is already spoken for by the Giants) and... well... I think that's it. Maybe there are a couple stateside if someone wants to give that a try.
 
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RetroWinnipeg said:
WHL & Winnipeg Ice joint statement calling reports of half-million dollar fine as false.

winnipegice.ca

The Western Hockey League and The Winnipeg ICE have issued the following statements regarding the article written by Mike Sawatzky and published by the Winnipeg Free Press on December 14, 2022 – Wenatchee Wild

winnipegice.ca winnipegice.ca
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Both the ICE and the WHL with emphatic statements.

WHL

Reports of the Western Hockey League issuing a fine against the Winnipeg ICE and its ownership group are false and inaccurate.

ICE

The Winnipeg ICE were not and have never been fined by the Western Hockey League.

We would also like to clarify that, despite the clear implication by Mr. Sawatzky in the article, the Winnipeg ICE were not asked to comment or confirm any facts relating to these alleged fines. For the Winnipeg Free Press to make such an explosive allegation without even attempting to contact the Winnipeg ICE or the Western Hockey League to confirm these allegations is deeply troublesome.

winnipegice.ca

The Western Hockey League and The Winnipeg ICE have issued the following statements regarding the article written by Mike Sawatzky and published by the Winnipeg Free Press on December 14, 2022 – Wenatchee Wild

winnipegice.ca winnipegice.ca
 
enuffidiotsalready said:
lol @ sawatzky/free press
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I feel like we are owed an explanation by the WFP and Mike Sawatzky. That is a pretty explosive allegation to print on nothing more than "sources indicate". I mean, maybe it's true, but when the team and league stridently deny it, I think we need a little more info.

Anyway, decent game by the ICE last night. Lots of rotten luck with clanging iron, whiffing on sure-thing shots, etc. It could have easily been 5-0 ICE after the first. I'll give Brandon's goalie credit, he played well too, but I maintain that he benefitted from a lot of lucky breaks too. But the ICE held in there and took control late in the game.

I hope McClennon will be OK, his absence was missed in the latter half of the game.
 
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jetsmooseice said:
I feel like we are owed an explanation by the WFP and Mike Sawatzky. That is a pretty explosive allegation to print on nothing more than "sources indicate". I mean, maybe it's true, but when the team and league stridently deny it, I think we need a little more info.
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The Free Press has posted another story in direct response to the league/team’s statements.

www.winnipegfreepress.com

Dec 2022: No fine issued over arena: Winnipeg Ice, WHL

The Winnipeg Ice and Western Hockey League say no fine was levied against the team for missing a key deadline to build a new arena in the city.
www.winnipegfreepress.com www.winnipegfreepress.com
Basically, WFP said that several sources had come forward to say a fine was in the works due to continuing arena delays.
 
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RetroWinnipeg said:
The Free Press has posted another story in direct response to the league/team’s statements.

www.winnipegfreepress.com

Dec 2022: No fine issued over arena: Winnipeg Ice, WHL

The Winnipeg Ice and Western Hockey League say no fine was levied against the team for missing a key deadline to build a new arena in the city.
www.winnipegfreepress.com www.winnipegfreepress.com
Basically, WFP said that several sources had come forward to say a fine was in the works due to continuing arena delays.
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They reported on the WHL/ICE statement, but didn't really add anything to the previous article. Won't any of the Free Press sources go on the record? Because if it comes down to the ICE and the league on the record vs. anonymous sources, how on earth does anyone conclude that the anonymous sources are right?

I have to give the WHL and the ICE the benefit of the doubt here.
 
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jetsmooseice said:
They reported on the WHL/ICE statement, but didn't really add anything to the previous article. Won't any of the Free Press sources go on the record? Because if it comes down to the ICE and the league on the record vs. anonymous sources, how on earth does anyone conclude that the anonymous sources are right?

I have to give the WHL and the ICE the benefit of the doubt here.
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Could be one of those "we haven't fined them YET" scenarios where there is a deadline by X date to have a feasible plan or there are fines.

Feels like the WHL and ICE were put in a tough spot - they weren't going to issue the fine yet so they have to come out and say "No, no fine was levied" but I would not be surprised to see one at some point in the near future.
 
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tbcwpg said:
Could be one of those "we haven't fined them YET" scenarios where there is a deadline by X date to have a feasible plan or there are fines.

Feels like the WHL and ICE were put in a tough spot - they weren't going to issue the fine yet so they have to come out and say "No, no fine was levied" but I would not be surprised to see one at some point in the near future.
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There's a strong chance that you might be right here. I doubt Mike Sawatzky pulled this story totally out of thin air, there has to be something to it. But yes, it may just be that the fine has technically not been officially levied, or whatever way the league wants to put it.

I'm curious as to how the league is going to proceed here. I mean, there was a bit of a sports boom in Canada around the time that the dollar was high. We saw a lot of new arenas and stadiums get built. But now, especially post-pandemic, it's pretty clear that people aren't generally going to games as much, they aren't spending as much on tickets. Some of the junior rinks built in recent years look comically overbuilt, like Moose Jaw's 5,000 seater... whenever I watch a game from there, like last night's ICE game, it looks like there are 1,500 people in the stands at most. Most other WHL teams are in a similar situation, where the number of empty seats on a typical night surpasses the number of occupied ones. So I don't know that the WHL is really in a position to start throwing its weight around, demanding that new arenas costing the better part of $100 million be built as if it was 2009 and the money was gushing. I'm no business guru, but it doesn't strike me as the most enticing business proposition for a team owner.
 
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Guardian17 said:

Western Hockey League

Headquartered in Calgary, Albert, the Western Hockey League (WHL) consists of 22 Member Clubs located throughout Western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
whl.ca whl.ca



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Super frustrating game. The Warriors are an offensively skilled team but they have found the perfect defensive secret sauce to absolutely shut down the ICE whenever they play them. They absolutely smothered the ICE and except for a few moments late in the game the ICE just couldn't get much sustained offensive pressure going. Ryder Korczak and Zach Benson had a thing going all evening with them beaking at each other, it might have been a 'game recognize game' situation given how well both play 200 foot games, but last night was Korczak's as he got the hatty and helped shut the ICE down in the MJ end.

For what it's worth I'm not sure the ICE really gave this one 100% effort.

I don't think it's time to sound the alarm yet but the ICE have gone from looking like an unstoppable juggernaut in October to maybe a slightly above average team in December. For a team with this much offensive firepower (even without an injured Connor McClennon), it's hard to fathom notching just one goal in a game.

And things aren't going to get any easier with the red-hot Saskatoon Blades coming to town for two games starting tomorrow. This could be the real litmus test for the ICE where we find out if they are built to go the distance or mere pretenders.
 
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RetroWinnipeg said:
CHL on TSN features two upcoming Ice games.

-February 20: Winnipeg ICE at Swift Current Broncos, 4pm (TSN.ca or app)
-March 3: Winnipeg ICE at Regina Pats (TV broadcast...up against Jets on TSN)
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They never, ever broadcast games from Wayne Fleming Arena lol
 
Awesome game between the ICE and Blades. Probably the fastest I've seen game all season, it looked like a track meet with the teams roaring up and down the right all night. The entertainment factor was definitely high even though it was a low-scoring game, so the packed house went home happy. Nice to see Evan Friesen with the GWG. Can't wait for the rematch tonight.

Also, what is up with the Moose Jaw Warriors... after beating the ICE they go out and get shellacked 11-2 by the Wheat Kings!!
 
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Latimer, 19, from White Rock, British Columbia has played 121 regular season games registering 85 points (34 goals and 51 assists) over the past four WHL seasons with the Raiders and Edmonton Oil Kings.

The 6’1”, 191 pound forward has 28 points (10 goals and 18 assists) along with 20 penalty minutes this season.

Wenatchee Wild

winnipegice.ca winnipegice.ca

 
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Very similar game as the night before, pretty fast but still defensively-oriented. The ICE won but it could have easily swung the other way. Saskatoon would be a tough opponent in the playoffs, for sure. I'm not sure what the ICE OT record is but it has to be dominant, these guys are damn near unstoppable at 3 on 3.

Can't wait until the ICE lineup is back to normal once McClennon and Wilson recover from injuries, and Latimer joins the team.
 
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The Winnipeg ICE have acquired forward Easton Armstrong from the Regina Pats in exchange for defenceman Omen Harmacy.

Armstrong, 19, from Los Angeles, California has played 121 regular season games registering 34 points (20 goals and 14 assists) along with 100 penalty minutes over the past four WHL seasons with the Pats.

The 6’3”, 204 pound forward has 22 points (13 goals and nine assists) along with 42 penalty minutes this season.

winnipegice.ca

NEWS | ICE acquire Armstrong – Wenatchee Wild

winnipegice.ca winnipegice.ca

 
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Nice move for the ICE. Although it makes me wonder what that means for the defensive corps... there isn't a lot of depth there. One guy gets injured and suddenly it's a 5 man corps, or they're bringing someone in from AAA or whatever. I guess Wilson's debut will offset that loss, but it's still pretty thin and makes me wonder if there isn't another trade for a rugged D man brewing.

Also, Seattle picked up Colton Dach from Kelowna today to add to their star studded lineup. Seattle is shaping up to be like the Oil Kings were last season with all their big moves, and the ICE are probably going to have to pull off at least another deal or two to keep up with them.
 
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jetsmooseice said:
Nice move for the ICE. Although it makes me wonder what that means for the defensive corps... there isn't a lot of depth there. One guy gets injured and suddenly it's a 5 man corps, or they're bringing someone in from AAA or whatever. I guess Wilson's debut will offset that loss, but it's still pretty thin and makes me wonder if there isn't another trade for a rugged D man brewing.

Also, Seattle picked up Colton Dach from Kelowna today to add to their star studded lineup. Seattle is shaping up to be like the Oil Kings were last season with all their big moves, and the ICE are probably going to have to pull off at least another deal or two to keep up with them.
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Yeah Seattle is clearly going for it while the ICE are again making relatively minor moves (although Latimer is a very good addition). Would like to see them swing a big deal before the deadline.
 
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