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

[Guardian17]

Exactly this. The ICE have gone all in as they pursue a championship... they're not burning the team to the ground before selling it.

I hope your right.

It's just depressing to watch the highlights of home games and see so few fans in the crowd.

What will it be like when they're not a dominant team?

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

Sadly, you can see the writing on the wall.

Look at what's been traded away.

According to WHL blogger Alan Caldwell, who tracks these things, the Ice have traded away picks in the first, second and fourth rounds in this year’s draft, all their picks from Rounds 1 through 6 in 2024, their top four picks in ’25 and their first six picks in ’26.

Seems like they're going for a championship this season and then sell the team.

It's too bad as I really enjoyed the game I went to, but, the arena they play in really sucks.

That's incredibly normal.

Have you looked at the average big-time major junior trade? Teams are very aware when their window is open, and go all-in for that window.

Decent crowd tonight, but it's minor hockey night, so the kids are out - and I think all in line to get an autograph from Avery Pickering, lmfao.

I did field a very weird question from someone who asked if Steinbach was looking to get a WHL team.

 

[Guardian17]

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

 

[Jet]

Another media outlet spelling concern about the future of the Winnipeg Ice.

CRACK IN THE ICE: First-place WHL team could be on last legs in Winnipeg

The Winnipeg Ice have built a dominant WHL team, but their failure to build a new rink puts the franchise’s future in question. Read more.

winnipegsun.com

Of course, when The Free Press reported on a similar story, the league and franchise released a statement calling such rumors about fines and sustainability concerns as false.

Here's a couple things I know about the ownership of the Ice:

They are incredibly passionate about hockey and having a CHL team in Winnipeg fulfilled a dream for them.

They are very shrewd businessmen and I wouldn't count them out getting an arena deal done.

 

[snowkiddin]

Hope they can get things turned around. I enjoy going to ICE games, but hockey is probably oversaturated here.

 

[jetsmooseice]

It's becoming pretty clear that the WHL is amateur hour. These guys let 50 Below move the team to Winnipeg on a promise to spend at least $50 million on an arena for an unproven and pretty risky product in a crowded market. That was dodgy enough.

Then COVID happens, the ICE basically disappear for a year, and the cost of everything skyrockets. But instead of being patient and waiting for things to settle down, they start punishing the owners and making threat to move the team to someplace in BC as if the BCHL wasn't already successfully operating in every market they're looking at.

All I can say is screw Robison and those guys. If I'm in Wenatchee or Chilliwack why would I ever believe a word those clowns say? Based on franchise history it'll be 5 years before they're ready to pull up stakes again and move the travelling roadshow somewhere else.

The ICE owners have money and good intentions. They are slowly but surely building up a fanbase in Winnipeg. If the arena is small, then that's 50 Below's headache. Let them deal with it. If the ICE get yanked then the WHL is absolutely DEAD in Winnipeg.

 

[SCP Guy]

If I was the owners no way I would pony up the money to build a new arena in a city of 750k that’s has an NHL and an AHL team…. If they are hoping for the city or a surrounding municipality to pick up a good chunk of the bill I can’t see that happening anytime soon with the economic head winds we face… It’s a tough spot since the Ice games are a fun time…. But I only go with my little guy once a year due to the location.

 

[Al Camino]

Here's how I look at it:

Is the team well run? Yes. The standings are clear evidence of that.
Is it paying its bills? Well, we certainly haven't heard anything to suggest it isn't.

So what exactly is the "problem" that the WHL is trying to fix here? If the owners are content with the arrangement then why does the league feel the need to meddle in the situation? Maybe the WHL should keep its nose out of it and go deal with some real problems. Or are they going to say "screw you" to Winnipeg and revoke the franchise? I'll never buy another WHL ticket again if that happens.

I think its more of a long term sustainability thing. Getting a ticket to an Ice game in a building that seats 1,800 has never been an issue. Even if they sell out the building they drawn less then what the averaged in Cranbrook, not to mention they spend more on travel as the farther team east that anyone other than Brandon.

Regardless of the arena issue it was always going to be a hard job to draw enough. And depending on who you talk to the arena issue reads like a soap opera.

Contrary to popular belief Winnipeg is Jets town not a 'hockey' town.

They are completing against the Jets and Moose. As someone that reads business plans and balance sheets all day I'm not surprised if they end up on the move. I just hope they can get a championship before they leave,

 

[Al Camino]

If I was the owners no way I would pony up the money to build a new arena in a city of 750k that’s has an NHL and an AHL team…. If they are hoping for the city or a surrounding municipality to pick up a good chunk of the bill I can’t see that happening anytime soon with the economic head winds we face… It’s a tough spot since the Ice games are a fun time…. But I only go with my little guy once a year due to the location.

That arena project isn't happening anytime soon for a bunch of reasons. And that location isn't much better than the U of M. IMO

 

[jetsmooseice]

They are completing against the Jets and Moose. As someone that reads business plans and balance sheets all day I'm not surprised if they end up on the move. I just hope they can get a championship before they leave,

I can see this being an issue if the ICE's owners were holding their hands out and asking for money. If they came to you as a lender with a pitch and you looked at their actuals written in red ink, you would be right to bounce them out of your office.

But if the 50 Below guys are willing to backstop the losses (which they have been so far), then what is the WHL's beef?

If I'm a rich guy and I want to do a good job running a team as a hobby, even if it's at a loss, then what is the league's issue? Why on earth would you kick out owners who pay debts on time and whose cheques always cash?

 

[Al Camino]

I can see this being an issue if the ICE's owners were holding their hands out and asking for money. If they came to you as a lender with a pitch and you looked at their actuals written in red ink, you would be right to bounce them out of your office.

But if the 50 Below guys are willing to backstop the losses (which they have been so far), then what is the WHL's beef?

If I'm a rich guy and I want to do a good job running a team as a hobby, even if it's at a loss, then what is the league's issue? Why on earth would you kick out owners who pay debts on time and whose cheques always cash?

More so the crowed market place would be the issue for me. That is if they came looking for a pile of money on building. But true if they have the cash to keep running a deficit not a big deal and if they have as much money as is reported you'd probably get fired if you refused them

 

[Buffdog]

Is the Ice ownership group the same ones that run RHA Winnipeg and RHA Kelowna?

If so, I've heard that finances are a major issue right now

 

[lanky]

Is the Ice ownership group the same ones that run RHA Winnipeg and RHA Kelowna?

If so, I've heard that finances are a major issue right now

I think 50 Below (Ice ownership Fettes and Cockell) split away from RINK (Keane, Rice and Jones) in the past couple years.

 

[RetroWinnipeg]

I think 50 Below (Ice ownership Fettes and Cockell) split away from RINK (Keane, Rice and Jones) in the past couple years.

Is this related to why the Winnipeg Blues are now playing home games out of hockey for all centre?

 

[jetsmooseice]

Is this related to why the Winnipeg Blues are now playing home games out of hockey for all centre?

Have they actually moved? Looks like they played at The Rink as recently as Jan. 28.

 

[RetroWinnipeg]

Have they actually moved? Looks like they played at The Rink as recently as Jan. 28.

Their final two home games of the season are listed as the former Iceplex.

From @oldunclehue : "The owners of The Rink kicked out the Winnipeg Blues from their facilities and I was told 50 Below and them had a falling out."

 

[jetsmooseice]

Their final two home games of the season are listed as the former Iceplex.

From @oldunclehue : "The owners of The Rink kicked out the Winnipeg Blues from their facilities and I was told 50 Below and them had a falling out."

I saw that comment when it was originally made but tbh I thought it was a mistake, I hadn't heard anything about the Blues leaving The Rink. But you are right, there are no more Blues games happening there. Was it just a scheduling conflict with Rink CSSHL? Or did they actually leave?

It's weird if the Blues left because the ICE are part of the same ownership group and they are still there with all their facilities. Why would one team leave but not the other?!

 

[RetroWinnipeg]

 

[Guardian17]

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

 

[jetsmooseice]

ICE brought the hammer down on a struggling Moose Jaw club. I was on hockey dad duty so really only got to see the back half of the game when the ICE were up 6-0, and as one would expect it looked pretty well over by that point.

Despite struggling a bit with MJ earlier this season, the ICE have put the boots to the Warriors with two out of their three last games being big wins. Of course the fact that four Warriors players including their starting goalie and a key defenseman are suspended indefinitely is going to have an impact as well.

At one point in the season I was a bit worried that MJ could have what it takes to potentially upset the ICE in the playoffs, but it is not looking like that anymore, especially if Ungar and Wanner stay out of the lineup. On to Regina for tonight's showdown with the Pats.

 

[Channelcat]

So what sites are they "prioritizing"?

It appears that there was never any serious consideration of a building.

 

[jetsmooseice]

It appears that there was never any serious consideration of a building.

I don't for a moment doubt that there was serious consideration of a building... but considering something and getting something built are two different things.

Why doesn't the WHL calm down here and give 50 Below some more time before they burn down the Winnipeg market for good? We're coming out of a pandemic, interest rates and inflation have increased significantly... circumstances have changed. Why don't Robison and the governors calm the eff down and let Fettes and Cockell figure out a way to get it done? Instead of taking over the franchise and then doing a disgraceful midnight move out of Winnipeg, give the ICE another 18 months to work out a deal. At that point if nothing happens, then fine, do your thing, WHL.

On a somewhat related note, Paul Friesen's article noted the following:

According to WHL blogger Alan Caldwell, who tracks these things, the Ice have traded away picks in the first, second and fourth rounds in this year’s draft, all their picks from Rounds 1 through 6 in 2024, their top four picks in ’25 and their first six picks in ’26.

So I guess it's pretty well a given that there is going to be a massive fire sale soon? Benson plus any remaining talent will have to go to recoup some of those lost picks. The only question is whether it will happen during or after next season.

 

[Guardian17]

Brad Erb was pretty pumped by what he was hearing.

A self-described hockey buff who’s been the reeve of the RM of MacDonald for eight years, Erb was at the news conference where owners of Winnipeg’s new Western Hockey League team announced bold plans for an arena, four years ago.

“I thought it was pretty exciting for the area and for the municipality… that they’d be putting up this entertainment facility within our jurisdiction,” Erb told the Winnipeg Sun, Friday. “From that day forward, it was radio silence and I haven’t heard a darn thing about it.”

'Radio silence': Reeve says Ice arena plan never got off the ground

Brad Erb was pretty pumped by what he was hearing.

winnipegsun.com

 

[blueandgoldguy]

I have heard it suggested by one or two people on other sites that ICE ownership was hoping to get a significant portion of their arena publicly funded. No traction with various levels of government and as a result, there was no real impetus to move past the stage of initial renders we saw 3 or so years ago.

From my vantage point, it appears this franchise is living on borrowed time.

 

[Guardian17]

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

No post game comments from Coach Patrick.